Death and the Maiden: Analysis, Themes, and Key Quotes

Power Dynamics in Death and the Maiden

Power is defined as a possession of control, authority, or influence over others. Power inequities have been in existence throughout the history of humanity, and the ways of manifestation have evolved from extreme to subtle oppression. This idea can be seen in Death and the Maiden, written by Ariel Dorfman in 1990. In Death and the Maiden, the protagonist, Paulina, wishes to take revenge on someone she believes tortured her many years ago. Paulina finds herself feeling powerless within a society which sees women as something to be conquered. Through the use of sexuality and force, characters attempt to gain power and assert themselves within society; however, whether or not they reach their goals depends on what issue the characters wish to solve: an issue with society or an issue with themselves.

Context and Overview of the Play

Death and the Maiden is a moral thriller about a woman, Paulina, who believes that a stranger who comes to her home is the doctor who, under a military dictatorship, tortured and raped her many years before. (The play's title is taken from a piece of music by Franz Schubert; Paulina loved the piece but grew to revile it when it was played repeatedly during her torture sessions.) Dorfman began writing the play in the mid-1980s, when he was in exile from Chile, a country under the rule of the military dictator General Augusto Pinochet. It was not until Chile's return to democracy in 1990 that Dorfman returned to the play and “understood ... how the story had to be told.”

Writing Techniques and Dramatic Devices

• Ellipsis (...) and Dash (–): Represent the interruption and disruption of dialogues.
  • Metaphorical level: Democracy has been interrupted; Paulina’s career and life have been disrupted by torture.
  • Relational level: Reveals the complicity between the characters and highlights that they know each other intimately.
  • Thematic level: Symbolizes taboo, moral uncertainty, and sustained dramatic tension.

Key Symbols in the Play

• The Cassette Recorder: Represents documentation, capture of truth, confession, and the manipulation of testimony.
• Music (Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”): Represents beauty turned into trauma, classical culture juxtaposed with state terror, and psychological conditioning.
• The Gun: Functions as a phallic symbol and represents the masculinisation of Paulina: she “imitates a man’s voice,” uses stereotypical masculine language (swear words and imperative commands), and subjugates Roberto (“bitch” and placing panties in his mouth).

Key Quotes and Character Dialogue

“We lied to each other out of love. He deceived me for my own good. I deceived him for his own good.”

“Forget, no; but forgive so we can start again.” – Gerardo

“People can die from an excessive dose of the truth.” – Gerardo

“Be as precise as you can.” – Gerardo to Paulina

“There can be no worse punishment than what is imposed on me by the voice of my conscience.” – Roberto Miranda

“The only thing that would make this day truly perfect... to kill you.” – Paulina

“I could not live in peace with myself and let you live.”

“I’m going to kill you because you haven’t repented at all.” – Paulina

“What more do you want?” – “The truth, Doctor.”

“On and on and on... isn’t it time we stopped?”