Mother Courage and Her Children Innocence Quotes

Let's face it: when we talk about innocence as a theme in Mother Courage, we're usually talking about Kattrin. She is the one character who attempts to reclaim her voice, taken away from the war, by sacrificing herself to save others. This line is the first suggestion that Kattrin's inability to speak stands for her innocence and blamelessness. Though it seems insignificant, this line is important for allowing us to understand Kattrin's character development.

This one seems a little counterintuitive, but Kattrin's muteness is often characterized as a good thing. For one, it means she's usually free of blame when things go wrong. But her mother also sees her muteness as a blessing because, as in this passage, it means she'll never be able to say she loves someone, or contradict herself, or speak the truth. All those things are framed here as ways innocence can be lost.

In Mother Courage's world, traditional values get turned upside-down. So, she can be grateful for corruption, since she's definitely not naïve enough to think that there will be justice for the innocent.