The Death and the Maiden Book Analysis

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Recommended: Revenge as a theme in literature

Revenge is a fault many would admit to, due to the difficulty of forgiving someone from past experiences with them. Envision a young girl taking music lessons from an older, male, family friend a few blocks from her house. She was kidnapped and eventually tracked down several years later. The police gave up their search for the man, as too many years had passed. The young girl lived her teenage year’s recalling memories of the torture that was inflicted upon her in the past. Imagine being placed in this situation with this being your daughter, girlfriend or wife. After one reads Death and the Maiden, they will understand the atmosphere of torture, sexual knowledge, justice, and revenge. Seen throughout the lives of the three main characters was a similar atmosphere which this young girl was also put through. While observing the interaction of truth and injustice between Paulina, Gerardo, and Roberto one will see the effect that injustice from the past left on their present lives.

In the event that one may have the chance to get revenge after several years have passed, should that chance be taken? Should one return the inflicted pain upon the person that harmed them, or should one let it go and move on towards a better future? Paulina, a main character in Death in the Maiden, had a difficult time making the decision of either torturing Roberto to his death or simply letting him free (Dorfman 56). Roberto’s guilt is questionable as to whether he was actually guilty or if it was only Paulina still struggling to overcome the past (Dorfman 49). The author, Ariel Dorfman leaves the answer unknown, leaving a base for many questions regarding justice and revenge (Dorfman 68). While trying to come to terms with past life experienc...

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...ong was being played in a concert hall that Paulina and Gerardo had attended she notices Roberto is present (Dorfman 66). It is the music of Schubert that connects their lives and puts an end to their pasts. Was Roberto still an image in her head or did she become capable of creating a mask on him? Ariel Dorfman leaves the decision open, while there is no clear answer to Paulina’s final actions taken on Roberto.

Works Cited

Comer, Todd. “Knowledge.” Arts and Humanities: Writing the World. Defiance College, 7 March 2014. Lecture.

Dorfman, Ariel. Death and the Maiden. New York: Penguin Books, 1992. Print.

The English Standard Version Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.

The Shock Doctrine. Dir. Mat Whitecross and Michael Winterbottom. Perf. Ewen Cameron, Janine Huard, and Naomi Klein. Renegade Pictures and Revolution Films, 2009. Film.

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