When it comes to justice, you're supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Well, let's just say that's not exactly the case in the world of Mother Courage. In times of war, Brecht's play suggests, justice isn't a big concern. But don't get us wrong. Buried deep in the dark cynicism of Mother Courage, there is still the earnest hope that innocence can triumph over brutality, however briefly. In other words, there's our girl Kattrin. Her sacrificial death symbolizes the power of love and hope and all those good things—but also the destruction of innocence by war. In a play that portrays religion as the handmaiden of violence, Kattrin's heroism provides the outlet for any need to seek a higher good in Mother Courage. But ultimately, it warns that someone like Kattrin might just be too innocent for this world.
Questions About Innocence
- Can you imagine the play without Kattrin's sacrifice?
- How would things be different if Kattrin could speak?
- Is Kattrin really a hero, or is she the victim of her own romantic ideas about love and family?
- Is the cook's cynical attitude toward war and religion part of his conviction that humanity is by nature sinful?
Chew on This
Kattrin's muteness is not just a symbol of innocence damaged by war; it also lends her character an element of inscrutability that remains with her until the end.
While a character like Kattrin gives Mother Courage an element of hope, the play suggests that this is not a realistic hope.