The Good Woman Of Setzuan

Three days after the gods left, Shen Te has taken the hefty sum they gave her for the room and bought a tobacco store. Shen Te is determined to do good. For instance, yesterday she gave Mrs. Shin, who sold her the store, some rice to feed her children. Mrs. Shin returns, complaining about her new home and exclaiming, “What a slum this neighborhood is!” (12). Shen Te is distraught to learn that when Mrs. Shin owned the store, no one ever patronized it aside from the workers from the nearby cement factory. Mrs. Shin becomes histrionically defensive and Shen Te rushes off to get some rice to appease her. Mrs. Shin then asks Shen Te to loan her money, becoming dramatic again when Shen Te tells her that she has no money because she has yet to sell anything. Angrily, Mrs. Shin takes the rice and threatens to “leave [her] children on [Shen Te’s] doorstep” (12). An elderly couple enters with their nephew. They tell Shen Te that their tobacco store has “gone to pieces” (12) and ask if they can stay with Shen Te. Shen Te remembers that the couple gave her a place to stay when she first arrived in the city and happily agrees to take them in.

The elderly wife tells Shen Te that while they are there, they will give her advice as to how to run a tobacco shop. An unemployed man in rags enters and asks Shen Te if she has a spare cigarette. The elderly wife scoffs that he is begging for a cigarette rather than food and the man explains, “Bread is expensive. A few puffs at a cigarette and I’ll be a new man” (13). Shen Te gives him cigarettes, replying, “That’s important to be a new man. I’ll open the store with you as my first customer. You’ll bring me luck” (13). The man leaves, smoking a cigarette and coughing. The elderly couple and their nephew admonish Shen Te for trusting the man so easily, stating, “If you want to keep your store, you must learn to say no, now and then” (14). When Mrs. Shin joins in, Shen Te threatens to take back her rice. A man enters. Seeing him, Mrs. Shin rushes out as he calls after her. The elderly wife asks if Mrs. Shin has some claim on Shen Te and Shen Te responds, “She has no claim, but she’s hungry: that’s more than a claim” (14).

The man introduces himself as Lin To, the carpenter who built the shelves in the store—shelves that Mrs. Shin never paid for. Lin To demands that Shen Te pay for them and threatens to have her arrested when she explains that she has no money. Shen Te asks Lin To to be patient, and he exclaims that if she does not pay, he will take her shelves. The elderly couple and their nephew suggest that the carpenter bill Shen Te’s “cousin”—who is well off, but fictional—for the shelves, and Lin To agrees angrily. The elderly wife advises, “Never recognize a claim, justified or not, or in two minutes you’ll be swamped with claims, justified or not” (16). Shen Te asks who will support Lin To’s family if no one pays their bills? She adds, “What will the gods say?” (16). The elderly wife reassures her that she has done enough of a good deed by taking them in. A man enters, limping, with his pregnant wife, irritate with the elderly couple for leaving them on the street. The elderly wife introduces him as Wung, her brother. She tells Wung and his wife that Shen Te will take them in as well, and Shen Te agrees.

Shen Te’s landlady, Mrs. Mi Tzu, enters with a lease. She tells Shen Te that she will need references, which Shen Te does not have. The elderly couple offers to serve as a reference, but Mrs. Mi Tzu declines because they no longer have their shop. Mrs. Mi Tzu will not allow Shen Te to sign the lease without references, so the elderly wife urges Shen Te to give the landlady the name of her “cousin.” Ashamed, Shen Te tells Mrs. Mi Tzu that her cousin, Shui Ta, lives in another town. The elderly couple and their nephew insist that the cousin exists, and both the landlady and the carpenter leave, telling Shen Te that they will be back in the morning to negotiate with her cousin. All of Shen Te’s house guests worry that their lie will be discovered quickly. A boy enters with an old man, who the elderly wife addresses as “Grandfather.” The elderly couple’s niece follows them. Quietly, the pregnant sister-in-law exclaims, “The rats climb onto a sinking ship!” (18). The elderly wife promises that the family will stay out of Shen Te’s way, suggesting that most of the family will leave during business hours, and invites her family to make themselves at home in Shen Te’s house.

The family members help themselves to wine and cigarettes, joking that the “cousin” will reimburse Shen Te. This stuns Shen Te, and the elderly wife urges the family to sing a song. The grandfather, elderly husband, and niece sing about choosing “the crooked path” after seeing “the honest, conscientious man oppressed” (19). After drinking, the family begins to fight, knocking over shelves in the process as Shen Te begs them to “spare the store” since it is “a gift of the gods” (20). The elderly wife notes that the store is smaller than she thought and might be too crowded when the rest of their relatives arrive. The pregnant sister-in-law comments, “Our hostess is cooling off already” (20). As the scene ends, a group of several more relatives is outside the door, knocking and demanding to be let in. Shen Te despairs, singing, “The little lifeboat is swiftly sent down. Too many people greedily reach for it as they drown” (20).

In an interlude, Scene One-A, Wang, the water-seller, reappears. He has been hiding out for four days. He expresses relief, having watched the gods leave several days ago, and is surprised when they appear. Wang exclaims that he did his best to find them a place to stay, and the gods tell him that Shen Te did, in fact, take them in. The gods chide Wang for having had so little faith. They ask Wang to go back to Setzuan to check on Shen Te and report back, since she has money now and should be doing well. The gods leave, continuing their quest to find decent human beings, asserting, “the talk about good people being no longer able to live on our earth will stop” (21). 

People are asleep all over Shen Te’s tobacco store and someone is knocking at the door. The elderly wife shouts for Shen Te to answer it, but she isn’t there. The nephew wonders if Shen Te is procuring breakfast, adding, “The cousin will pay for it!” (22). She opens the door and a young man introduces himself as Shui Ta, Shen Te’s cousin. Shui Ta tells the family to leave so that he can open his store, and the family is aghast, claiming that Shen Te has lied to them by saying that the store was hers. The elderly husband sends the family to search for her and tells the boy to go to the bakery and steal food for breakfast. Shui Ta notes, “This store has been your refuge. Won’t you give it a bad reputation if you steal from the bakery?” (23). The nephew tells the family to ignore him and they’ll find Shen Te, but Shui Ta tells them that they will not be able to find her. Furthermore, they cannot stay there any longer.

Lin To, the carpenter, takes the opportunity to hand Shui Ta his bill. Shui Ta looks at it and tells the carpenter that 100 silver dollars is too expensive. He offers 20, telling Lin To to accept it or go ahead and take the shelves. Lin To starts to take the shelves but complains that they only fit this store. Shui Ta offers him 20 silver dollars again, and Lin To, defeated, agrees. He takes the money and leaves. The elderly couple commends Shui Ta, laughing at the carpenter. Shui Ta tells them that they need to leave, calling them “thieves and parasites” (25). They refuse, so Shui Ta calls a policeman into the store. Shui Ta makes small talk, and the elderly husband whispers to his wife that if the policeman is still there when the boy gets back with the stolen food, they’ll be in trouble. The elderly wife assures him that the boy will stay away when he sees a policeman at the door, but Shui Ta invites the officer inside. Shui Ta continues to chat with the officer until the elderly couple, anxious, says that they are leaving.

In the street, there is a cry of “Stop thief!” (26). The officer collars the boy, and the elderly couple exclaim that they were unaware that he was stealing. Furthermore, Shui Ta was meant to be watching him. Shui Ta reminds the policeman that he invited him into the store, which he wouldn’t have done if he were orchestrating a crime. The policeman takes the family away, leaving Shui Ta alone to clean up the store. The landlady, Mrs. Mi Tzu, enters, complaining about the police hauling people away from her property. Shui Ta tells the landlady that Shen Te is only guilty of having been poor. Based on Shen Te’s reputation for being poor and allowing other poor people to live in her store, Mrs. Mi Tzu demands six months’ rent in advance, which Shui Ta exclaims that he cannot afford. Shui Ta insists that Shen Te will be a model tenant because she will work hard to avoid going back to poverty. Despite this, Mrs. Mi Tzu reiterates that she will require six months’ rent.

The policeman reenters, and Mrs. Mi Tzu comments, “The police certainly display a great interest in this store” (28). The policeman replies that Shui Ta has done a good deed and he is only there to express thanks. Skeptical, Mrs. Mi Tzu leaves. Shui Ta explains that the landlady is “demanding the rent in advance because [his] cousin doesn’t seem respectable” (28). Shen Te cannot get credit and Shui Ta will not be able to stay in town to help her. The officer says that he had misgivings about Shen Ta and the store at first, but Shui Ta has shown his strong character. Shui Ta offers the policeman some cigars, which he takes. The policeman says that he understands Mrs. Mi Tzu’s perspective considering that Shen Te used to be a prostitute. He thinks for a moment to find a solution and then exclaims, “Mr. Shui Ta, I’ve got it! Find her a husband!” (29).

An old woman enters, searching for an inexpensive cigar to celebrate her fortieth wedding anniversary with her husband. She and her husband run the carpet store next door, and she tells them that she is in debt but wants to celebrate as much as they can afford. The policeman reiterates his suggestion, adding that Shen Te needs to marry someone with money. Shui Ta says that it will be difficult to find a match, but the policeman disagrees, offering to place an ad in the paper. He turns to the old woman for support, and she reluctantly assents, “If the young lady agrees” (30). Shui Ta relents, and the policeman writes out an advertisement. He reads it aloud and the old woman agrees with the officer’s claim in the ad that Shen Te is attractive. The officer gives Shui Ta the ad, and Shui Ta exclaims, “With horror I see how much luck one needs to keep above water. How many ideas! How many friends!” (30).

In the park, a young man named Yang Sun watches an airplane fly overhead. He is wearing rags. Taking a rope from his pocket, Yang Sun walks over toward a willow tree. Two prostitutes, one young and one old, approach him. The young prostitute is the niece of the elderly couple that stayed in Shen Te’s tobacco shop. The young prostitute asks him to join them, and Yang Sun says that he will if they will buy him a meal. The old prostitute interjects that Yang Sun is only an unemployed pilot and they are “wasting [their] time with him” (31). The young prostitute protests that there is no one else and it is about to rain. They start to walk away, and Yang Sun tosses the rope over a branch of the willow tree. The prostitutes return, but they don’t notice what he is doing. Shen Te approaches, and the old prostitute calls her “the monster” who “brought disaster to [the young prostitute] and [her] family” (31). The young prostitute counters that it was Shen Te’s cousin that brought disaster, and that Shen Te tried to help them. Regardless, the old prostitute takes issue with Shen Te.

The old prostitute complains that Shen Te is trying to take away their men. Shen Te is on her way to the tearoom to meet her fiancé, a widower who has three children. Yang Sun yells at them to leave and give him some peace and quiet. The prostitutes leave, the old one shouting at him as they go. Yang Sun gives a tirade about them and Shen Te responds angrily, then notices his rope. Yang Sun takes her for a prostitute as well and tells her to leave, but Shen Te tries to tell him not to hang himself. Yang Sun calls her “ugly” and tells her to go away, but she refuses. Finally, it starts raining and Yang Sun invites her under the tree. Shen Te asks why he wants to hang himself. He tells her that it’s because he is “a flier without a plane” (33), something that Shen Te couldn’t understand. She insists that she does, remembering a crane from her childhood with a hurt wing that would watch the other cranes fly longingly overhead. She begins to weep, but Yang Sun begs her to stop.

Shen Te continues talking to Yang Sun to keep him from killing himself. She tells him that when she got her shop after living as a prostitute, she swore that she would avoid being with a man for a year. Yang Sun points out that she is about to marry one, and Shen Te does not respond. He strokes her face, which she allows. Yang Sun complains that his friends will not listen to him complain about not having a job anymore. Shen Te talks about goodness and hope, revealing her optimism. Yang Sun urges her to keep talking as “a voice, after all, is a voice” (35). He tells her that he hasn’t had anything to eat in two days or to drink in one. Wang, the water-seller enters. He sings a song about the futility of selling water in the rain and how he wishes that the rain would stop. Shen Te greets him, informing him that she has his carrying pole. Wang thanks her, and Shen Te asks to buy some water. He tells her to just open her mouth, but she informs Wang that the water is for Yang Sun. Wang sells Shen Te a cup of water, but Yang Sung has fallen asleep.

There is an interlude, Scene Three-A, in which Wang is asleep in his sewer pipe. He is dreaming, and the gods appear to him. Wang tells the gods that he saw Shen Te and she has not changed. He says that she is doing well and constantly does good deeds. She often loses money because she gives so much away to the poor people around her, and people call her “the Angel of the Suburbs” (39). Wang admits that she had to call in her cousin to help her and that because of the cousin, the carpenter did not receive the full payment. The gods are upset since “one must pay what one owes” (39) and exclaim that this cousin must not return to the shop. Wang tells them that Shui Ta is a “highly respected businessman” (39) and the gods reconsider, confessing that they know little about business: “What does business have to do with an honest and dignified life?” (39). The second god adds that this cannot happen again. The gods are cross, exhausted, and sick because they cannot find a place to stay and therefore have not slept. They leave, complaining that even “the best of them” are “weak” (40) and are unable to be decisive.

Outside Shen Te’s tobacco shop, the grandfather, the pregnant sister-in-law, Mrs. Shin, and the ragged man are waiting for Shen Te, who did not return home the previous night. Mrs. Shin, who wants her daily rice, is angry. Mr. Shu Fu, who owns the barbershop next door, emerges from the shop. He pushes Wang out, yelling at him for trying to sell water to the barbershop customers. Mr. Shu Fu hits Wang on the hand and injures him. Shen Te returns, holding a dish of rice. She speaks to the audience. She is happy, having been with Yang Sun and fallen in love. Shen Te cheerfully gives rice to the people waiting for her. Then she comments to Wang that she wants to buy herself a shawl so that she can be beautiful. Shen Te goes into the carpet store next door. Mr. Shu Fu watches her, commenting on how beautiful Shen Te is and claiming that he has fallen in love with her. He yells at Wang again to leave.

Shen Te reenters with a new shawl, which she bought at a discount because it has a small hole. The old woman who runs the store tells her that Shen Te has no money because she is always doing good deeds that cost her. She asks if the man Shen Te loves has any money, and she says that he doesn’t. She had forgotten about marrying to solicit help paying the rent. The old woman offers to lend Shen Te 200 silver dollars, since rent will be due next Monday. She says, “You know, my husband and I had a few doubts about the marriage ad after we got to know you” (43). They had saved the 200 silver dollars to help Shen Te in case the marriage-for-money didn’t work out. Shen Te is grateful and amazed when the old woman says that she will lend money to her but wouldn’t lend it to her cousin. She wishes the gods could meet this old couple since they are looking for good people. Shen Te takes the money and thanks them.

Giddy, Shen Te shows Wang the money—a half-years’ worth of rent—and her new shawl. Mrs. Shin tells her that she should be more concerned with Wang’s hand. Shen Te, upset that she did not notice Wang’s injury, tells him that he must go to the doctor. The ragged man insists that he ought to go to a judge and get a settlement from the barber who hit him. However, he needs witnesses and none of those present are willing to serve as a witness since that would mean dealing with the police and potentially angering the barber. Angrily, Shen Te offers to be a witness even though she didn’t actually see anything. Wang is unsure, but his injured hand has gotten worse, so he decides to run to see the judge. After he leaves, Mrs. Shin disappears into the barber’s shop “to get on the right side of the barber” (45). Disgusted, Shen Te tells all of them to leave.

An older woman enters and introduces herself as Mrs. Yang, Yang Sun’s mother. She tells Shen Te that Yang Sun has received a job offer to fly again in Peking. However, to take the job, he will need 500silver dollars. Shin Te wants to help, but only has 200 silver dollars. She gives the money to Mrs. Yang, asserting that she will earn it back by selling tobacco. Shen Te says that she thinks she knows where she might get the other 300. She says, “I know someone who might be able to help me. Someone who helped me out once before. I didn’t really want to call him again, he’s so hard and cunning. It would certainly have to be the last time” (46). Together, Shen Te and Mrs. Yang look at an airplane flying over and wave. Shen Te is determined that Yang Sun will soon be flying again.

In the interlude, Scene Four-A, Shen Te enters. She carries a suit and the Shui Ta mask. She sings a song about “the defenselessness of the gods and good men” (47). As she dresses and changes her voice, she sings that the rich have all the power and that they earn that power by “trampling down twelve others” (47). As Shui Ta, she wonders why the gods don’t stand up for good men.

Shui Ta reads a newspaper behind the tobacco store counter. He ignores Mrs. Shin’s rant about Shen Te’s unwise choice to have a relationship with Sun Yang when Mr. Shu Fu, a barber “with twelve houses and only one wife, and she’s old” (48), has expressed interest in her. Receiving no response, Mrs. Shin gives up and leaves. Outside, Sun Yang’s voice is heard asking for Shen Te, but Mrs. Shin tells him that her cousin is in today instead of her. Shen Te starts to check her hair in the mirror and then remembers that she is dressed as Shui Ta. Sun Yang introduces himself to Shui Ta and starts to talk about money. He wonders if they can “squeeze another three hundred silver dollars out of the store” (49). Shui Ta points out that Shen Te might lose the store trying to help him, and Sun Yang replies, “I need the money quickly or not at all. And the girl isn’t one to keep you waiting either. For one thing or another, you get me?” (49).

Shui Ta asks Sun why he needs the money to get the job. Sun explains that he must pay a friend to fire a pilot, “and the fellow he has in mind isn’t negligent, because he’s got a large family” (49). Sun tells Shui Ta not to relay that bit of information to Shen Te. Shui Ta asks Sun if he plans to marry Shen Te since she would be giving up her store and leaving everything behind to move to another city. Sun replies, “I’d be prepared to” (50). Shui Ta wonders why he doesn’t try keeping the tobacco shop with Shen Te instead because six months’ rent will earn much more than 300 silver dollars overall. Sun shows him the letter that promises a salary of 250 silver dollars per month. Shui Ta remarks that there is no reason that “his cousin” shouldn’t “follow the inclinations of her heart” (50) and agrees to sell the store. When Mrs. Mi Tzu arrives, Shui Ta asks for 500 silver dollars, having paid 1,000. Mrs. Mi Tzu tells him that Shen Te was cheated and offers 300 if they will be gone by tomorrow.

Shui Ta insists that they need the extra 200 to repay the old couple. Sun asks, “Is there a written agreement?” (51). There isn’t, so Sun claims that 300 is enough. Shui Ta agrees that the store does not owe money. Mrs. Mi Tzu can have the money for them the day after tomorrow, but she points out that they could make more if they were less impatient to sell. Aside from the 500 silver dollars for the job, they won’t have any money between them to travel or live in Peking. Sun tells Shui Ta that he has no plans to take Shen Te with him. Shui Ta asks Sun to leave the 200 silver dollars with him until he has two tickets to Peking. Shui Ta suggests that Shen Te will not want to sell the store when she learns that Sun plans to leave her behind. Sun replies that she will because she loves him and therefore cannot reason. Taking a box of tobacco and supplies, Sun tells Shui Ta that either he or Shen Te will deliver the rest of the money and leaves.

Mrs. Shin enters from the back, having heard everything, agreeing, “All of Yellow Street knows he’s got the girl completely under his thumb” (53). Shui Ta is distraught, exclaiming to Mrs. Shin that after crawling out of poverty, “One weakness and you’re finished. How are you to free yourself of all weaknesses, and especially the deadliest of weaknesses, love?” (53). Mrs. Shin tells Shui Ta that she will get the barber, and he will be a good match for Shen Te. Shui Ta does not respond so she leaves. When she returns with Mr. Shu Fu, the barber signals for Mrs. Shin to leave. Shui Ta tells Mr. Shu Fu that Shen Te is in danger because she has lost her store. Mr. Shu Fu responds, “[T]he charm of Miss Shen Te lies not in the goodness of her store but in the goodness of her heart” (54). The barber has watched Shen Te feeding the four people who show up at her door, and wonders, “Why can’t she feed four hundred?” (54). He has resources to help more homeless people and expresses hope that Shen Te will listen to his ideas. Shui Ta assures him that “she will listen to such high thoughts with admiration” (54).

Wang enters with the police officer. They are looking for Shen Te. Hoping to appease Wang, Shui Ta gives him Shen Te’s new shawl to use as a sling since “she no longer needs it” (55). Wang tells Shui Ta that Shen Te is the only witness to Mr. Shu Fu smashing his hand, and Shui Ta says, “I only know that my cousin wasn’t present when it happened” (55). Shui Ta pleads with Wang not to involve Shen Te when she has already lost everything. Wang is confused since Shen Te advised him to go to the judge in the first place. Shui Ta says, “Mr. Wang, it’s one of my principles never to meddle in the quarrels of my friends” (55). He bows to Mr. Shu Fu who bows back, and Wang says sadly, “I understand” (55). The policeman scolds Wang for trying to accuse Mr. Shu Fu with no evidence. They leave.

Shui Ta asks for Mr. Shu Fu’s forgiveness, which he gives. Once Shui Ta reassures the barber that Shen Te’s affair with Sun Yang is over, Mr. Shu Fu suggests that she go to the country to heal. They plan a dinner to discuss the details. Mrs. Shin offers her congratulations, and Mr. Shu Fu tells her that those who Shen Te has been feeding can move into his empty cabins. She leaves to tell everyone. Mr. Shu Fu addresses the audience, asserting that nothing untoward would happen between him and Shen Te. At dinner, they would only talk. Furthermore, he promises to exact revenge on those who “still dare to harm the reputation of the chastest girl in this city” (57). He asks Mrs. Shin about Sun and cuts her off, swearing, “He’s nothing. He doesn’t exist. He can’t be found, Mrs. Shin” (57).

Sun enters, looking for Shen Te and his money. Mr. Shu Fu tells him that he and Shen Te are about to announce their engagement, much to Sun’s surprise. Shen Te enters, and Sun confronts her. Sun admits that he might be a bad person, but that’s why he needs her. Sun asks her to come with him, and Shen Te relents, admitting to Mr. Shu Fu that she wants to go. She leaves an upset Mr. Shu Fu behind, telling him not to call for her cousin.

In the interlude, Scene Five-A, Shen Te addresses the audience. She is dressed for her wedding. When she left with Sun, they came across the old woman who runs the carpet store. Her husband is ill, and they need their money back. Shen Te promised to return the money much to the woman’s relief. Instead, Shen Te falls into Sun’s arms justifying, “[T]he gods wanted me to be good to myself too” (59). Shen Te is confident that when she tells Sun that the old couple needs their money back, he’ll agree.