Death and the Maiden Style and Form

Definitions Realism Expressionism Absurd

Realism An artistic representation that shows something as being accurate or true to life

Expressionism A style of playwriting and stage presentation stressing the emotional content of a play, the subjective reactions of the characters, symbolic or abstract representations of reality, and non-naturalistic techniques of scenic design.

Absurd Theatre of the Absurd Something being “out of harmony” Plays that stress the illogical or irrational aspects of experience, usually to show the pointlessness of modern life. Samuel Beckett, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Eugene Ionesco, Edward Albee, and Harold Pinter have written plays of this kind.

Authors and playwrights make deliberate choices in how they present their material to readers and audiences. In the theatre, playwrights make very specific choices regarding the language they use, the stage directions and also format of the play. These style choices are designed to add extra meaning to the play for the audience, essentially adding layers of meaning to the words on the page. When a play is performed, it is the job of the director and actors to display or interpret this style to add even further meaning. Watching two different versions of the same play, the audience may leave feeling differently about its outcome. It is our job as literature students to unravel and analyse these layers of meaning.

Style in Death and the Maiden The play is essentially a realistic play, until the final scene when it becomes expressionistic. The mirror to the audience aims at evoking emotions from the audience not realism. The mirror is also non-naturalistic. It is not a part of the set (the Escobar home).

The ending The play is not fully realistic. Some critics have suggested that there is no solid resolution to the play, because the social issues presented in the play will never be resolved.

Some critics have linked Dorfman’s play to the absurdist style Some critics have linked Dorfman’s play to the absurdist style. The absurdist style highlights the irrationality and pointlessness of life. When we see Dr Miranda at the end of the play described as having a “phantasmagoric” – or ghost like glow, this is a form of expressionism. It is unreal and highlights and emotional perspective. Whether or not he is really dead, he is at least emotionally dead to Paulina. Perhaps it could also be seen as absurdist. Whether or not Paulina has killed Dr Miranda, it highlights the irrationality and pointlessness of life. Dr Miranda will never publicly be seen as guilty, so in society’s eyes, Paulina’s actions are pointless.

Find three examples of realistic aspects to the play, and explain why they are realistic. Identify two examples of expressionism in the play. Explain how they are expressionistic techniques. Discuss why you believe Ariel Dorfman included them in the play.