The Good Person of Szechwan

Before I state my position, I bring your attention to the resolution for the upcoming debate: “It is impossible to be a good person and survive in a capitalist system (based on private property, business, and competition).” Both sides of the debate will revolve around central questions relating to signifier and signified: 1) What does it mean to be a “good” person? and 2) What does it mean to “survive” in a capitalist system?

Position: Affirmative. It is impossible to be a good person and survive in a capitalist system. The students participating in the upcoming debate undoubtedly come from different religious backgrounds, so for my purposes “good” is defined by the Ethic of Reciprocity, otherwise known as The Golden Rule, which is stated in one form or another in various world religions. In addition, to “survive” in a capitalist system will not simply mean “to not die." Survival will refer to one’s ability to 1) receive payment in exchange for goods and services, 2) own property, 3) sustain one’s basic needs and 4) make a profit on one’s goods or services--creating a monetary cushion in case of unforeseen circumstances, good or bad.

In The Good Person of Szechwan, by Bertolt Brecht, the character Shen Teh represents “good” while her alter ego/ “cousin” Shui Ta represents “evil." That is not to say that Shen Teh is always good and Shui Ta is always evil--I am generalizing for simplicity’s sake. On page 112 of the novel Shen Teh attempts to tell the gods about her alter ego, but they dismiss her concerns saying, “The good [Shen Teh], of who no one speaks anything but good!...A misunderstanding! A few unfortunate incidents. One or two hard-hearted neighbors! A little too much zeal!” Those hard-hearted neighbors, on the other hand, have accused Shui Ta of corruption, exploitation, and deceit--definitely not conducting himself in accordance with the Ethic of Reciprocity (107). I should also like to recall an incident where even the gods say Shui Ta is a bad influence. On page 42 Wang tells the gods about Shen Teh’s charitable projects, and about Shui Ta taking advantage of the carpenter, to which the gods reply, “Then that cousin must never again enter [Shen Teh’s] house.” This implies that Shui Ta’s involvement in Shen Teh’s affairs is seen by the gods as a threat to Shen Teh’s goodness.

Backtracking, after the gods gave Shen Teh more than enough money to pay her rent, she bought the tobacco shop, and planned to sustain herself and improve her life through her business. Enter Capitalism. She soon found that her rent needed to be paid six months in advance, the shop had hidden debts and her neighbors were relying on her to supply them with food and shelter. Despite the monetary risk of owning a business, Shen Teh opened up her store to the less fortunate, earning her the title “Angel of the Slums” (42). Her good doings almost cost her her shop though, which is made apparent through this metaphor, “The dinghy which might save us is straightway sucked into the depths: too many of the drowning snatch greedily at it” (22). The dinghy represents her store--now in jeopardy because she could not establish her business as a reliable income before her resources were drained by the needy. In order to save her business, Shen Teh creates her alter ego Shui Ta. He’s not a humanitarian. He’s a businessman and he makes her business expand, earning himself the title Tobacco King of Szechwan (102).

To tie all this together, before capitalism came into the picture there was no Shui Ta. Shen Teh was nothing more than a poor prostitute with a good heart. Shui Ta was created to keep capitalism in place once it had been established, because the charities of Shen Teh were putting the business at risk. Even at the end of the play, Shui Ta has not been eliminated:

Shen Teh: But I must have my cousin!
The first god: Not too often!
Shen Teh: Once a week anyway!
The first god: Once a month: that will be enough (113)!

This demonstrates that one cannot be truly good if one is to survive in capitalism.