The Good Person of Szechwan essay

However, many might decide to encounter much more consequences in the portrayed picture. It may seems that only the likes of Shui Ta are made to survive and persevere in this world that they live in. Each of these two characters is a persona of the same person. (Brecht, 1965, p. 11-25) Shen Te embraces “cross-dressing” by putting on male like clothing, adopting a commanding voice and a mask to take on the role of her cousin Shui Ta. However, Shui Ta’s stinginess and ruthlessness results to a need for more human warmth and help that Shen Te provides to miserable people in Szechwan. Shen Te’s struggle for survival is defined through her economic means of survival and her existence is portrayed as a metaphor.

The act of cross-dressing as a metaphor in this case can be used to show the incompetence of women in economic survival. It’s most evident that symbolically a woman is deprived of her ability to pursue her business appearing as a feminine figure. I should like not to exploit anyone! But … how? Hooooow? Even when I break Only “a few” commandments, I can hardly survive (Brecht, 1965, p. Shen Te’s decision to pose as a man granted her male priviledge that would keep her good in the eyes of the society. The society at that time was more inclined towards “men” rather than “women”, so Shen Te needed to adopt a male masquerade in order to fit in. she realizes that she need to be adamant and unyielding like fellow women in the society.

For example Mrs. Mi Tzu her landlady, who has no pity for poor people or even for Shen Te when she delays rent payment.  28) Fourthly, Shen Te’s act of cross dressing in “The Good Person of Szechwan” is significant as it enables her to harden up and so as to turn into Shui Ta so as to secure the future of her son. She witnesses her “child” hurting and gathering for food from the dust bins, she realizes that she needed to cross-dress in order to provide for the child. Shen Te therefore need to turn into Shui Ta so as to look for a way to do good and fulfill her responsibility as a “mother”. It becomes evident to Shen Te that being kind and generous is never enough since the ones around will always take advantage of such unconcerned generosity.

In order to survive in this world you need to be sharp like a “tigress” and a “wild beast” to others.  Shen Te will hardly be acting fairly towards Shu Fu. In a complex world, perhaps the simple good will of Shen Te is not the best answer, despite all. Shen Te, carrying the mask of Shui Ta, sings a song in which she howls that the good are unable to defend themselves in this world and that it is impossible to help one person without hurting a many others at the same time. Furthermore, this context can also be used to depict Brecht’s use of transveitism as a dramaturgical technique to paint the picture of “femininity” and “masculinity”. For instance, Yang Sun’s image can be associated to a “bad father” while Shen Te’s image can be attributed to “good mother”.

The women are streotyped to be “weaker gender” in handling emotions hence making them irrational thinkers, hence Shen Te felt the need to identify with the “stronger gender” which are men. (Alison. Solomon, 1994,vol 25, no 2, p. 42-55) This play “The Good Person of Szechwan” consistently uses character gestus, to bring out the significance of Shen Te’s act of cross-dressing where by Shen Te becomes familiar with the workings of “men” through Shui Ta’s personality. For example: when Shui Ta offers the Policeman a cigar and he takes two. It can be concluded that Bertolt's way of employing literary devices to split character in this case it is a representation of the antagonism between being of an individual and being of species that involves conservative societies.

"Goodness" as a theme is elaborated in Scenes’ VI and VI (a) through Sun and by the “gods”. The St. Nevercome Song, sung by Yang, shows that he is contented it is not worth to attempt being "good. " It is followed by this sarcastic song. While undergoing motherhood process Shen Te finds herself having to quit so as to focus on taking care of her son. Shen Te is a prostitute, a factory owner and a mother at the same time. Initially, after pregnancy her belly is not visible and as days go by it become visible, it’s attributed in contrast that Shen Te’s pregnant body to Shui Ta growing belly as a result of economic flourishment and well-being, after a point she had to reveal herself.