Profit Motive as a Major Drive for War and Violence: A Perspective on Mother Courage and Her Children

Abstract

Abstract

The present research paper explores the economic reasons behind waging war and violence. Insatiable hunger for making money becomes the main reason behind all the wars and violence. The play ‘mother courage and her children’ portraits the profit motive of capitalism that is at the root of most of the world’s problems today from starvation to war, to alienation and crime. Every aspect of mother courage’s (Anna fierling) life subordinates to the worst excess of the drive to make profit. In capitalist society goods may satisfy human needs but those needs will not be made if you don’t have sufficient money. Brecht1 wrote the first complete version of mother’s courage in her children in direct response to Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939. It is one of the great plays of last 100 years. It is still timely. The play is set in Europe specially Sweden, Poland and Germany during ‘Thirty years war’ that was waged from 1618 to 1648. The play is intended not only to show the link between war and capitalisms but also to demonstrate how the little people are in this case the little woman make contribute to war in the vain hope of sharing the spoils. Mother courage a canteen woman pulls her cart along with her three children following the protestant army trading with soldiers and attempting to make profits from the war. Her business interest proves to be incompatible with her second avowed concern which is to bring her children safely through the conflict. Brecht invites us to consider the consequences of this. Despite the fact that she is constantly trying to make profit mother courage is destine to lose by trading during the war. Mother courage has lost all her children and everything by the end. Who makes profit? Only the fat cats at the top toy have