Since the beginning of history, women have been mistreated and antagonized by the opposite sex, and still, in modern society, women do not receive the same respect given to men. Ariel Dorfman's play, Death and the Maiden, tells the story of one woman's stuggle for her independence, respect, and understanding in a world dominated by men. Paulina, the sole female character in the play, is constantly fighting the two males, Gerardo and Roberto. Being outnumbered from the start, one assumes that Paulina has less power and control than the men do, yet being the only female in the play has not left her weak and docile as is expected. The situation she is placed in hardly causes her to hesitate in her never-ending quest for understanding and trust from her husband, Gerardo. Through the perspective of the men, Dorfman emphasizes the reality that women are frequently disrespected and patronized like overemotional, illogical children. Although he depicts the men as overbearing and obstinate, Dorfman also indicates that a person's way of thinking can be changed for the better if given the opportunity. .
Dorfman presents the men's initial way of thinking in the opening scene. Gerardo immediately attempts to play on Paulina's emotions in an endeavor to place himself in a superior standing. When he arrives home from a stressful day of work he relieves his tension by complaining about an inadequate tire: .
And do you know what any normal man does when he gets a flat? He goes to the trunk and he gets out the spare. If the spare isn't flat too, that is. If his wife happened to remember to fix the spare, right? (1.1.41-43).
First, Gerardo tries to alleviate stress by placing blame on Paulina. His style seems innocent in the beginning, giving the impression that he is telling an anecdote, but he skillfully slips in that the fault was hers alone. After Paulina asserts herself and tells him that he was supposed to fix the tire, he makes a half-hearted effort to change and finish the discussion: "I"m really not in the mood for arguing" (1.
