The Good Woman of Setzuan: Scene 4 Summary & Analysis

It is morning on the square outside of Shen Te’s shop. There are two other shops nearby: a carpet shop and a barber. The grandfather, the sister-in-law, the unemployed man, and Mrs. Shin wait outside Shen Te’s. The sister-in-law remarks that Shen Te has been out all night. Mrs. Shin laments that Shen Te is “carrying on” with a man. The barber, Shu Fu, angrily kicks Wong out of his shop for “pestering” his customers, burning Wong’s hand with a hot curling iron. The unemployed man tends to Wong while Mrs. Shin and the sister-in-law lament that if Shen Te were present, she’d give Wong a bandage.

Shen Te comes walking down the street. She addresses the audience directly. Shen Te tells them that she has a new lease on life and that she attributes the change in her point of view to being in love. As Shen Te approaches the people gathered outside her shop, she distributes rice to each of them and then she ducks into the carpet shop. Shu Fu, who has noticed Shen Te, remarks to the others how beautiful she is. He declares that he is in love with her and then he returns to his shop.

The old man and the old woman, proprietors of the carpet shop, walk outside with Shen Te. They offer to give her a discount on a shawl—they know her many good deeds “eat [her earnings] all up.” They ask her if her new lover can help her pay her rent, but Shen Te replies that Yang Sun is broke. The old woman offers Shen Te 200 silver dollars to make rent for the next several months. In exchange, she asks that Shen Te pledge her tobacco stock. Shen Te declares that the old woman and her husband are good people—she wishes the gods could overhear their offer.

Shen Te goes over to the people gathered outside the tobacco shop and she shows them the huge sum of money. Mrs. Shin points out Wong’s injury. Shen Te apologizes for not seeing it sooner. She suggests taking Wong to a doctor, but the unemployed man suggests Wong visit a lawyer instead—he can sue the “filthy rich” barber. All he will need is a witness. None of the others, however, are willing to testify. Shen Te decries the others for ignoring Wong’s suffering. She declares that she herself will act as witness. Mrs. Shin warns Shen Te against perjuring herself. The sister-in-law says that Shen Te can’t change the world. Shen Te orders everyone to leave her alone and then she laments to the audience that nothing moves her fellow citizens to action anymore.

Mrs. Yang, Yang Sun’s mother, comes rushing into the square. She declares that Yang Sun has just gotten an offer to work as a pilot—but the director of the airfield wants 500 silver dollars. Shen Te gives Mrs. Yang the old couple’s loan, stating that she can repay them with her tobacco stock. Shen Te declares that she knows “someone who can help” them to come up with the other 300. A plane flies overhead. Shen Te is delighted, declaring that soon her lover will be able to start “bringing to friends in faraway lands / The friendly mail!”