Summary “The Good Man from Sichuan” Brecht
The main city of Sichuan Province, which summarizes all the places on the globe and any time in which a person exploits a person, is the place and time of the play.
Prologue. For two thousand years the cry has not ceased: it can not go on like this! Nobody in this world is able to be kind! And the troubled gods decided: the world can remain as it is, if there are enough people who can live a life worthy of a person. And to test this, the three most prominent gods descend to earth. Perhaps, the water-carrier Wang, who first met them and treated them with water (by the way, he is the only one in Sichuan, who knows that they are gods), a worthy person? But his mug, the gods noticed, had a double bottom. A good water-carrier is a fraud!
The simplest test of the first virtue – hospitality – upsets them: in none of the rich houses: neither Mr. Fo, nor Mr. Chen, nor the widow Su – Wan can not find a night’s lodging for them. One thing remains: to turn to
I. The gods left Shen De thousand silver dollars, and she bought a small tobacco shop for them. But how many needing help is next to someone who has been lucky: the former owner of the shop and the former owners Shen De – husband and wife, her lame brother and pregnant daughter-in-law, nephew and niece, the old man the grandfather and the boy – and everyone needs a roof over their heads and food. “Salvation of a small boat \ Immediately goes to the bottom. \ After all, too many drowning \ Grabbed greedily overboard.”
And here the carpenter requires a hundred silver dollars, which the former landlady did not pay for the shelves, and the landlady needs recommendations and a guarantee for the not-too-respectable Shen De. “A cousin will vouch for me,” she says, “and he will pay for the shelves.”
II.
III. And in the evening in the city park Shen De meets an unemployed pilot Sun. A pilot without an airplane, a postal pilot without mail. What should he do in the world, even if he read all the books on flights in the Beijing school, even if he can put an airplane on the ground, just like his own ass? He is like a crane with a broken wing, and there is nothing to do on the ground. The rope is ready, and there are as many trees as possible in the park. But Shen De does not let him hang himself. To live without hope is to do evil. Hopeless Song of a water-carrier selling water in the rain: “The thunder rattles, and the rain pours, \ Well, I sell water, \ And the water is not for sale \ And does not drink in any. \ I scream:” Buy water! “\ But no one buys. \ In my pocket for this water \ Nothing gets! \ Buy water, dogs! “
And Shen De buys a mug of water for his beloved Jan Sun.
IV. Returning after a night spent with a loved one, Shen De first sees the morning city, cheerful and giving fun. People today are kind. Old people, carpenters from the shop on the contrary, give sweet Shen De a debt of two hundred silver dollars – will have to pay off with the landlady for six months. To a man who loves and hopes, nothing is difficult. And when the mother of Suna, Ms. Yang says that for a huge sum of five hundred silver dollars her son was promised a place, she happily gives her the money received from the old people. But how to get another three hundred? There is only one way out – turn to Shoy Yeah. Yes, he is too cruel and cunning. But the pilot must fly!
Intermedia. Shen De enters, holding the mask and suit of Shoy Yes, and sings “Song of the helplessness of the gods and good people”: “The good in our country \ Good can not stay. \ To get with a spoon before the cup, \ Need cruelty. \ The good are helpless, and the gods are powerless. \ Why do not the gods claim there on the air \ What a time to give all the good and good \ The opportunity to live in a good, good world? “
V. Clever and prudent Shoy Yes, whose eyes do not blind love, sees deception. Ian Suna does not frighten cruelty and meanness: let the place promised to him be someone else’s, and the pilot who is fired from him will have a big family, let Shen De part with the store, in addition to which she has nothing, and the old people will lose their two hundred dollars and lose their housing, – just to get it. This can not be trusted, and Shoy Da seeks support in a rich barber who is ready to marry Shen De. But the mind is powerless, where love acts, and Shen De leaves with Sun: “I want to leave with someone I love, \ I do not want to think about whether it’s good. \ I do not want to know if he loves me. \ I want to leave with whom I love. “
VI. In a small, cheap restaurant in the suburbs, Jan Sun and Shen De are preparing for the wedding. The bride in a wedding dress, the groom in a tuxedo. But the ceremony still does not begin, and the bonza looks at the clock – the groom and his mother are waiting for Shoy Da, who must bring three hundred silver dollars. Yang Sun sings “Song of the Day of Saint Never”: “This day is taken for a sip of evil, \ On this day all the poor were lucky, \ And the master and the farm \ Together they march to the tavern \ On the day of the saint Never \ The skinny drinks at the greasy guest. \ We are no longer able to wait any longer. \ That’s why they should give us \ People of hard work, \ Saint’s Day Never, \ Saint’s Day Never, \ Day when we will rest. “
“He will never come,” says Ms. Yang. Three of them are sitting, and two of them are looking at the door.
VII. On a cart near the tobacco shop Schen DeLaulku had to sell scanty belongings in order to repay the debt to the old people. Barber Shu Fu is ready to help: he will give his barracks for the poor, helped by Shen De (there still can not keep the goods – too damp), and will write a check. And Shen Dee is happy: she felt in herself the future son-pilot, “a new conqueror \ Inaccessible mountains and unknown areas!” But how to protect him from the cruelty of this world? She sees the little son of a carpenter who is looking for food in a garbage can, and swears that he will not rest until he saves his son, even his one. It’s time to turn back into a cousin.
Mr. Shoy Yes announces to the assembled that his cousin will not leave them without help, but from now on the distribution of food without reciprocal services ceases, and those who agree to work for Shen De will live in the houses of Mr. Shu Fu.
VIII. At the tobacco factory, which Shoy Da arranged in barracks, men, women and children work. Supervisor – and cruel – here Yang Sun: he is not at all sad because of the change of fate and shows that he is ready for anything for the sake of the firm’s interests. But where is Shen De? Where is the good man? Where is the one who many months ago, on a rainy day in a moment of joy, bought a mug of water from a water carrier? Where is she and her future child, of whom she told the water carrier? And Soon would also like to know this: if his ex-bride was pregnant, he, like the father of a child, can claim the position of the master. But, by the way, there is her dress in the knot. Has not the unfortunate woman killed a cruel cousin? The police come into the house. Mr. Shoy Yeah, I have to stand trial.
IX. In the courtroom, friends of Shen De (water carrier Wang, old couple, grandfather and niece) and partners Shoy Da (Mr. Shu Fu and the landlady) are waiting for the meeting to begin. At the sight of the judges entering the hall, Shoy Da faints – these are the gods. The gods are by no means omniscient: under the guise and suit of Shoy, they do not recognize Shen De. And only when, unable to withstand the accusations of good and intercession of evil people, Shoy Da takes off the mask and tears off the clothes, the gods with horror see that their mission has failed: their kind man and the evil and callous Shoy Yes – one person. It does not work in this world to be kind to others and at the same time to oneself, does not save others and does not ruin oneself, it is impossible to make everyone happy with everyone together! But the gods have no time to deal with such difficulties. Really abandon the commandments? No never! Recognize that the world must be changed? How? By whom? No, everything is okay. And they reassure people: “Shen De did not die, she was only hidden, there is a kind man among you.” And to the desperate scream of Shen De: “But I need a cousin” – hastily reply: “Only not too often!” And while Shen De despair extends his hands to them, they smile and nod, disappear at the top.
Epilogue. The final monologue of the actor before the public: “Oh, my honorable audience! The end is not important.” I know it. \ In our hands, the most beautiful fairy tale suddenly got bitterly denouement. \ The curtain was dropped, and we are confused – they did not get permission. And we are not looking for benefits, \ So, there must be some right way out? \ You can not think of a way for what – another hero? And if the world is different? \ Or maybe other gods are needed? gods? I am silent in anxiety. \ So help us! Troubles correct – and think your mind here. \ Try for the add to find good – good ways. \ The bad end is rejected in advance. \ It should, should, should be good! “
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