Mother Courage's economic dependence on war is the cause of her pathos and is the result of her socio-political context rather than individual hamartia. Catharsis is withheld because there is no purification. This is further developed through the lack of anagnoresis. Neither Mother Courage nor the society she lives in acknowledges their mistakes, so the audience is unable to feel cleansed. Instead of artificially eliminating and purifying the cause of suffering through catharsis, Brecht wants his audience to leave the theater wanting to eliminate and purify society itself. This socio-political action outside the theatrical world is the key idea behind Brecht's didactic aesthetics. This is supported by the use of the alienation effect, which "aliens" the audience and actors from the show as a means for critical thinking. Viewers are able to objectively view the critiques of society and politics within Mother Courage without cathartic engagement. Brecht retained catharsis throughout the text in a multitude of ways as a means to achieve his didactic aesthetic, which desired socio-political change in a world that places more value on profit than on being human.