The carpenter is an opportunistic man who attempts to shake Shen Te down for a large sum of money for a set of previously-installed custom shelves. When Shen Te arrives dressed as Shui Ta, however, she’s able to successfully negotiate with the carpenter and outwit the man, sending him on his way with nothing. The carpenter later struggles to provide food for his three sons, demonstrating that even those who seem like extortionists and grifters are often just doing their best to survive and provide for their families. Through the carpenter’s arc, Brecht suggests that capitalism makes everyone who must function within the system greedy and opportunistic through no fault of their own.
The Carpenter Quotes in The Good Woman of Setzuan
The The Good Woman of Setzuan quotes below are all either spoken by The Carpenter or refer to The Carpenter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Scene 7
Quotes
WONG: It’s about the carpenter, Shen Te. He's lost his shop, and he's been drinking. His children are on the streets. This is one. Can you help?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Good Woman of Setzuan LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Carpenter Quotes in The Good Woman of Setzuan
The The Good Woman of Setzuan quotes below are all either spoken by The Carpenter or refer to The Carpenter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Scene 7
Quotes
WONG: It’s about the carpenter, Shen Te. He's lost his shop, and he's been drinking. His children are on the streets. This is one. Can you help?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
