The Good Woman Of Setzuan

Considering that Brecht identified as a Marxist, it is unsurprising that his works represent capitalism as the root of all evil. The gods hold humans to standards that are impossible to meet while achieving financial stability. As Wang explains at the beginning, he is extremely poor because selling water is a difficult business: either it rains and no one buys, or it is dry and there is little water to sell. Therefore, he attempts to swindle his customers by using a cup with a false bottom, which immediately causes the gods to disqualify him as a good person. Since supply and demand dictates whether Wang earns enough money to feed himself, capitalism requires him to think creatively, and even dishonestly, to generate more income. In a capitalist system, the poor are bereft of food, shelter, and healthcare—as evidenced by Wang’s untreated hand injury and the carpet shop couple’s predicament when the old man falls ill. Their desperation breeds dishonesty and exploitation.

The gods expect Shen Te to share everything. She has to be a good person, and they also expect her to be a good, honest capitalist. They are particularly distraught when they discover that Lin To, the carpenter, has not received his full payment. The wealthy characters have also forfeited their goodness for the sake of financial gain. Mr. Shu Fu has a desire to help the poor, but when Wang threatens his business by attempting to sell water to his barbershop customers, Mr. Shu Fu breaks his hand. Mrs. Shin works her way to the top by betraying everyone along the way. Shui Ta, who creates a tobacco empire for the sake of Shen Te’s baby, may earn money and employ the masses, but he does so by withholding the aid that Shen Te was offering. Instead of charity, Shui Ta puts the people to work. They make money for Shen Te and her baby and in return, they earn a small amount to live on.

The desperation of poverty also turns love into a commodity. At the beginning of the play, Shen Te is a prostitute, selling sex to those who will pay so she can feed herself. When she meets Yang Sun, Sun offers his love in return for her financial help. And when Shen Te does not have enough money, he withdraws his love. Although Shen Te hopes to live at least a year without needing a man after buying the tobacco shop, when the tobacco shop is failing, Shui Ta begins to bargain away Shen Te’s love. He sets her up with a potential match—a widowed man with three children—who can help her financially. Then Shen Te meets Sun and must deal with the tension between love that she wants to give freely and the love that she would owe someone like Mr. Shu Fu should she accept his money. The play calls into question the nature of love and prostitution and the way the lines can blur between the two.