A true socialist, in The Good Person of Sezuan Brecht explores the incongruence of being good and of enduring. The main character Shen Te, a prostitute, being the only kind person in the town of Sezuan, is given a gift of wealth by a well-meaning party of gods. Using this money to purchase a tobacco shop, she soon finds that her recent good fortune and kindness have become prey to parasitic greed. In fact, no one can be trusted in this twisted tale of luck and misfortune, and Shen Te learns that she is her own best ally, in the form of Shui Ta, her uncle. Shui Ta, the miserly and stern masked Shen Te, saves the good woman Te from herself and from those who wished to take additional advantage of her gentle heart.
Brecht has an unusual style that does not speak down to the reader. Very plain yet still very expressive, Bertolt Brecht wrote his plays not for the upper classes and those privy to higher education. His plays were principally didactic, and aspired to promote Brecht's socialist viewpoints, and incidentally he was exiled from Germany because of his beliefs.
This play is full of weighty topics, but it is intelligent and fun at the same time. Recommended read for anyone who enjoys learning moral lessons while reading!
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