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Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Good Woman of Setzuan, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Pursuit of Goodness
Greed, Capitalism, and Corruption
Women and Dual Identities
Humanity vs. The Divine
Summary
Analysis
Shen Te comes onstage carrying Shui Ta’s mask. She sings “The Song of the Defenseless.” The song declares that one can only “prove himself useful” through “strong backers.” The good—and even the gods—are “defenseless” in this day and age. She wishes the gods could launch an “expedition” against the badness of the world and bring peace, calm, and plenty to all. Shen Te puts on Shui Ta’s mask and she finishes the song in his voice. The imposing “Shui Ta” declares that one “can only help one of [one’s] luckless brothers / By trampling down a dozen others.” He asks why the gods don’t feel more anger at the state of the world or work to make things right.
Shen Te knows that she can’t keep up with all the demands on her alone—she needs Shui Ta’s strength as a “backer” to keep making ends meet. Shen Te sees Shui Ta as a necessary evil: a mere stepping-stone on her path to doing more and more good deeds for others. At the same time, Shen Te laments that in order to help those she wants to help, others must suffer needlessly.
Themes
