Saint Joan of the Stockyards

Historical Context and Significance

«Saint Joan of the Stockyards» by Bertolt Brecht emerged at a turning point in history, in the anxious atmosphere of the Great Depression, when social upheaval and economic instability laid bare the wounds of capitalist society. Brecht, a master of epic theatre, created a work in which tragedy and satire intertwine in a witty allegory exposing the hypocrisy and cruelty of market relations. The play became an artistic manifesto against social injustice, and the image of Joan Dark, transplanted into the industrial reality of Chicago, acquired a new, piercing resonance. The influence of «Saint Joan of the Stockyards» extends far beyond the stage: it inspired generations of directors and playwrights to seek new forms of civic expression, and its themes echoed throughout 20th-century culture as a symbol of the relentless struggle for human dignity and compassion in a world dominated by cold calculation.