Mr Puntila and His Man Matti

Book Review

Bertolt Brecht’s play «Mr Puntila and His Man Matti» is a witty and multilayered satire in which the author, with his characteristic irony, exposes the contradictions of human nature and social order. At the center of the story is the eccentric landowner Puntila, whose personality is split between drunken good-naturedness and sober cruelty, and his laconic yet perceptive servant Matti. Brecht masterfully uses the grotesque and comedic devices to show the fragile boundaries between master and servant, wealth and poverty, illusion and reality. Critics note that the play is filled with subtle social critique, and its characters are vivid, lively, and full of inner tension. Special attention is given to Brecht’s technique of «distancing», which allows the audience not only to empathize with the characters but also to reflect on the nature of power, dependence, and human freedom. «Mr Puntila and His Man Matti» is a work in which comedy becomes a tool for deep philosophical reflection, and a simple story takes on the scale of a parable about human dignity and social justice.