Ambiguous Empathy: A Character Analysis “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view”(Lee, Harper). In looking through the perspective of another, we learn to empathize with those around us. Many times, if ambiguities are presented, it becomes easy to assume the worst and express sympathy. Writers often utilize ambiguity to provoke empathy within their stories. Through the creation of pathos in the play, Death and the Maiden, author Ariel Dorfman successfully utilizes ambiguity to evoke pity for his characters, Roberto, Gerardo, and Paulina. It is important to look at this aspect of the text because it persuades readers to consider people’s past experiences and express empathy towards humans. Through
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Through the uncertainties regarding Gerardo’s position in the situation, readers are unsure whether to associate him with Paulina’s demise or empathize with his position as the helpless bystander. In the time after Paulina’s torture, she suffered mentally and required the attention of Gerardo. For this reason, readers express empathy towards Gerardo due to his great responsibility of caring for his paranoid wife and his failed attempts to calm her during Roberto’s capture. During a dispute over Gerardo’s new job as the head of commission, Paulina expresses her concern for him leaving, afraid her paranoia may relapse. He asks her, “are you criticizing me because I take care of you” (8)? Readers express empathy towards Gerardo as he has been constantly caring for his wife and potentially been held back in his career. When Paulina is interrogating Roberto, Gerardo winds up caught in the middle, and is amazed by his wife’s behavior. He tells her, “you’re unrecognizable” (26). He does not understand how his normally skittish wife can act so irrational and talk with such profound language. Dorfman successfully creates pathos for Gerardo by characterizing him as compassionate, yet vulnerable. As the story progresses, however, readers begin to question Gerardo’s true motives when he begins to help Roberto escape his allegedly …show more content…
Dorfman allows readers to know certain details about her past, but no concrete evidence regarding the guilty party. Due to this, readers are uncertain whether or not to express empathy for Paulina’s tarnished condition of life as a result of her ambiguously complex past. She has lived in a constant state of paranoia and distrust of men as a result of horrific crimes committed against her. For this reason, readers initially express empathy towards Paulina, as she is the victim of torture and rape. When Paulina is explaining her initial capture, she admits that she put up very little fight and should have screamed for help, stating that “if you don’t scream out that first moment, you’re already defeated” (58). This exemplifies her innocence and initial fragility when she was captured, therefore evoking pity for the exposed woman. This traumatic experience constantly torments Paulina, as she cannot forget an experience such as this. Her husband, Gerardo, prefers to move past the event, which Paulina is incapable of doing. When she is arguing with Gerardo during Roberto’s capture, Paulina remarks, “they tortured me. And what else? What else did they do to me, Gerardo?”, in which he responds, “they raped you” (35). This demonstrates Gerardo’s tendency to avoid the situation and Paulina’s haunting memories. Dorfman persuades readers to
Through the uncertainties regarding Gerardo’s position in the situation, readers are unsure whether to associate him with Paulina’s demise or empathize with his position as the helpless bystander. In the time after Paulina’s torture, she suffered mentally and required the attention of Gerardo. For this reason, readers express empathy towards Gerardo due to his great responsibility of caring for his paranoid wife and his failed attempts to calm her during Roberto’s capture. During a dispute over Gerardo’s new job as the head of commission, Paulina expresses her concern for him leaving, afraid her paranoia may relapse. He asks her, “are you criticizing me because I take care of you” (8)? Readers express empathy towards Gerardo as he has been constantly caring for his wife and potentially been held back in his career. When Paulina is interrogating Roberto, Gerardo winds up caught in the middle, and is amazed by his wife’s behavior. He tells her, “you’re unrecognizable” (26). He does not understand how his normally skittish wife can act so irrational and talk with such profound language. Dorfman successfully creates pathos for Gerardo by characterizing him as compassionate, yet vulnerable. As the story progresses, however, readers begin to question Gerardo’s true motives when he begins to help Roberto escape his allegedly …show more content…
Dorfman allows readers to know certain details about her past, but no concrete evidence regarding the guilty party. Due to this, readers are uncertain whether or not to express empathy for Paulina’s tarnished condition of life as a result of her ambiguously complex past. She has lived in a constant state of paranoia and distrust of men as a result of horrific crimes committed against her. For this reason, readers initially express empathy towards Paulina, as she is the victim of torture and rape. When Paulina is explaining her initial capture, she admits that she put up very little fight and should have screamed for help, stating that “if you don’t scream out that first moment, you’re already defeated” (58). This exemplifies her innocence and initial fragility when she was captured, therefore evoking pity for the exposed woman. This traumatic experience constantly torments Paulina, as she cannot forget an experience such as this. Her husband, Gerardo, prefers to move past the event, which Paulina is incapable of doing. When she is arguing with Gerardo during Roberto’s capture, Paulina remarks, “they tortured me. And what else? What else did they do to me, Gerardo?”, in which he responds, “they raped you” (35). This demonstrates Gerardo’s tendency to avoid the situation and Paulina’s haunting memories. Dorfman persuades readers to