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Mother Courage and Her Children Study Guide

by Bertolt Brecht

Mother Courage and Her Children study guide contains a biography of Bertolt Brecht, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

The play is set in Europe during the Thirty Years' War. Mother Courage, a canteen woman, pulls her cart with her three children (Eilif, Kattrin, and Swiss Cheese) in the wake of the army, trading with the soldiers and attempting to make profit from the war.

We are first introduced to a Recruiting Officer and a Sergeant, who complain about the difficulty of recruiting soldiers for the war. Mother Courage's cart is pulled on and, distracting her with the promise of a transaction, the Recruiting Officer leads Eilif off. One of her children is now gone.

Two years later, we find Mother Courage haggling with the General's Cook over a capon. On the other side of the stage, Eilif is praised by the General for heroically slaughtering some peasants and…

Read the full Mother Courage and Her Children Summary

• Mother Courage and Her Children Summary
• About Mother Courage and Her Children
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Summary and Analysis of Scene One
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Two
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Three
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Four
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Five
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Six
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Seven
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Eight
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Nine
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Ten
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Eleven
• Summary and Analysis of Scene Twelve
• About "Epic Theater"
• Brecht's Intention
• A Stage History
• Related Links on Mother Courage and Her Children
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 5
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• Mother Courage and Her Children: Major Themes
• Mother Courage and Her Children: Essays
• Mother Courage and Her Children: Questions
• Mother Courage and Her Children: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• Bertolt Brecht: Biography