Saint Joan of the Stockyards

Book Review

«Saint Joan of the Stockyards» by Bertolt Brecht is a work in which the playwright, with his characteristic sharpness, exposes the wounds of capitalist society, laying bare the mechanisms of exploitation and hypocrisy. Brecht masterfully combines grotesque and tragedy, turning the story of the naive and pure Joan Dark of Chicago into an allegory of the clash between ideals and harsh reality. The language of the play is rich in ironic dialogues, and the structure is designed so that the audience never forgets the theatricality of what is happening—there is no room for illusion here, only relentless truth. Critics note that Brecht creates not just a social drama, but a philosophical reflection on the nature of good and evil, on the impotence of humanism before the cynicism of the system. The play is striking in its relevance, and the image of Joan, tragically alone in her quest to save the world, becomes a symbol of the eternal struggle for justice. Brecht calls not for compassion, but for action, and in this his work continues to move and inspire the modern reader.