44
Seven Photo Models
of Mother Courage
ROLAND
BARTHES
When the BerlinerEnsemble came to Paris to play MotherCourage fora second time
in 1957, the photo-journalistPic took picturesof the entireproductionwitha telephoto
lens. Thanks to this,we possess a truephotographichistoryof Mother Courage, somethingquite novel, I believe, in theatrecriticism-at least forFrance. This succession of
about one hundredphotographsdealing witha singleplay is not only veryfinein itself
(for Mother Courage is a finestory); it is also of great value for those who want to
reflecton the theatre.For what the photographsreveal is preciselywhat was brought
out by the productiondetails. But the details are at the same timethe meaning,and itis
because Brecht's theatreis a theatreof meaningthatits detailis so important.
In particular,the Pic photographsthrow lighton the Brechtiannotion of distancing
which has bothered the critics so much. Brechtiandistancing
[Verfremdungseffekt],
has called forthpassionate reactions: one critic condemns it while at the same time
denyingthat it exists; another pretendsto findit again and again in quite different
dramatists,while at the same time holdingBrechtresponsibleforit. These contradictions are perfectlynormal,for to criticizedistancingis always proofof the existence
one fears thatthe spectacle will be impoverished,
of a prejudiced anti-intellectualism;
will freeze to death, if the actor does not shed on it the fireof his body,the lavishness
and the warmthof his "temperament."But anyonewho has seen the BerlinerEnsemble
or who looks at the Pic photographseven for a momentknows perfectlywell thatto
distance in no way means to act less. Quite the contrary.The verisimilitudeof the
acting has its originin the objective meaningof the play, and not, as in "naturalist"
in the truthinherentin the actor.That is why,in the long run,distancingis
dramaturgy,
not a problem for the actor, but for the director."Dispassionately, withoutinvolvement!" Brechtsays to his actors,doubtlesswishingto purgethemoftheirpettypersonal
to distanceis to cut thecircuitbetween
emotionsbeforelettingthemact. Put differently,
the actor and his own pathos,but it is also, and essentially,to re-establisha new circuit
between the role and the argument;it is, for the actor, to give meaningto the play,
and no longerto himselfin the play.
I should like to give some examples of this new relationship,based on some of the
photographsof Mother Courage, fromAct 1. The objective meaningof the play is
I'M:
what Brechtcalls the social gesture,and thatis the politicaltest; I wantto show how
the detail of the gesturehas a politicalmeaning,renderingproperlyand correctlythe
alienationof the roles. Men are not each exploitedin the same way: thatis
differing
one of the essential meaningsof Brechtiantheatre,and it is this sort of differential
ideologythatdistancingthrowslighton and makes evident.This is whatdistancingis:
to fulfillthe true purpose of a play where the meaningis no longerthe actor's truth,
but the political relationshipof situations.In otherwords, distancingis not a form
(whichis preciselywhatall those who wantto discreditit say it is); itis therelationship
of a formand a content.In order to distance,therehas to be a referencepoint: the
meaning.
1. The Raised Finger
Between exploitersand exploited,there is an intermediateclass of "agents." These
agents (the word is intentionallyambiguous,at once passive and active) combine a
double alienation:thatof the slave (theyare objectivelythe "littlemen"), and thatof
the master(theyexercise the master'spower over those who are smallerthan they).
But the pure mastercan be cynical (thereis some cynicismin the Captain in Mother
46
ROLAND BARTHES
Courage); the pure slave can be aware. The slave-mastercannot be eithercynical or
aware, since he is the man who justifies.
That is why this class is generallytalkative(who could be more of a phrase-maker
than a policeman?). This class discusses a greatdeal, but prefersto do it amongthemselves. In order to justifyboth the evil thatit submitsto and the evil thatit does, this
class uses an all-encompassingalibi- humannature."Man is likethis;manis likethat."
For this class, to discuss is to decree the undiscussable. Like the police, they take
recourse in two operationsof language whichprove theirworthevery singleday: the
aphorism (to give to a particularoppression,which is remediable,the securityof an
immutablegenerality),and the anti-phrase(to name a thingby its opposite: to speak
of honor,of liberty,of order,ratherthanof dishonor,of servitude,of disorder).
The Corporal and the Sergeant,charged withrecruitingsoldiers for the cause of the
King of Sweden, wait on a road for the passing of theirhuman game. They are noncommissioned officers,they are not dressed warmlyenough,they are shivering.The
Corporal and the Sergeantdiscuss the subject of Man, naturally,since it is men whom
theyare hunting.The Sergeantis not deceived; witha philosophicalshake of his finger
of thejob. All police workhas its worries,
he pointsout to the Corporal the difficulties
very real ones, but theyare the worriesof the police, and the concern of the police is
the libertyof the game. The peasant is used to cunning;you have to runafterhim,make
himsignhis enlistmentpapers. And thatis themomenthe chooses to make his escapeyou can't have faithin mankindany longer.The Corporal, for his part,is nostalgic:
"Look, it's been too long since we've had a war in these parts." And war is order,
because one has got to hold lives and propertyto strictaccountability.Peace is chaos.
2. The Drawn Wagon
The cantiniereis a poetic figureout of our old French chansons. She is a sortof social
worker with a big heart,the feminineimage of that mythso dear to the French: the
benevolent executioner. Agreed, the cantiniere who gave a drink to Stendhal's
Fabrizio del Dongo did not disdain to take his money,but didn't she declare herself
in the bosom
delicatelytouched by the younghero's pallor? The cantiniereis feminity
our
traditional
her
to
non-realistic:
render
cantiniere
an
is
which
of war,
agreeable way
form,
trivial
than
their
other
she
is
none
and
wife
Roman
of
the
is a descendant
mother;
been
has
now
the
of
bureaucratic
more
and
army(she
duty
acclimated to the more
of
a
replaced by department psychologicaltechniques).
But Brecht's Mother Courage has nothingabout her of a nurseforthe sick or a sister
of charity,not even in disguise. She is a tradesman,who introducesherselfto the
public witha tradesman'ssong. Between her and the soldier to whom she has given a
drinkis her moneybag,well filledwithflorins,and her wagon,a sortof travellingshop
supplied with merchandiseof all sorts,in which each itemis at once the end and the
beginningof some sort of transaction.The economics of her trade are quite simply
those of monopoly: to buy the best bargainunderthe best terms,thento sell it again
as dear as possible, withthe maximumof haggling;that is the very definitionof war
profit.Here, however,the profitis tinyand precarious.MotherCourage does not have
7 PHOTO MODELS OF MOTHER COURAGE
47
behindherthe apparatusof the state,she does notconductwar,thatis to say,she
cannotpredictit,she cannotbuyat thepropertimeor sell at thepropertime;before
the greatof thisworld,MotherCourage,too, has to capitulate.Like the noncommissioned
whohavecometo arrestherandtoleadoffoneofhersons,Mother
officers
She exploitsthe
Courageis doublyalienated:as the exploitedand as theexploiter.
starving
peasantto whomshe sellsa littleliquoras dearlyas possible;andat thesame
mobilepersonages"
timesheis nomorethana plaything
inthiswar,whichthe"superior
sheis culpableandsheis wronged.
(thatis,thoseinhighplaces)escapecompletely;
It is, then,preciselyon thelevelof herbusinessthatall MotherCourage'slifetakes
a cooperative.
Each member
forexample,is a work-association,
place: herfamily,
has a well-defined
function:
themother
buys,sells,directs;thesonspullthewagon;
thedaughter
runsthehousehold,
does someerrands.To be sure,thereis a profound
from
can neverbe dissociated
in MotherCourage.Butthismotherliness
motherliness
her
theregularrunning
ofa business.WhenMotherCouragelosesoneofherchildren,
immediate
reactionis businesslike:
it is necessaryto divideup the workanew,to
whoare leftin proportion
to thehumancapitalthat
increasethedutiesofthechildren
has been lost. Reducedby each blow,by each cruelloss, thecooperative
resumes,
in
no
time
tears.
losing
fact.
inMotherCourageis an essential
The indissolubility
ofbusinessandmotherhood
ofthe
ofone or another
Thatwhichis indissoluble
cannotgiveplace to theprivilege
ofMotherCourageas a Niobecrushed
a mistake
to think
parties:we wouldbe making
the
loses herchildren
of war,forMotherCourageprosaically
through
by thefatality
mother
exerciseof hertrade.Butit wouldalso be falseto see in heran "unnatural"
hercanteenis likeone ofherchildren,
whosacrifices
herfamilyto hergreed;rather,
-Mm
IRM
"Ka
..........
...
.........
.......
...
.....
ral
,gM.-
. ......
......
.....
. .....
wal
w.
.........
........
. .........
.....
....
...
AA
A.
.0,
.......
.......
48
ROLANDBARTHES
and in momentsof crisis she runsfromthe one to the otherslike a motherhen among
her chicks.
3. MotherCourage Rejoices
Mother Courage does not "follow" the war, like the image of our poetical cantinieires
of the good old days; she rejoins it, she runs afterit, like an animal searchingforits
food; she moves toward the war actively and voluntarily.There is satisfactionfor
Mother Courage in the war itself;travelingis her way of resting,as it is thatof the
businessmanwho relaxes in a plane betweendeals.
Mother Courage has an air of happiness.That does not mean thatthe world she lives
in is good. A smile is not politicalevidence. Mother Courage's smilepartakesof her
innocence- whichis ignorance:she does not know thatto live by war one has to give
.........................liiiii-ii~ii-iii'
WI
:iiiii-iiiiiiiiiiii~iiiijii
.........:l~:1:~i:::::.:::::
Atiiii~iiiiii
lll~
~~ :::::::::::
:::
Im
o
mi::?:::::::-::::
::
Yiiii~iiii~iiivi:~
oili~~~iiiiil;:::~'l~
::~:?lii:~:l~:::
ll
::~::::~:::::
Nx-''':'-:'''''1i1'':''::'"::'j
i~
~~i:
S
hr~i::'''''
-:;::?I-j:iiiai
i:i~.:i~~j~ii
.114
Q
N
.w:::--:-::iK?
::::::::
Ell::::::::::. ..:j::1:::
:
u'i:~;':'~ij-~-ill
~ --::::::?:?::
:::::::-:::::
Em
"WIP:1:~::j~i::::::::
w?::::?il:l.:::::j:":
WP::i::::i
:::::
.........::'::
7 PHOTO MODELS OF MOTHERCOURAGE
49
to war. For her,war is nothingbut business;she believesthatin giving
something
to thisbusiness,as to anyotherone, hertime,herstrength,
and hertalents,she has
donehershare.Her smileis a Sundaysmile;she works,she rests,shebeginsto work
more?Doesn't she do herjob thewayit shouldbe
again.Can one ask foranything
done?Thenletthewarleaveherinpeace! That,at least,is whatshesaysinanswerto
whowantsto takehersonaway:"We arepeaceablefolks"-theindignant
thesergeant
all
of
liberals
to violence.
reply
To be sure,waris an economy,butitis nota liberaleconomy.To MotherCourage's
ofOrderreplies:"Therewouldn'tbe anywarifthereweren'tany
smile,thecynicism
soldiers."WhenOrderis moral,MotherCourageis cynical,sherobsitofitsmystery.
But whenMotherCourageis blind,itis Orderwhichis cynicalandwhichde-mystifies
her.Theymutually
unmaskeach other.In otherwords,theworldis tiedtogether:
the
war cannotbe anything
buta periodof time,a stableeconomyin whichone can live
wellratherthanbadly.The timea warlastsrevealsthetruenatureofwarbecauseits
lengthis a relationship
(forexample,thereis a warcontagion:MotherCourage'ssons
draweach otherintoyielding
to it).Victimon thewholeto theliberalillusion,Mother
Couragebelievesthatshe can live apartfromthewar,or at anyrate,remainfreeto
chooseherrelationship
to thewar;she does notwantto yieldto waranything
buther
timeas a tradesman,
hershopkeeper's
courage.Butshewillbe forcedto abandonto it,
one aftertheother,herthreechildren.
A worlddoes notjudgeaccording
tothemoodof
itsinhabitants,
butaccording
totheirfaults.Betternowarthana smileinwar.
4. The Marked Family
The offspring
of MotherCourageare undivided:
thedaughter
was bornhere,thesons
forMotherCouragewithherwagonhastouredall Europe.Thefathers
there,
areknown,
butswappedaround;one gave hisname,anotherhischaracter,
thethirdhisfeatures.
The children
divideall thisamongthemwithout
themselves
aboutthelawsof
troubling
- a ridiculous
offathers
their
heredity
parodyoftheappropriation
("That's
by
offspring
his lousyfather").To be sure,MotherCouragepossessesa metalbox in whichshe
carefullystowsaway her familypapers,but thisfamilycheerfully
exchangesthese
formalidentities.
MotherCourage'sportfolio
exists,butit is a fake.
A no less comicalresponseto MotherCourage'smetalboxis theCorporal'snotebook.
"One has to makea noteofall this"-thewordof all police,becauseterror
is always
in writing.
"The greatdisorderof war beginsthrough
order,and its disorganization
Orderis essentiallya matterof keepingbooks.That is what
through
organization."
pleasestheCorporalaboutwar:it makesit necessaryto havecensuses;to countis to
possess,is to be sure,is to be justified.
whicharecountedare
Obviously,thosethings
formalunits,menbeingdefinedby themultiplication
ofan Idea, theIdea ofthemilitarygame.The civilstate,too,whichtheCorporalso strongly
but
upholds,is nothing
thealibiforhumannothingness;
inantiphrasis,
bya processwell-known
itis whena man
is askedhisnamethatthemanis mostheldin contempt;
itis precisely
at themoment
whenone has beentaughtto use himlikea commonunitthatmanis noblyrequiredto
be an individual.
ROLAND BARTHES
50
MotherCourageand herchildren
knowall this:forthem,livingOrder,whichis protectedby theold metalbox,is thatof a functional
and notthatofa nominal
family,
family.MotherCourage'sutopia(forit does occurto MotherCourageto imaginea
happyworld)is a societyofmenwithout
anything
"qualities"(ifnotmeans),without
inthemwhichconsignsthemto thevoracity
ofOrder,a worldwithout
"signs,"relieved
ofthetheatricality
ofnames.
Ar
JIM
.
.
MM
W?4
..
.
its
WWI
W,
V.S..
low
.
m
PEIem
xy RodEvil
........
-3.
lox
Ila
............
.................
?VIRM;, .. .........
MEP?."
NOg.
?to
.............
M-E
?r?,,,i:~'i~~.
ORA:-::::::
V,VIlki?,
10
~
~
rWi~
?~i??i?~?
~
.........
5. The Children Defended
Whentherecruiter
to lead awayhersons,MotherCouragefacesup tohim;
threatens
ifneedbe; and MotherCouragetakesherplacein
she willdefendthemto theknife,
of
front
ofherfamily,
butwitha motionthatis almostrelaxed,inwhichthereis nothing
herdefence
themythical
orspectacular
She hasmetthesamesituation
before,
gesture.
is in obedienceto technique,
notinspiration.
And evenas MotherCouragestruggles
thatshedeagainstone ofhermenhavingto die as a braveman,we mustnotimagine
- theseare attributes,
and
likea tigress.
The braveman,thetigress
fendsherchildren
in Brechtian
thereare no attributes,
becausethereare no essences.Mother
humanity
or ofthe
Couragedoes notgo to join thegreatstarrolesof theIntrepid
Cantinibre
sheacts,shedoes
Mother,all coveredwithadjectivesandwithmetaphors;
Indignant
whatshe has to do- thetasksofmotherhood
as wellas thoseoftrade(andno onecan
heremployees).
morethansheprotects
shedefendsherchildren
say whether
52
ROLAND BARTHES
For Mother Courage is not equipped with what certain logicians have called metalanguage, the language in which one speaks of a thing.Mother Courage talks in an
a situation,
objective language,hergesturesare actions,uniquelydestinedto transform
not to commentabout it, to sing of it, or to justifyit. Doubtless this object language
becomes a meta-languagewhen we produce it in a reproducedform(the theatre):here
is the verycenterof the Brechtianparadox. The theatreto whichwe are accustomed is
a theatreof the second degree. It is a gesturewhichimitatesanothergesture- Clytemnestraor Niobe, to turnonce more to the example of the Mater Dolorosa, are illustrationsofa griefwhichhad alreadybeen made theatricalbeforethetheatretook possession
thatour classical stage,
of them;and it is because passion is itselfa formoftheatricality
over several centuries,has been so fondofit. Brecht,however,does notimitatepassion,
which is already theatricalityin life,but action itself.This approaches the classical
epigones of Aristotle,since for Aristotle,as for Brecht,the character has to follow
fromthe action and not the action fromthe character.Thus, all thatwe see of Mother
Courage is not offered(faked,one mightsay) as expressive,butonlyas functional.Yet,
as the expressivenessof roles has become forus one of the greatestdelightsof theatre,
we tend unceasinglyto reconvertthe deed into meaning,the act intogesture,doinginto
being,the epic poem into tragedy.What a finespectacle, thatof a motherwho defends
like a lioness defendingher young! (One sees in the comparisonan indiher offspring
cation of this second theatreof which I have just spoken.) What is new in Brecht is
that his theatre,far fromcomplacentlymakinguse of the theatreof life,destroysthis
foritthe Essential Mother,a functionalmother.
theatrein the theatreitself,substituting
Ceasing to imitatethe imitations,Brecht returnsto the transitivecontentsof human
action.
6. The Predicted Destiny
Here is one of the raretragicelementsin the workof Brecht:what used to be called, in
the time of classic tragedy,the ironyof destiny.
To save her sons, Mother Courage makes up a huge lie: she pretendsto predicttheir
death. But it turnsout that Mother Courage loses each one of her childrenexactlythe
way she predictedit: feardestroysEilif,honestykills Swiss Cheese, and hergood heart
to the faked prophecyof
murdersCatherine. Each one of themwill die in conformity
the truth,as ifthere
a
lie
will
become
Mother Courage; thatwhichwas conceived of as
existed a malignknowledgeof the Event, as if some superhumanpowerdecided to take
at theirword the lies of men and to make truthsout of them.
thecenturies,has been called Destiny,and
Knowledge of the Event is what,throughout
the order in which Destiny acts is Tragedy. Tragedy is definedas a rigorousantinomy
and as a deliberatefitting
togetherof deeds and consequences: you do thisin ordertb
save yourself,and it is preciselythis that will destroyyou. The tragicresult(what is
called the catastrophe)is exact and symmetrical:in orderto die it is enoughforMother
Courage's childrento carryout to the letterthe false predictionthattheirmotherhas
made in order to save them. In tragedy,it is this symmetrywhich reveals the magic
the deviation of a
nature of Destiny, for only a God can measure thus intelligently
7 PHOTO MODELS OF MOTHER COURAGE
53
ov,::
2p:j:i:
kX,
:i-M,
-S
cause intoits contrary
as
consequence,onlya God can knowtheartof a symmetry
justas this.
Thereis, then,in MotherCourageas a tragedy,
an apparenteconomyof evil. But
denounced
is
here
as
it
were
and thetragedy
as though
it
Destiny
though
ignorance,
werean imposture:
therelationship
thattheeventproducesbetweenthehonestyof
Swiss Cheese and his loss (Swiss Cheese willdie forhavingwantedto save hisregiment'scashbook)is nota terrifying
connection
capriceofblindchance;itis a rational
whichis explainedby thecohesiveness
of a certaintypeofsociety.In a bad society,
virtueis harmful.
It is thiswhichone couldcall-forhereis a themethatappearsfreinBrecht-themorality
ofAzdak(thatjudgein TheChalkCirclewhodispenses
quently
goodjustice;in a bad society,he turnsoutto be a rascally
judge).Thereis, then,an
a funceconomyofevilin Brecht,butitis notan immanent
economy:virtueis simply
tionofthesocietyinwhichitis practiced.
andthenshotdownfor
flattered
Eilif,at first
thesameact (pilfering),
world.
inan inconsistent
commits
theerrorofbeingconsistent
- itpretends
a formal
tobelieveinessentialvirtues.
reasonableness
Tragedymanifests
It suffices,
recall
to
the
of
world
forthetragedy
todisappear.
the
real
then,
relationships
MotherCourageis in parta tragicpersonbecauseshe wantsto liveuninvolved
and
when
because good and evil appearlikefigures
in a terrifying
playof destiny.But
ancientFate is shownintheshapeofa veryhumanignorance,
thetragedy
recedes,and
theconflict
betweenhumanmisfortunes
can begin.
will:
........::
...;i~
... ........
.........
............
....
.....::li:',:'i'
:;::::
i
jjl;
ji;
::::::
I:'ii.j:
.......:::::::-:::::::::::
1::
~:-::?l
......... . . . . .l:;~l::::?::r
....................1:::?':::111::1::-:1:
............
........
..........:::
.........::
,Xi;
..........'''ii
.......
..
::
j::li::::
l:i:::;::
::::':':-:
......11::
....
?
iz
iiia:l
i
7 PHOTO MODELS OF MOTHER COURAGE
55
7. The Sale of a Belt Buckle
MotherCourage has almost saved her son frombeingrecruited.But at thelast moment,
the Corporal buys a belt buckle fromher,and duringthisintervalthe Recruiterleads
Eilif off.
Thus, forthe sake of a small sale, Mother Courage loses one of her sons. All the treasures of Mother Courage's craftinessand patience are ruinedby the same fault:a little
too muchtimeand all is lost. Orderregainsat greatpains whatshe would have snatched
fromit. MotherCourage has thwartedall the provocations,butshe has threefaults:she
sells, she haggles,she checks the money(by bitingon the coin). These threefaultsare
threequalities of a good tradesman:notto refusea sale, to sell as dearlyas possible, to
distrustthose who may want to cheat. Thus, once more,trade is the exact measureof
Mother Courage. Sometimes it makes her understand;sometimesit makes her blind;
to the noblejustificationsof the war. It surgesup in
sometimesit makes her indifferent
her like a power of truth:sometimesenclosingher in the profitonly,it hides fromher
what the war can reallycost her. For her,trade is like an ambiguousforceinside her,
realisticand non-realisticat the same time.
Translated by HELLA FREUD
BERNAYS