A Comparison and Contrast between the Theme of Revenge in The Visit and Death and the Maiden - Essay Example

English Devangini Mahapatra Chauhan A Comparison and Contrast between the Theme of Revenge in "The Visit" and "Death and the Maiden" 25th of August, 2006 To begin with, it would be imperative to introduce both pieces of work as dark fairy tales of sorts where both the protagonists are thrown into situations where they have to suddenly wake up from their idyllic lives to great distress and even trauma. This element underscores the revenge plots of both these works that can be called 'tragi-revenges'. The Visit, by Friedrich Durrenmatt, unfolds in an impoverished village called Guellen in Switzerland. The story goes on to show how the people of this village are gearing up to present a great pomp and show of a welcome for Claire Zachanassian - a lady who had left the village for more prosperous shores years ago; a lady the villagers hardly remember. Claire was now believed to be returning to make a million pound donation to a village hungry for any kind of monetary gain. What the villagers do not know is that the person behind their state is Claire herself, who had actually left the village upon being betrayed and left with a ruined reputation by her lover, Ill. Claire then went onto marrying and widowing exceptionally well before she used her multimillions to ruin the village. Among an eerily commanding disposition, a misshapen entourage and several artificial body parts among other eccentricities in her general demeanour, Claire was remembered for a long time afterwards by the villagers for a chilling offer. Upon reaching her old home town, Claire the multimillionaire, agreed to part with a small fraction of her fortune at the condition that someone should first murder Ill, now a happily married shopkeeper. Revenge 2 The story then goes onto explore the shades of the vehement refusal to this offer by the mayor and the villagers alike, as well as the elements revolving around the fact that they are, at the end of the day, a very desperate lot, who begin to consider the proposition before them that can very well better their lives. This creates an air of 'will they, won't they', as a highlight in the plotline as it progresses from that point onwards. It makes for a fascinating portrayal of the internal struggle of the people of Guellen as they live their desperate lives and consider what it would take to improve their condition as Durrenmatt proceeds to demonstrate the changing emotions of Ill's family, friends and acquaintances with surprising insight and in frightening detail. This brings us to the next piece of work - Death and the Maiden, by Ariel Dorfman. More on the lines of a thriller, this story is one full of dramatic shades and a very strong moral element. The central character, Paulina Escobar is the wife of a prominent lawyer in an unnamed third World country. Paulina lives with Gerardo (her husband) in a desolate coastal setting. At the very onset, readers note Paulina's agitation concerning a news bulletin about the presidential appointment of a human rights commission charged with investigating abuses by the previous regime. According to the report, her lawyer husband has been appointed committee chair. The remainder of the story concerns victim, physician, and husband of that oppressive period who through strange circumstances are brought together during the night. The turn of events leading to this is such. One day a storm forces her husband to ride home with a neighbour - only to kick up an inner storm of sorts. That chance encounter brings up demons from her past, as Paulina is convinced that the neighbour Revenge 3 (Dr. Miranda) was part of the old fascist regime that tortured and raped her, while she had been mercilessly blindfolded. The story essentially centers on Paulina Escobar, who had been a political prisoner during the oppressive period, only to be tortured by her captors. After gaining her trust by treating her kindly and playing a tape of Schubert's Death and the Maiden, Dr. Miranda, a physician cruelly participated in the abusive treatment of his powerless victim. Gerardo Escobar, then her boyfriend, now her husband, had been the editor of the underground newspaper and target of the absolutist regime. In spite of the torture she endured, Paulina did not disclose his whereabouts and, in effect, saved his life. Paulina's revenge mechanism includes taking him captive to determine the 'truth'. Paulina is torn between her psychological repressions and sombre memory, while Gerardo is torn between his wife and the law. Dr. Miranda, on the other hand, is forced to endure captivity while husband and wife seek out the uncertain truth about the clouded past. In this regard, Death and the Maiden may be valued as a dramatic work that examines the psychological repercussions of human rights abuses. Apart from issues of power, vulnerability, ethics, and trust, the story is about communication. The radio bulletin, for example, transforms Paulina by igniting the past and altering her behaviour. The men engage in a conversation about women that is offensive and inappropriate for a husband to tolerate; from a physician, whose language and references are coarser, it is outrageous. As the mock trial begins, it is clear that Paulina and Gerardo have not discussed the details of her torture: he did not know details about the sexual assaults and the specific tortures performed by the physician. Revenge 4 This night, therefore, is revelatory. When the physician is dragged to the edge of a cliff, viewers see the role of the torturer reversed. About to be pushed to the rocks below, he confesses by describing the slip he made from the ethos of caring to a sadistic enjoyment of power over her vulnerability. Those who find the confession forced and the conclusion ambiguous are, nevertheless, drawn into the uncertainties of Dorfman's provocative drama. To begin drawing comparisons, it would be important to start out by reflecting on the element of irony in both tales. Both characters, vulnerable and simple, are dragged into mental turmoil only to emerge as avenging phoenixes. The contrast here can be struck in the fact that while Claire from The Visit was playing mental games and making devils of emotional fools of the unassuming inhabitants of Guellen, Paulina of Death and the Maiden is more the gun yielding sort. Also, in spite of the obvious distortions in her personality, Claire is not one to get swayed too easily by emotions - she has a strong hold on herself and the course of action that she has envisioned for herself, which constantly steers her. She can be called the more stable one. Pauline, on the other hand, with all her buried emotions, leading the life of a happily married housewife, is more dangerous in her insecurities and consequent instability. Here, a similarity can be struck in the fact that they have both been driven by a breach of trust and betrayal at a paranormal level - they are both thirsty for revenge in their own way. Both the stories have power as the force that underscores the protagonists' activities. While Claire has her money and a hold over the aspirations of a desperately poor village, Pauline has a hold over her powerful husband's bank balance - his mind. She is Revenge 5 seen to direct him to assist her in torturing and breaking a man who ironically, committed the same crime that the husband and wife duo so emphatically fight now - breach of human rights. While her psychological problems bring out the psychotic in the otherwise sober and calm Pauline; Claire, who seemed the most likely candidate to take fate and a gun in her hands, played it cool and safe. Further, reputation and mental peace seems to be of utmost importance to both protagonists, yet in different ways. While Claire cannot forget the trauma of a stained reputation as she goes about planning her revenge for years, Paulina bottles up her feelings at being tortured and traumatised for no fault of her own, only to come up with an impulsive plan for revenge when faced with a 'blast from the past'. Revenge is the highlight of both plotlines from start to finish, as are elements like silence of the characters who are bidding the time when they will get their chance to extract retribution for their pain, as well as the distinct ironies as the character building and plotlines progress deep into the stories. This is where the revenge mechanisms are shown in different lights, to complement the intensely different protagonists. END Sources Cited Page 1. Durrenmatt, Friedrich. The Visit. Random House, 1962 2. Dorfman, Ariel. Death and the Maiden. Plays, Penguin, 1994 Read More