Death and the Maiden - Essay Example

As reviewed, the New York Times reveals that her story was influencing a life magazine account for a tabloid psychopath known as the pied of Tucson. In the review, Oates speaks of an earlier draft story with a rather too explicit title death and the maiden (Rubin and Larry 50).

Despite Oate's intriguing comments regarding her original title and the German engraving, scant attention is to give the other remarks explaining the early draft. Rather than explore the fatal attractions of death, critics tend to debate about whether Arnold's friend is a symbol of Satan or psycho pathetic killer or whether the story takes place in a real-world or a protagonist's mind. Critics cannot seem to decide whether Connie has seen the devil, or simply been seduced and murdered by a psychoanalytic intruder.

While these have merit they leave the reader with too many unanswered questions, why should a girl who willingly sacrifices herself for the family is condemned? If Arnold is not a supernatural figure but a psychopath tic killer, why desolate he does not simply abducts Connie when she declines to go with him?

The question has never been answered satisfactorily; following Oates’s cue by interpreting film in relation to the death of the maiden may provide insight into the story. However, Oates gives the fatal attraction of death and the maiden overtones of the erotic romance of a particularly American overtone that soon becomes violent. Death is usually, a frame that explains the dance and where it is in an eschatological context: the dying is to be judged, although death and maiden have a life of their own as a literary and artistic motif. Basel paintings represent a finely dressed, long-haired young lady who is gazing into her mirror when she is sized by a running male figure.

Initially, Arnold's friend is nothing more to Connie than a mirror for her vanity, and by the fact that Oates wears metallic spectacles that mirrored everything in miniature. If Arnold's friends intend to represent the death figure from the ancient dance of death, it is not surprising he resembles not only a seducer but a devil and a trickster. Christa explains the mask worn by the dead figure reflects in some way the living person intends to lead to the grave. Such illustrations suggest a guise that assumes that death is a projection from the mind of the other victim (Rubin and Larry 57).

Connie’s destination is not a place, but its union with death, she indicates that when she first sees him was in a restaurant. Christine realizes he appears older than he appears. His conduct becomes increasingly stranger and more threatening he ultimately fails to entice Connie, when she notices the white horror beneath the mask. As a seducer, he seems to make Connie’s union with him, or put it in another way, he consistently sabotages the smoothness of the transition by revealing his otherworldly look. He promises to come inside with her reflecting the flagrant nature of death. She threatens to call the police, he tells her he is not going to come out to him. Christina observes once he arrives in the house, and the delineation of space becomes a matter of crucial concern. He suggests that she knows perfectly what he is capable and, but he refuses to acknowledge his identity. Many critics assume that Connie is indeed to die but when away with him and Ellie who will rape and murder her. She chooses to be alone and dry her hair, and it s with her eyes closed in the sun, she then moves into the house and sits on her bed, and listens to soft music. At this point, she seems to have undergone an abrupt change, the half real-world material fact becomes to Connie. This reflects the death of the two. She starts to distance herself from the neighbor believing the dead can have nothing to do with her (Rubin and Larry 134).

However, Oates breaks away from the conventional morality of the nit teeth century. Once Connie stands before she had made the decision to save her family. He responds to this decision by praising her for her courage (Rubin and Larry 145).