Topic > The Power of Silence Portrayed by Kattrin The Silent One

Silent characters play a significant role in plays. They are the characters that most people would ignore because they don't say anything; however, silent characters can be the ones who say the most in a play. In Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children, the silent character Kattrin shows us that the bravest and bravest characters do not necessarily have to be the ones who speak the most. Kattrin may be a silent character, but her actions speak volumes, and as the saying goes, "actions speak louder than words." Kattrin is brave, understanding, and the one who notices everything in the show, the only thing standing in her way is her inability to speak. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Brecht's use of the character Kattrin brings out a lot of irony, both dramatic and situational. Kattrin may be mute, but she uses her actions to communicate with others. Throughout the play, Kattrin is rarely noticed by the other characters, so when she does actions, no one in the play knows what she is doing or what she is trying to tell them, which is a challenge for her because she knows what she is saying but is not in able to pass it on to others. Situations occur throughout the show and some involve Kattrin as the focal point of these situations. there are many things that happen that the other characters are oblivious to while Kattrin automatically notices. When Kattrin communicates casually with her family, they can understand her and communicate in return; however, when a bad situation is about to happen, Kattrin notices and tries to communicate with her family, but they have no idea what she is trying to say. An example would be when Swiss Cheese was about to hide the cash register. While Swiss Cheese is planning to hide the chest in the river, two soldiers stand behind him and he does not know that these two soldiers are there and that they are listening. what he intends to do with the Cash Box. Kattrin was aware of the soldiers' presence and tried to signal to her brother what was happening, but he is only more oblivious to the situation and says, “I wish I could understand you. Poor thing, I know you're trying to tell me something, but you can't say it” (2381) Kattrin's heroic efforts do nothing to help save her brother because she is unable to speak as she said. This is a form of dramatic irony because the audience is aware of Kattrin's signals and the only person unaware is Swiss Cheese, this would be situational irony that Brecht uses to show how Kattrin's inability to speak comes with many foreshadowing challenges. If Kattrin had been able to speak, her brother might have survived; however, Brecht creating her as a silent character brings more entertainment to the play in both a fun and suspenseful way. Another example of Kattrin being aware of a situation that others are unaware of would be when Eilif was being recruited by the soldiers. Eilif wants to join the war, but Mother Courage forbids it, so the soldiers attempt to distract Mother Courage by pretending to be interested in buying a belt, when in reality the other soldier has pulled Eilif aside to have a drink with him. As Eilif goes to talk to the soldier, Kattrin notices this and jumps up screaming, drawing her mother's attention; however, her situational awareness didn't help and Eilif has already disappeared into the war, and Mother Courage has lost a son because of it. Kattrin's mutism allows her to listen and observe carefully, but when it comes to informing others, it always ends up being too late. What we can also notice is that Brecht uses Kattrin to show the audience that the.