ce in the story. Songs are linked with Mother Courage, her children, and the people she meets.
The First Song with the Wagon: In the Prologue, Mother Courage enters with her wagon. Her sons, Eilif and Swiss Cheese, pull the cart. Her daughter Kattrin plays the harmonica. Together they sing,
“Here’s Mother Courage and her wagon!
Hey, Captain, Let them come and buy!”
The song is happy, but soon the Sergeant and Recruiting Officer come. They want to take Eilif as a soldier. The song looks like fun, but it hides danger. Brecht makes the audience think: trade and war are connected.
Eilif and the Fishwife’s Warning: Later, the Commander praises Eilif for killing peasants and stealing oxen. Eilif sings the song “The fishwife and the Soldier.” In the song, an old woman warns a soldier not to take risks. But the soldier laughs and runs into danger. Mother Courage also sings part of the song. She then scolds her son,
“Didn’t I teach you to take care of yourself, you Finnish devil, you?”
The story shows Eilif’s bravery, but also his foolishness. The song teaches that bravery in war often leads to destruction.
Yvette’s Song of Love in War: In Scene Three, Yvette Pottier sings, “The camp follower’s song.” She tells her story of falling in love with a Dutch cook. She sings,
“Scarce seventeen was I when
The foe came to our land”.
She remembers how soldiers used her and left her. Kattrin listens carefully. Mother Courage warns her daughter not to fall in love with soldiers. This story, through song, shows the harsh truth. War destroys young women’s lives. Brecht uses Yvette’s song to stop pity and show a lesson.
Religion and Fighting: When the Catholics attack, the Cook and the Chaplain sing, “Luther’s Hymn”,
“A mighty fortress is our God.”
The hymn is holy, but it is sung while soldiers fight and kill. At the same time, Mother Courage says,
“The trouble with Poland is the Poles.”
The story becomes ironic. Religion is used to cover up war and profit. The hymn makes the audience think about how faith is twisted for bloodshed. Brecht’s purpose is clear: don’t just feel, but judge.
Mother Courage’s Sad Song of Warning: At the end, Mother Courage loses everything. Eilif is executed, Swiss Cheese is shot, and Kattrin is killed. She is left alone with her wagon. Earlier, she had sung a fortune-telling song with slips of paper. She said,
“So shall we all be torn asunder if we let ourselves get too deep into this war!”
That warning becomes true. In the final scene, she sings again while pulling the wagon. The story ends with her song. This shows her courage but also her blindness. Brecht makes the audience think about the war’s cost.
The songs in “Mother Courage and Her Children” are part of the story. They come in the wagon, in Eilif’s battle, in Yvette’s love, in the Chaplain’s hymn, and in Mother Courage’s last walk. Songs tell about trade, bravery, love, religion, and loss. They keep breaking the flow. They stop emotions. They teach lessons. This is Brecht’s epic theatre.
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