The Good Person of Szechuan and the Measures Taken by Brecht Essay Example

can now work for themselves and not resort to pulling on the pockets of generous persons who are too sympathetic to defend their own wellbeing.

Given this, it seems impossible to be truly good in a corrupt society without having to cleave yourself in two. Repeated in The Measures Taken, there is one character that is driven to halt any immoralities he witnesses. His version of good deeds do not support what needs to be done in order to successfully change society, but instead they ultimately result in his death.Like Shen Te, this Young Comrade feels the need to individually stand up against any injustice, but his conduct also goes unrewarded. To achieve the transformation of his corrupt society the agitators know that many wrongs need to be overlooked in order to reach a full-blown revolution.

“Control Chorus: But is it not right to act justly and always to combat injustices wherever it may be found? Four Agitators: In order to uphold the great injustice the small justice was conceded. But the great strike was knocked out of our hands.Control Chorus: We agree to that. ”(Act 4). After the Young Comrade reveals himself as a foreigner, the Agitators know that they must kill him to support their effort. Killing another is most definitely not seen as a moral action.

However, the Agitators must commit this unethical act in an effort to support the future changes in society that they are striving for. It supports that good deeds are useless in confrontations of corruption while unethical actions are needed to achieve a decent society.In reality, what does a single good deed produce but a pat on the back for

the doer and a fleeting moment of happiness for the receiver. I can think of no instances in which good deeds alone changed the face of a society. War is the most common pioneer of radical change. One good deed may change the lives of a few, but to change the wellbeing of a whole societal class, drastic actions are undoubtedly called upon. To change society, something can not be given to aid the impoverished and exploited without it being an expense to somebody else.