Mother Courage and her Children Essay -- Bertolt Brecht Plays Tragedie

Mother Courage and her Children "Mother Courage and her Children", by Bertolt Brecht, is a play which can be seen from varying perspectives. Some consider it to be a comment on the socio-economic aspects of war, others as a criticism of bourgeois capitalism intended to encourage change in modern society. The somewhat tragic events of the play enable critics to consider it a "tragedy", but one which, to some extent, diverges from the Aristotelian definition. Aristotle believed that tragedy must revolve around a central character: the "tragic hero", on whom the plot focuses and who exhibits certain characteristics, which leads to his, though in this particular case, her, downfall. The role of such a figure is pivotal to the presentation of a play as a tragedy; yet it remains largely unclear with which character within the play this identity lies: Mother Courage herself, or her daughter, Kattrin. Perhaps the most obvious potential tragic figure is the lead character within the play: Mother Courage. She demonstrates an ability to survive, through which the audience recognizes her strength of character and instinct of self-preservation. This links closely with her sense of capitalism, which she prioritizes over alternative, more virtuous qualities presented within the play, such as Swiss Cheese's honesty and Kattrin's selflessness. Mother Courage's rigid capitalist stance can be interpreted as her "tragic flaw", or "hamartia", the term Aristotle uses to describe the mistake leading to the protagonist's downfall. It is a flaw that Mother Courage consistently exhibits and a mistake which occurs thrice in the deaths of her children, as she is absent conducting business on all three occasions. However, despite her apparent detachment towards her children, it is evident that Mother Courage harbours genuine concern for the well-being of her children: in a discussion with Cook over fu ture prospects, she states, "all I'm after is (to) get meself and children through all this with my cart". In the juxtaposition created by the reluctant combination of the roles of the mother and the tradeswoman, it is perhaps foremost a tragic contradiction within Mother Courage's character, rather than her role as a tragic heroine, that is emphasized. Alternatively, this contrast could be interpreted as an indication that Mother Courage is morally "neither all good nor all bad"... ...her tragic flaw. There is a clear obstacle in Kattrin's position as a tragic heroine in that she is not the central character, making it difficult to envisage her as the true tragic heroine of the play. However, she could not realistically carry the lead role in such a play due to her muteness, as it would hinder characterization and plot development. Nevertheless, Kattrin is on stage for a considerable proportion of the play, suggesting that although she may not hold the most prominent position, she acts as a closely connected tragic antithesis to the lead role, Mother Courage. In conclusion, it could be argued that either of these two women in "Mother Courage and her Children" could be described loosely as a tragic heroine, but I believe that Kattrin displays the heroism and virtue that are required to be considered worthy of this title: Mother Courage is absorbed in a society where the possession of heroic qualities is not only impossible, but irrelevant. The combination of tragic circumstances with Brecht's "Verfremdung" technique prevents tragedy from overpowering other aspects of the play, which accounts for the difficulty in identifying a true Aristotelian tragic hero.

Illumination Rounds

In Smoke Drug use Is often viewed as a way to create or enhance an activity, but some drugs are commonly used for other reasons. In â€Å"Illumination Rounds† by Michael Herr, Herr documents his experiences during the Vietnam War. He writes about the wide use of marijuana to help soldiers, and even journalists, cope with the stress that comes from being in a war. The use of marijuana to relieve stress is still prevalent in today's society, both in popular culture and real life. Many artists such as Bob Marble, Asher Roth and 8. . 8. Openly express their affection for marijuana and the short term lease of stress smoking marijuana gives them. Researchers are finding that not only Is the use of marijuana to relieve stress seen In Vietnam and popular culture today, but it is also a problem among a rising number of youth throughout the united States, and even beyond. â€Å"Illumination Rounds† was published in 1969 and was a firsthand account by Michael Herr about his time c overing the war in Vietnam. The essay is made up of a collection experiences.These vignettes often are about the stress and hardships of being In a war on the other side of the world, fighting for someone else's freedoms. Of the ways Herr writes that soldiers dealt with the stress of war, drugs was the most prevalent. The primary drug written about is â€Å"grass† or marijuana. There are multiple accounts of Herr smoking marijuana with soldiers. In one account he goes to a soldier's house off base and they smoke marijuana before some friends come over, then smoke more once the friends show up. A second time is when he Is waiting for a helicopter to depart for where he needs to go.He waits with a soldier who is trying to get on a helicopter to a different location, but while they wait together they smoke a â€Å"joint† and share stories. In popular culture there are many references to the use of marijuana to relieve stress and escape the troubles of life. In a song enti tled â€Å"Cloud 9† by Bobby Ray Simmons, or known by his stage name as B. O. B. , he talks about this very use of marijuana. 8. 08. Opens the song by saying, I am walking along a very cold road and Wherever It ends and where It begins I do not know But I've noticed that He keeps rolling' that It'll take you anywhere no matter where you're going' (B. . B. â€Å"Cloud 9†) In this excerpt B. O. B. Is referencing the long path he is on to try to sign with a record label. He says he does not know where his Journey begins or ends, but rolling up a joint takes him away from the long path to wherever he wants to be. Because It Is taking him away from his struggles to get signed, he says he â€Å"keeps rolling' that† to escape. The use of marijuana to escape the hardships is brought up again later in the first verse of the song when he says, It mint goanna be no pain I'm about to let it go. Goodbye, I'll be gone for a while I'm on cloud 9. (B. . B. â€Å"Cloud 9† ) This Is a direct reference to letting the pain of his past denials and stresses of a marijuana induced high. Both the soldiers and B. O. B. Use marijuana to escape the pain and stress of life. Due to the fact that the high only lasts a limited time, they continually smoke more marijuana to escape. Both B. O. B. And the soldiers in Vietnam have to deal with a struggle to cope with the growing pains of having to mature quickly and the stress of being on a Journey that the ending is nowhere in sight. The types of pain as well as the levels of stress endured by B. . B. And soldiers in Vietnam may not be comparable, but the method to deal with their hardships is the same, smoking marijuana. The use of party drugs, such as marijuana, is more common than previously thought. The use of these drugs to mask the stresses of life is at an all time high, and continually on the rise. The alarming rise in abuse of party drugs was a main topic at the Cesar E. Shave Behavioral Health Conference ea rlier in March. The conference was discussed in an article entitled â€Å"Expert: Teens use party drugs to deal with stress,† written for The Arizona Republic.Karol Jumpier, a researcher and substance abuse treatment expert from the University of Utah, explained this problem during he conference when she said, â€Å"In the last two or three years, we've had a significant surge in alcohol, ecstasy, prescription drugs and marijuana use among teens. And you notice that those are all the party drugs. † (â€Å"Expert: Teens use party drugs to deal with stress†). The article goes on to explain that she believes this rise in the use of these drugs is due to the economic stresses and a lack of time parents spend with their children.She said that â€Å"parents have spent about one-third less time with their kids over the past three years, an average of 4. 2 hours per week† (â€Å"Expert: Teens use arty drugs to deal with stress†). The lack of time spent wit h parents around raises the amount of independence required of kids who shouldn't have to be on their own. Being alone and having to do homework without someone to help or having to make yourself a meal can be very stressful for someone too young to have such independence. Kids turning to party drugs is very similar to the soldiers in Vietnam who used many of the same drugs.Both were, for the most part, young and overwhelmed by responsibility and their surroundings. The soldiers were fighting a war, which many f them were drafted into as opposed to signing up, that was horrific beyond imagination at an age where many should have still been in school. They were all forced to grow up quickly or risk death from not being prepared for life. Kids who don't have their parents around face the same issue as the soldiers, they have to grow up too quickly. The stress of having to be mature and responsible beyond your years is what has driven a rising number of youth to turn to drugs, such as marijuana, to cover the stress.Marijuana use is becoming more prevalent in society and culture in today's life, such like it was during the Vietnam War. The use of marijuana to help alleviate stress was documented by Michael Herr in â€Å"Illumination Rounds† and by B. O. B. In his song â€Å"Cloud 9†. Researchers and experts are documenting a sharp and continuing increase in the use of drugs like marijuana to deal with stress. Due to the rising number of households with all present parents work, there is little that can be done to help curtail the rising number of teens turning to drugs. Better and more readily and out of danger.Educating the youth on the negative effects drugs can have on the odd is another way to prevent kids from turning to drugs as a stress reliever. The biggest impact, however, can be made if entertainers and people kids look up to do not glorify the use of drugs. In Hip-Hop, the most prevalent music among inner-city neighborhoods with at risk yo uth, the use of drugs is promoted and talked about as if it is a normal and acceptable way to deal with stress. If a culture could be created where the people kids look up to do not promote drugs, the next generation may be able to avoid the feeling that drugs are the only way to deal with stress.

Taqa - Understanding the Principles and Practises of...

Understanding the principles and practices of assessment 1.1 Assessment measures the learner’s progress towards or the completion of, the learning aim and criteria, and can be used at any point during the learning cycle. It can provide information to adapt the delivery to suit the learner’s needs and abilities; a learner may need more help or time on some aspects, or has progressed quicker than planned and requires additional goals. By standardising the assessment process this creates uniformity for all learners. 1.2 There are three main areas of assessment, which are the initial, formative and summative assessment. Initial assessment includes work done prior or during a learner’s induction to the programme. Formative assessment includes†¦show more content†¦Formative assessment can be an effective tool in building positive relationships as it gives cause for two-way communication at any point of a learning course. It can be written or verbally delivered, offering the opportunity to appeal to a variety of learning styles. It enables the learner to influence their learner programme and helps them build essential life-skills such as goal setting and self assessment. Its main disadvantage for the trainer is the amount of time the type of assessment can consume, and a learner may become disengaged by repetitive assessment exercises that interrupt the flow of learning. Summative assessment The assessment used at the end of a learning programme to determine finally whether the learning programme to determine finally whether the learning aims have been reached can be described as summative. It is often essential to fulfil contractual obligations with external bodies, and correct execution is necessary to ensure financial recompense. It can have real value to the learner as it offers recognition of achievement, but can cause anxiety in more nervous learners as the finality of the exercise is realised. 3.1 When planning assessment, several factors need to be taken into consideration. An assessor needs to take into consideration of safeguarding and the safety of both the learner and themselves, often risk assessments are