The Good Person of Sezuan
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The Good Person of Szechwan (Sichuan) is a play that was written in 1938 by Bertolt Brecht. It questions the social causes of egoism and hatred.
This play is often referred to as "The Good Woman of Szechwan" because its main character, Shen Te, is a good and honest woman, struggling to survive in a corrupt society.
Shen Te is a former prostitute who comes into some money and opens a small tobacco shop in order to earn an honest living (ironic). Shen Te discovers that she can survive in her honest trade only when she assumes the role of a "nefarious male cousin, Shui Ta, who is as ruthless as he is callous." Without her mean-spirited alter ego, Shen Te is very much a fool. Her innate goodness and her propensity to see others as honest first earns her money, but later brings her misery. She is exploited by many people including the wealthy, poor neighbors, and her lover, the penniless pilot. Only in the guise of Shui Ta can she protect herself, her fortune, and her child.
Brecht is not indifferent to the plight of the poor and oppressed; rather, he scolds them (and the audiences that identify with them) for not taking matters into their own hands to make changes to improve their lot.
The ending includes a perverse parody of the ancient deus ex machina. This suggests that change is impossible in this world as it is currently arranged. Humans must do the work. The play ends without a satisfactory resolution. This is because by depriving the audience of a catharsis, Brecht hopes to provoke them into action.
Structured in 10 scenes with a prologue. Most scenes are followed by a short subscene (e.g., 1-A, 2-A, etc.)
From: "The Longman Anthology of Drama and Theater: A Global Perspective"
German title: "Der Gute Mensch von Sezuan." Eric Bently rendered the title "The Good Woman of Setzuan"; subsequently John Willet translated it "The Good Person of Szechwan." In the case of either translation, "Szechwan" is often "updated" to "Sichuan," to reflect the Pinyin spelling of the Chinese province.Template:Theat-stub
- Szechwan(Sichuan)is a province in China