Mother Courage & Marxism

“The aim of Marxism is to bring about a classless society, based on the common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange” (Barry 156). According to Marxism, progress comes about through the “struggle of power between different social classes” (Barry 157). Class struggle is fueled by the competition for economic, social, and political advantage. The exploitation of one social class by another is seen in modern industrial capitalism. The result of this exploitation is alienation, leaving workers and the products of their work with only a monetary value, known as reification. Alienation is the primary innovation of Brecht’s epic theater. Through epic drama, Brecht shows this alienation between the characters and the audience. Brecht uses specific techniques in order to accomplish this. By using his episodic style, “a disconnected open-ended montage of scenes,” physical space, and “significant properties,” such as gesture, he forces the au...