Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to rape.

Mother Courage and Her Children is set during the Thirty Years’ War, and the titular protagonist makes her living off the war, selling goods to soldiers and others, stealing inventory from raided villages, and generally exploiting desperate people at a time of widespread poverty and famine. Undeterred by the dangers of war, she insists that her perseverance in combat zones is what earned her the moniker Mother Courage—for her, the war is not something to fear but a business opportunity. Indeed, she spends much of the play fearing that the war may end, because an end to the war would mean an end to her business.

Throughout the play, Mother Courage proves to be a shrewd businessperson. She keenly watches for opportunities to sell her wares and pushes them on potential customers. When the Cook is reluctant to pay the price Mother Courage demands for a bird, Mother Courage does not relent, insisting his men need good meat to fulfill their duties effectively. That they haggle over the price of the capon shows that even though times are growing desperate, Mother Courage is unwilling to sell her stock at a loss.