Mr Puntila and his Man Matti

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The play Mr Puntila and his Man Matti (Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti, 1941) is one of Bertolt Brecht's modern social criticism plays. It's about a landlord, seemingly ever-drunk, and his ever-loyal hired man, Matti.

The play was written in collaboration with Finnish-Estonian female playwright Hella Wuolijoki during Brecht's exile in Finland. It was first titled "Iso-Heikkilän isäntä ja hänen renkinsä Kalle" -"Master Iso-Heikkilä and his Hired Man Kalle." However, Brecht soon "forgot" Wuolijoki's contribution, re-named the play and published it by his own name only.

The Story describes the Landlord Puntila's relationship to his hired man, Matti, as well as his daughter, Eva, who he wants to marry off to an Attaché. Eva herself loves Matti and so Puntila is put to a decision, to marry his daughter either to a driver or to an Attaché, while he also deals with his drinking problem.

The central relationship between Mr Puntilla and Matti--in which Puntilla is warm, friendly and loving when drunk, but cold, cynical and penny-pinching when sober--echoes the relationship between the Tramp and the Millionaire in Charlie Chaplin's City Lights (1931).

v • d • e The Plays of Bertolt Brecht Baal • Drums in the Night • The Beggar • A Wedding • Driving Out a Devil • Lux in Tenebris • The Catch • In The Jungle of Cities • Edward II • Man Equals Man • Downfall of the Egotist Johann Fatzer • The Elephant Calf • Little Mahagonny • The Threepenny Opera • The Flight across the Ocean • The Baden-Baden Lesson on Consent • Happy End • The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny • Der Jasager / Der Neinsager • The Decision • Saint Joan of the Stockyards • The Exception and the Rule • The Mother • Kuhle Wampe • The Seven Deadly Sins • Round Heads and Pointed Heads • The Horatians and the Curiatians • Fear and Misery of the Third Reich • Señora Carrar's Rifles • Life of Galileo • How Much Is Your Iron? • Dansen • Mother Courage and Her Children • The Trial of Lucullus • Mr Puntila and his Man Matti • The Good Person of Szechwan • The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui • Hangmen Also Die! • The Visions of Simone Machard • The Duchess of Malfi • Schweyk in the Second World War • The Caucasian Chalk Circle • Antigone • The Days of the Commune • The Tutor • Die Verurteilung des Lukullus • Report from Herrnburg • Coriolanus • Joan of Arc • Turandot • Don Juan • Trumpets and Drums