The subtitle of "Mom Courage and Her Children" is "Chronicle of the Thirty Years' War", and the background is the Thirty Years' War in Germany in the 17th century. Anna Fairling, known as the "Courageous Mother", took her two sons and a mute daughter, pulled a truck and hawked goods with the army. She regarded the war as a means of livelihood and a source of wealth. A soldier looked at her truck and predicted: "Whoever wants to live on war must hand over something to it." This woman, who placed all her hopes on the war, eventually ended up with her family and her family destroyed. This is the tragedy of a woman who was not afraid to take risks and was reckless in order to make a living during the war. The name "Mother Courage" comes from the 17th-century German novelist Grimmelhausen's picaresque novel "The Liar and the Wanderer Kulasche". The word "Courage" in the Baroque era meant the "scheming" of women to seduce men. In Brecht's writing, it means the "courage" necessary for little people to survive.
Reader comments
War is like poison carefully crafted by humans for themselves, expecting to send away the enemy, but in fact it is an indiscriminate attack that harms both others and itself. Courageous Mom made a fortune during the war, gained a lot of wealth, and accumulated amazing resources. But this wealth dissipated in an instant like clouds and smoke, and eventually led to bankruptcy with nothing. Courageous Mom can be said to be a portrayal of countless people who suffered in the war era. The war caused so many mothers to lose their children and so many families that they could never be reunited. This book expresses the author's aversion to war and his resistance to the greedy bourgeoisie that exploits the people and never knows how to be satisfied.
This book made me see the cruelty of war and the helplessness of small people. "Mom Courage" is really brave and will do whatever it takes to survive, but she is also a poor person. This reminds me of Natasha in War and Peace, who also experienced a lot of suffering during the war. In contrast, "Bold Mom" is more realistic and cruel. This book is very real and makes people think deeply.
War is like poison carefully crafted by humans for themselves, expecting to send away the enemy, but in fact it is an indiscriminate attack that harms both others and itself. Courageous Mom made a fortune during the war, gained a lot of wealth, and accumulated amazing resources. But this wealth dissipated in an instant like clouds and smoke, and eventually led to bankruptcy with nothing. Courageous Mom can be said to be a portrayal of countless people who suffered in the war era. The war caused so many mothers to lose their children and so many families that they could never be reunited. This book expresses the author's aversion to war and his resistance to the greedy bourgeoisie that exploits the people and never knows how to be satisfied.
This book made me see the cruelty of war and the helplessness of small people. "Mom Courage" is really brave and will do whatever it takes to survive, but she is also a poor person. This reminds me of Natasha in War and Peace, who also experienced a lot of suffering during the war. In contrast, "Bold Mom" is more realistic and cruel. This book is very real and makes people think deeply.