Critical Analysis Of 'Death And The Maiden' By Ariel Dorfman

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Recommended: The pinochet era in chile

Death and the maiden is a drama that shows a physiological thriller with a moral message, written in 1990 by the Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman. The author based his work on an episode of Chilean history, Pinochet`s coup d’état, when human rights were violated by the authorities causing suffering in the population.

The theme is the right to administer justice on victims. Thus how such justice can be provided without getting more conflict between the victims and the members of present government, who are trying to cure the injures produced by the dictatorship. The play differentiates the filings of a victim Paulina, against those of her husband, Gerardo, who is a member of a special commission formed to investigate the crimes made by the dictatorship, and a third character Roberto whose presence triggers Paulina's memories.

The aim of this essay is to answer, how the text could be read and interpreted differently by two different readers. On one side the play interpreted from the point of view of a reader that supports Paulina's position and a second reader who supports Gerardo's way of thinking. The position of the readers can be justified by the knowledge …show more content…

but I’m not dead, I thought I was but I’m not and I can speak, damn it—so for God’s sake let me have my say…” Paulina’s dialogue with her husband shows her feelings of distress towards her suffering and the way she has kept everything for herself and she is in a constant turmoil. The readers feelings of identification with the character`s physiological injuries, transmits the anguish of the victim. Thus the reader can develop a sense of empathy that allows him/her to understand Paulina’s

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