She is the mother of Eilif, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin and spends her time during the show keeping them alive for her own benefit. Throughout this play the viewer sees that Mother Courage is completely focused on her survival, as Brecht stated that she is "understandably bent on her survival, not learning, failing to understand that no sacrifice is too great to stop the war." When studying epic theatre, there is a list of techniques used and in the production of Mother Courage Brecht chose to use many of these techniques. Some of these techniques include dance, the stage “purged of anything magical,” and music. In the National Theater production of Mother Courage and Her Children they actually put the musicians on stage and recognize who they are