Mother courage: study map

1.

Mother Courage and Her Children is one of Brecht’s most well known and politcally potent anti-war plays. Set during the 30 Years War from 1618 to 1648, the story follows Anna Frieling who is nicknamed Mother Courage, as she travels through Europe over a period of 12 years. During this time she loses all three of her children, Kattrin, Eilif and Swisscheese through their affiliation with the war. This tragedy is juxtaposed with Mother Courage’s career ambition and profiteering from the war as a trader and canteen woman.

Brecht’s story is based on Grimmelshausen’s novel of the same name from 1670. Brecht wrote around 49 stage productions during his career incorporating operas, adaptations and interludes. Mother Courage was written later on in his career, in the late 1930’s, although it was not produced until 1941, in Zurich, where it was an immediate success, despite the looming Nazi invasion.  There are many parallels to be drawn between the conflict within which the play is set, and the rapidly escalating conflict that was taking place whilst Brecht was writing. It is considered as a powerful commentary on WW2 with strong undercurrents of meaning. Brecht was vehemently opposed to the oppressive Nazi regime, and was himself persecuted for his strong Marxist beliefs.

·         Further research on : 

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·         Research Brecht’s life and career as a story teller, evaluate his methods of storytelling. Examine his use of the ‘narrator’.

         Akhila & Mrinalini

 

·         Why did Brecht want to make theatre accessible to the common people? What did he think of the theatre he saw when he was growing up?

            Samantha & Prajim

·         Research Brecht’s wider political aspirations as a communist, and evaluate the impact that this had on his stories. Look particularly at his Lehrstücke (Learning Plays), what political and social messages did these portray?

         

        Karan & Lalit