Mother Courage and Her Children

Novel | Bertolt Brecht
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The Relationship Between Maternity and War as Illustrated in “Mother Courage and Her Children.”

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Discuss briefly the relationship between maternity and war as illustrated in “Mother Courage and Her Children.” [NU: 2017] ★★★ 

Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) shows in “Mother Courage and Her Children” (1941) how a mother’s love and war cannot exist together. Mother Courage loves her children, Eilif, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin. But war destroys them one by one. The play shows the painful clash between maternity and war.

A Mother’s Love against Recruitment: In the Prologue, Mother Courage travels across Poland with her wagon. She sings with her children,

“Here’s Mother Courage and her wagon!

Hey, Captain, Let them come and buy!”

But the Sergeant and Recruiting Officer take Eilif. Mother Courage cries. This moment shows maternity fighting against war. She wants to save her son, but war snatches him away.

Maternity and Bargaining for Swiss Cheese: Swiss Cheese becomes paymaster. So, Mother Courage is pr

oud. She says,

“Don’t forget they made you paymaster because you’re honest.”

When he is captured, she tries to ransom him. But she bargains too long, trying to save money. The soldiers shoot Swiss Cheese. Here, maternity loses to war again. A mother’s love cannot defeat her business instinct. War takes her son.

Kattrin’s Sacrifice and the Lonely Mother: Kattrin is mute, but her mother loves her deeply. In the last scene near Halle, Kattrin climbs a roof and beats a drum to warn villagers. Soldiers kill her. Mother Courage is sad. The final tragedy shows maternity crushed by war. Mother Courage loses all three children. Yet war goes on.

In “Mother Courage and Her Children”, maternity and war cannot live together. Eilif is recruited, Swiss Cheese is executed, and Kattrin is killed. Mother Courage’s love fails before the power of war. Brecht shows that war destroys not only nations but also mothers and children. 

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Bertolt Brecht
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