The Good Person of Szechwan gives plenty of examples on that it is possible to be a good person in a capitalist system. The two obvious characters that are good in a capitalist system in this play are Wang and Shen Teh.
Wang is a water-seller. When water is scarce, he travels long distances to bring water back to the town for people to drink. Wang also gives compliments to others, particularly Shen Teh. He tells the gods she is a good person and does good deeds when she gets nothing in return. At the beginning of the play, Wang is given the task to find housing for the gods. Wang asks several people in the town to house the gods for one night. Despite all the rejections, Wang continues on to ask people in the town because he wants to please the gods. Eventually, he comes across Shen Teh who says that she will allow the gods to stay in her place.
Shen Teh is the most obvious character who is good in a capitalist system in the play. She took the gods in when no one else would, and in return, was rewarded with money to buy a shop. Shen Teh bought the shop from Mrs. Shin. After Shen Teh bought the store from Mrs. Shin, Mrs. Shin calls Shen Teh a bloodsucker for taking away her place of work, but nonetheless, Shen Teh still gives her rice to feed her children. Soon after, an old couple walks into the store and ask for housing. Even though it has no advantage to Shen Teh, she offers them to live in her place. Eventually, an unemployed man walks into the store. He asks for cigarettes but has no money to buy them. So Shen Teh gives him a few cigarettes without accepting any money. Later, a man and a pregnant woman walk into the shop asking for a place to live for awhile. Shen Teh allows them to live at her place with, once again, no advantage to herself. When Shen Teh is at the park, she notices a man trying to hang himself. She takes time to convince the man not to kill himself and offers him 200 silver dollars so he may begin to get a job as a pilot, and she had never met the man before. While at the park, it begins to rain and Shen Teh sees Wang. Despite her ability to get something to drink from the rain, she buys water from Wang so he may have some money. Several times Shen Teh offers housing to people which has no benefit to her, gives people free things, gives money to people she does not know so they may do what they want, and buys things she may not necessarily need so that the seller may get money. Her and Wang are both perfect examples of good people living in a capitalist system.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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It is true that Shen Teh is a example of a good person living in a capitalist society. However, she would never be where she is at if the Gods had never given her money. She was a prostitute prior to receiving the money and she could never survive her whole life as a prostitute. Plus, after recieving the money her life is arguably just as difficult because people are always asking her for money or shelter.
ReplyDeleteAlso Wang is a good person but he is hardly making it, he never has any money. I guess in order to have this debate we must establish a definition of "making it"