Heath1

JesseHeath
SiegrunBubser
IntrotoLitArgumentativeResearchPaper
11/21/2013
MotherCourage:DifficultiesofBalancingaCareerandFamily
Almosteveryonehasdifficultydiscoveringhowtobalancetheirtime,whetheritbewiththeir
schoolwork,spendingtimewithfriends,orfindingtimetoclockinafewhoursattheirjob.Ascollege
studentslivingawayfromhome,werarelyneedtomaketimeinourschedulesforfamilyunlessitisan
occasionalphonecall,butitisagrowingissuewithparentsthataretryingtoraisechildrenandfocuson
theircareers.ThisissuecanbelinkedtotheplayMotherCourageandherChildren.Inthestory,you
seethatMotherCourageisconstantlytoobusyworkingandtendingtoherbusinesstotake
responsibilityforherchildren.ThoughithasbeenafewcenturiessincetheThirtyYearsWar,theideas
offailedmaternalrolescanbeappliedtomoderndaysocietyandarestillrelevanttoourgeneration.
ThisargumentativeresearchessaywilldiscusstheplotofMotherCourageandherChildren,examine
eachofthedeathsofherchildren,andviewwhatarethecausesofabsentmothersinthehousehold.
MotherCourageandherChildrenisaplaysetinthe17thcenturyduringtheThirtyYearsWar
thatoccurredinPolandandGermany.IttellsthetaleofMotherCourage,whowasgivenhernickname
whenshecourageouslyranthroughabombardmentinRigainordertosellherbread.Shetravelswith
herthreechildren,Eilif,SwissCheese,andKattrin.Eilifistheeldestofherchildrenandalsoherfavorite
becauseofhisbravery,eventhoughhecouldbeperceivedasathuglaterintheplay.SwissCheeseis
theyoungestsonofMotherCourageandisconsideredtobethehonestoneofherchildren.Kattrinis
MotherCouragesonlydaughterandsheisthecharacterthatsuffersmostfromthewarbecausesheis
sotraumatizedthatsheloseshervoiceandbecomesmuteatanearlyage.Asafamily,theytravelthe
countrysidetosellgoodsandattempttomakeaprofitoffofthewar.

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Wheneachofherchildrendie,MotherCouragealwaysletsthemdownintheirtimeofneed,
makingitcleartothereaderthatsheisnotthebestparentalrolemodel.SwissCheeseisthefirstofher
kintoperish.ItallstartedwhenheacceptsthepositionaspaymasteroftheSecondFinnishRegiment.
Hestealsandhidesthecashbox,sohemayreturnittothegeneralaftertheCatholicsachievepower.
Whenheiscaughtattemptingtostealit,theSergeantapproachesKattrinandMotherCourageand
asksifsheknowshim.MotherCourageshakesherheadandtheSergeantsays,Pickhimup.Chuck
himinthepit.Hesgotnoonethatknowshim,(Brecht38).SincetheSergeantbelievesnooneknows
him,hehasnochoicebuttoexecutetheboy.ItcanbeunderstoodthatMotherCouragedidthissothat
shecouldavoidgettingintotrouble.Also,ifpeopleknewthatshehadathiefforason,itwouldruinher
nameasasaleswoman.WhentellingtheSergeantshedidnotknowSwissCheese,shedidsowiththe
intentionsofsavingherselfratherthanherownson.
ThenextofMotherCourageschildrentodepartisEilif,thesoldier.Insceneeight,Mother
CourageknewthatEilifwouldbearrivingtovisitthembutsheleftwithYvetteinordertogototown
andtakeadvantageofafewsalessayingonly,Comealong,gottogetridofmystuffaforepricesstart
dropping.WhenEilifturnsup,oneofyougivehimadrink,(Brecht63).Now,inscenetwo,Eilifand
hiscompanyraidpeasantsandsteals20oftheiroxenkillingthemintheprocess.Insceneeight,Eilif
doesthesameactionandisincarceratedduetothefactthattheyareinatemporarypeacetime.When
EilifistakenbytwosoldierstoseehisMotheronelasttime,sheisnowheretobefound.Thiscanbe
interpretedasMotherCourage,again,wantingtogetaheadinherbusinessandnotfocusonthelivesof
herchildrenintheirtimeofneed.SheknewthatEilifwouldbevisitingsoonandinsteadwenttotownto
stockup.EventhoughshedidntknowthatwouldbethelasttimeshewouldbeseeingEilif,shestillput
herbusinessfirst.

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KattrinwasobviouslythechildthathadthemostlongevitywithCouragesheneverwasdrafted
andneverreceivedajobduetothewar.Shecouldbeconsideredasthewarshelplessvictimdueto
thefactthatshecouldntstopEiliffromenlistingandtestifyingthatSwissCheesewasactuallyher
brother.Kattrinwaspromisedtohaveahusbandoncethewarwasfinallyoverandtheywouldbein
peacetime,butsheislefthorriblydisfiguredinscenesixwhichmeansfindingahusbandwouldbebleak.
Fromthattimeon,shehasaminorobsessionwithbabiesandyoungchildren.Kattrinsdeathcouldbe
consideredasthemostheroicthroughoutthebook:whenthetownofHallewasabouttohavea
surpriseattack,shethoughtaboutthechildreninthetownandclimbedtothetopofherMothers
wagonandstartedtobeatadrumasawarningtothetown.Afterafewmoments,sheisshotbya
soldierwithamusket.Beforeshepasses,shehasafewmorebeatsofthedrumthataremingledwith
theshotsofcannons,shootingattheapproachingCatholics.ThisallhappenswhileherMotherisin
Hallegettingmoresupplies,settingherbusinessbeforeherchildrenonceagainthepeasantsonlytelling
theensign,Andshesdumb.Hermothersgoneintotowntobuystuff.Fortheirbusiness,causeso
manypeoplesgettingoutandsellingthingscheap.Theyrejustpassingthrough,(Brecht75).
Withthesethreeexamples,itisunderstoodclearlythatMotherCouragehasmorecareforher
businessmorethanherchildren.Themajorityofthetimesheisntaroundtotakecareofthemintheir
timeofneed.Butwhyistheabsenceofamotheracommonissuetoday?Somespeculatethatthe
growingchasmbetweenthelowincomeandhighincomefamiliesisonemajorcause.Othersbelieve
theworkingmiddleclassistoblameandtheabsenceofbothparentsfromthehousehold.Thetypical
Americanmiddleincomefamilyputsinanaverageof11morehoursaweekin2006thanitdidin
1979(Boushey1).Itishardtonurturechildrenwhiletryingtoprovidemeansforyourfamilyby
enteringtheworkforce.

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ThoughMotherCouragewasinacompletelydifferentsituationintheearly1600s,shestillhad
toprovideforherfamily.Thesimplequestionisthis:whycouldntsheownabusinessandseetothe
wellbeingofherfamily.Thisisanotherissuethatcomesintoplaywithmodernsociety:thedifficultiesof
motherhoodandacareer.Today,feministsarentencouragingwomentoforgettheirrolesasmothers
orwivesandstartactinglikemenandfocusingoncareerstheyencouragethemtomiraculouslyplay
bothrolesatonceandstillstrivetobesuccessful.Thisproblemisespeciallypressingforthose
highachievingcollegestudentswhocannotimaginedoinganythingbeitcareeror
motherhoodhalfheartedly(Corey5).Itisntnecessarilyabadthingthatwomenwhoareacademically
successfulandcouldreceiveprestigiouscareers.Thedifficultyisfindinghowtobalancethetimespent
atworkwiththetimeyoumakeforyourfamily.
ItisevidentlyclearthatMotherCouragewasntthebestcaretakerforherchildrenduetothe
factshefocusedonherjobwhichresultedintheirdeaths.ThemainissueisthatMotherCouragewas
thesolecaretakersincetherewasnofatherorfatherfigurepresenttohelpsupportthefamily.Itcould
bearguedthattwoparentswereneededtosupportafamilyofthissizeduringtheThirtyYearsWar
era.TheissueisntthatMotherCourageistoblamebecauseshehadabusinesstomanageitsthefact
thatshewasterribleatbalancinghertimeasabusinessownerandamother.
Theissuesofbalancingacareerandraisingafamilyhasgonehandinhandforseveralcenturies,
thoughithasbeenmoreofarecentissue.ItcanevenbetiedtothegreatnovelMotherCourageand
herChildrenbyBertoltBrecht.Itisunderstoodthatshestruggledwhileattemptingtoraiseherchildren
andoperateabusinessonherown,whichinadvertentlyledtotheirdeaths.Thoughithasbeenafew
centuriessincetheThirtyYearsWar,theideasoffailedmaternalrolescanbeappliedtomodernday
societyandarestillrelevanttoourgeneration.

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WorksCited
Boushey,Heather.TheThreeFacesofWorkFamilyConflict.CenterforAmericanProgress.
January25,2010.Article.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/report/2010/01/25/7194/thethreefacesofworkfamily
conflict/

Corey,Elizabeth.NoHappyHarmony.BaylorUniversity.October2013.Article.Retrievedfrom:
http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b5effca659194a32a051a10e82afff3b
%40sessionmgr15&vid=5&hid=16