In the Jungle of Cities

Historical Context and Significance

The play «In the Jungle of Cities» by Bertolt Brecht emerged at a turning point in history, when industrialization and urbanization were rapidly transforming the world, and human relationships were becoming increasingly alienated and harsh. Brecht, like a surgeon, exposes the social wounds of the metropolis, turning Chicago into a symbolic labyrinth where not only people but also ideas, passions, and principles collide. This drama was one of Brecht's first experiments in creating epic theater, where the viewer does not dissolve in illusion but is forced to think, analyze, and face moral challenges. The play's influence can be felt in the development of twentieth-century theater: it inspired directors and playwrights to seek new forms and to rethink the city as a space of struggle and alienation. «In the Jungle of Cities» became a forerunner of the theater of alienation, opened new horizons for social criticism on stage, and left a deep mark on Europe's cultural memory, becoming a symbol of ruthless honesty and artistic experimentation.