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Mother Courage and Her Children

By Bertolt Brecht
Series: Student Editions
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht is a powerful play set during the Thirty Years' War, following the indomitable character of Mother Courage as she attempts to profit from the war through her canteen wagon. Despite the harsh realities of wartime, the narrative explores themes of survival, commerce, and the impact of war on humanity, with a critical look at the costs of profiteering and loss on individuals and families.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This play may appeal to you if you enjoy powerful dramas that address the complexities of war, survival, and resilience. Brecht's work is renowned for its thought-provoking storytelling and provocative social commentary, making it a compelling read for those interested in theatre and cultural criticism.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This new Student Edition, featuring the classic John Willett translation of the play, includes an introduction by Katherine Hollander, which explores the following:

Contexts: Thirty Years War (1618-1648); World War II and exile; sources; influential figures such as Brecht, Margarete Steffin, Helene Weigel, and Karin Michaelis.

Themes: War, nature, capitalism.

Dramatic devices: Epic theatre.

Production history and critical reception.

Academic debate: Marxist, feminist, and postmodernist.

Further study.

Widely regarded as Brecht's best work, Mother Courage and Her Children was written in 1938-1939 and received its premiere in Zurich in 1941. Mother Courage, a canteen woman serving with the Swedish Army during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), follows the armies, selling provisions and liquor to the troops. Both her sons die in the war, and her mute daughter, Kattrin, is mortally wounded as she beats a drum to warn the town of Halle of an impending attack. Yet, all the while, Mother Courage continues her travels with her wagon, indomitably businesslike, calculating how she can make material profit from the war and turn conflict into capital.

Series: Student Editions

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350178533

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Methuen Drama

Edition: 2nd edition

Contributors:

  • Translated by John Willett
  • Volume editor Katherine Hollander

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 140g

Pages: 144

Collections

Arts & Culture Bertolt Brecht Non-Fiction Series: Student Editions

About the Author

Bertolt Brecht was born in Augsburg on 10 February 1898 and died in Berlin on 14 August 1956. His plays include Man Equals Man, The Threepenny Opera, The Mother, Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and her Children and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. He founded the Berliner Ensemble in 1947 and, from then until his death, was mainly occupied in producing his own plays.

John Willett (1917-2002) was a British translator and scholar who is remembered for translating the work of Bertolt Brecht into English, having become a friend of Brecht's after World War II. Over his career, he acted as a freelancer writer, editor, translator and director, as well as a visiting professor and lecturer.

A poet, historian, and Brecht scholar, Katherine Hollander holds an MA in poetry and a PhD in modern European history, both from Boston University. Her scholarly work focuses on exile and collaboration in intellectual circles. Her first book of poems, My German Dictionary, won the Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize in 2019. She serves as Poetry and Reviews Editor for Consequence Forum and as an Associate Editor for the Waywiser Press, and teaches poetry at Tufts University.

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