Character Analysis
Swiss Cheese doesn't have much in the way of a character. He seems identical with the description his mother gives of him in Scene III:
Honest, not dashing like your brother, and above all so stupid. (III, 40-41)
Of himself, he says:
I listen to what I'm told. (I, 286)
It's 11 PM. Do You Know Where Your Moneybox Is?
Swiss Cheese's main concern in the play is a moneybox entrusted to him by the Second Finnish Regiment. Sure, he could have just kept the cash once the Catholics invaded. But no-o, he is honest to a fault, and he tries to hide it in order to bring it back to his regiment later. Not only does he end up killed; he endangers his whole family.
Swiss Cheese symbolizes the virtue of honesty, for better or worse. We can compare Swiss Cheese to the figure of Socrates in the song sung by Mother Courage and the cook in Scene IX:
You heard of honest Socrates
The man who never lied:
They weren't so grateful as you'd think
Instead the rulers fixed to have him tried
And handed him the poisoned drink.
How honest was the people's noble son!
The world however didn't wait
But soon observed what followed on.
It's honesty that brought him to that state.
How fortunate the man with none. (IX, 119-128)
This verse calls Socrates "honest," but tells us that his honesty wasn't enough to prevent him from being executed. Now, Swiss Cheese does tell a lie, lying to the two spies about his relationship to Mother Courage. He's not exactly a "man who never lied." Then again, that's not really what Mother Courage means when she calls Swiss Cheese "honest." She means that he doesn't steal or cheat. And that honesty, as is also true for Socrates, is not enough to keep Swiss Cheese from having to pay the ultimate price.
Dying for Our, er His Sins
Finally, there is the whole issue of Swiss Cheese's execution. A number of things indicate that this execution is to be interpreted as an allegory for Jesus' crucifixion. We discuss this at length in our "Symbols, Imagery, Allegory" section. But now for the good part: what is the connection between Swiss Cheese and Jesus anyway?
Well, sorry to disappoint, but we just don't see one. Swiss Cheese's execution has nothing to do with Jesus. When Jesus dies on the cross, this is seen as an act of tremendous self-sacrifice. Jesus dies for the sins of all mankind. And then, he is resurrected and ascends to heaven. After Swiss Cheese dies, soldiers come and slash up his mother's wagon, charge her a fine, and send her off on her way.
What this allusion to Jesus does do, however, is remind us that there is no such thing as salvation for the characters in Mother Courage. Brecht fails to make Swiss Cheese into a Jesus figure, and he fails on purpose. Swiss Cheese's execution is a cynical re-do of Jesus' crucifixion, for a world in which Jesus's sacrifice doesn't seem to mean a whole lot anymore.
Wait, wait! On that cheerful note, don't forget to read our section on "Character Clues" for some insight into Swiss Cheese's name.