5. The Informer
 |
| Bertolt Brecht |
Questions & Answers
The play ‘The Informer was written by Bertolt Brecht a German play wright. It is a one act play written and produced as an anti-Nazi play. The circumstances at the time of the rule of Hitler, were frightening. All the people were very much afraid of the Gestapo or the government officials. The despotic rule had informers at every level. Mr and Mrs Klimbtsch were very cautions about their behaviour. That day they were engaged in a dialogue. It was tense. When there was a phone call, they did not attend to it of their own. Their maid was asked to answer. They were afraid of the police.
Husband was a school teacher and he was in anxiety. Their dialogue extended over trivial matters. They inspect some informer coming to their house. One complains that the other was intention and the other the same. Meanwhile their boy, left the house after getting some money for the mother. The couple was in heated discussion but it was about very small things. The man was anxious because there was rain outside.
Their dialogue turned towards the boy they talked of him and his future. Mother was more anxious in this affair. Both were suspecting his friendship with the Gestapo. Their dialogue extended towards the mistakes if any committed against the government even by means of complaining before others. The father’s duty as a teacher was completely good and there was no lapse. They can think that they are safe. But at this juncture a phone call came and again tension prevailed.
After some time the door was tapped. Both were at their wits’ends. They suspect an informer coming to them. They stood at a corner. The door was opened and the boy surprised them entering into the house having chacolates in his hands. He bought them with the money given by his mother. Tense was eased but the boy was not an informer. The fear of an informer prevailed in the house there also. Thus the title is appropriate.
