ALIENATION EFFECT'S IN GOOD PERSON OF

SZECHWAN

"Brecht epic theatre is a theatre of destroyed illusions and wide

awake the audience"
The biggest Aim of the Brecht play is to alienate audience to bring
about an understanding which can effect change. Brecht term this
phenomenon as Verfrendungeffekt (German word) means
Alienation effects or A- effect which came from the Chinese play
tradition .The audience is never one with the audience they are
aware of fact that play is not reality but depiction of certain
reality.
Alienation effect also know as technique of Defamiliazation
where familiar made strange through alienation troops like
directly addressing to audience, changing cloth in front of
audience, use of non realistic lighting and use of music and
songs .which ensure that audience remain rational. Audience play
role of observer so that they are able to question the character
and there action.
"Brecht believe that the Defamiliazation helps people observe
what they think they see everyday".
Play writers feel that certain alienation /distance should be there
between actor on sage and audience these would prevent the
element of catharsis ( purgation of emotion) and enable the
audience think objectively. like the ideal of Forth wall ( 4 wall) in
theatre imaginary 'wall' which exist between actor and audience
which use to create illusions that actor pretend that they cannot
hear or see audience and audience get to enjoy the wonderful
sensation of bring 'fly on the wall'.
Good person of Szechwan is purely a Marxist play. deal with the
social and economic condition. the major theme in the play is

remaining good under the existing adverse social and economic

conditions. in play shen teh become the survivor in the world that
is not ruled by the goodness of character but by the evil and
corruption in society. The play is dialectical in its split between
Shen teh self fulfillment and Suita self preservation. there is
clash between desire and fact. these are two side of same coin.
Shen teh wish to be generous must employee Suita for profiting
means else she would be deprive of her charitable nature.
Good person of Szechwan we can see in text Brecht use various
techniques to alienate audience
in beginning of text Brecht introduce character to Wang to
audience for the first time . Wang is poor seller who is selling
water in order to survive in poor province like Szechwan ( city in
china) . we stared with Wang character when we realize that he is
a wage earner and burdened with poverty but Brecht alienate us
from Wang character by showing us his cheating and swindling
side so that we can rationalize his character and see him as
representative of proletariat ideology of swindling and cheating.
the problem that shen teh and other character suffer due to social
condition. the province like Szechwan can be seen as the place of
what happing in the world may be we can say as mini world which
deal with the day to day hard life.
There are various instance which show the play directly
addressing to audience these can be example of alienation
effect . in scene 1 one day family of eight come to seek shelter
in small tobacco shop as they did not have any roof over their
head. These people were the shen teh first landlord when she
came Szechwan from the county side. how she possible deny
shelter to these to these people ? she sang
" They are poor
They have no shelter
They have no friends
They need someone
How can they be refused?"

Here Brecht has employed the device of Chinese theatre such as

protagonist directly addressing the audience to show that mere
goodness does not pay in world infested with evil and
selfishness .These scene is commentary on the attitude of human
being. By doing these raise question in mind of audience and ask
them to give answers the situation presented on stage.
In play we have constant interruption that are brought about by
the music interlude in every act in the play Good person of
Szechwan. the music in the play use as alienation device . which
alienate audience from play and able to raise questions in the
mind of audience. songs are the integral part of Brecht concept of
'epic theatre' and have been strategically used in play Good
person of Szechwan and lend the play an oriental flavor.
(For example) in Act 3 play open in public park where in the
evening shen teh meet young sun. the two make love now shen
teh want to help him for his job in perking. even though she has
been a prostitute and selling her body for money . she experience
love for the first time. in the middle of scene Wang water seller
appear and stared singing song "THE WATER SELLER SONG IN
THE RAIN " song is ironic these interruption alienate audience
getting involve in play and bring their attention toward the
dialectic between poverty and plentitude.
one such example of alienation can be seen in portrayal of
business. having opened factory in Mr. shu fu's place suita is
embodiment of this brutal business. The tobacco factory he
established is success in term of making him money and
establishing his social image .But what happen inside factory is
far from his 'Respectable image' worker are exploited and aim of
every action in factory is to earn money for the owner suita. it
introduce. it introduce hierarchy among workers and factory end
up being place more then human existence and it needs are
made more important than the worker those who are woker in the
facory.
watching these character suffering audience are no longer in any
way allowed to submit to an experience by the means of uncritical
empathy." Brecht say; Good person of szechwan take the

character and instance out of obvious setting and put them

through the process of alienation. one as reader or audience feel
sympathy for character but not empathy. play don't show
supports to any of the character each person seem to be solo
accountable for his own action. play does not show any sympathy
with anyone
End of the novel also use the alienation device. the epilogue in
the text call upon audience to decide itself how Goodness can
exist in this world. it implore audience to write there won ending
and acknowledge that current ending is not satisfactory . the
Gods are unable accept that there rule must change in order to
make good possible. they also refuse Shen teh situation and leave
without giving any proper explanation . "The play began with note
of despair and end with the one .
Good person of Szechwan present us with theme dialectical
debate between poverty and plentitude, goodness and god,
religion and materialism all these made apparent to the
audience by alienation effect in attempt to make sure play raise in
the mid of audience and break there identification with
bourgeoisie ideology .