In the play Death and the Maiden, Ariel Dorfman uses symbolism through the characters and their actions to reflect aspects of corrupt Chilean society that Dorfman himself experienced. Act II, scene I illustrates the symbols quite well, with the troubled and unjust Paulina, the professionalism and tranquility displayed by Gerardo, and the unfortunate situation in which Roberto finds himself. All of these represent different elements of Chilean society which has long been a dictatorship. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Dorfman uses the character of Paulina to represent relentless power and inexorable control. Dorfman achieves this by having Paulina play the role of judge or dictator who rules over society. Paulina's character coincides with the idea that all power and control rests in the hands of the corrupt government. Dorfman does this by having Paulina perform certain inappropriate or harsh actions to get what she wants and gain complete control. Paulina isn't always completely unfair, but she's always in control. For example, she tells Gerardo that she will “give him all the time he needs to speak to Roberto, in private” (Dorfman 31). Dorfman shows here that Paulina appears reasonable, but in reality her motivations might be nothing more than simply trying to appear sane to Gerardo after being harsh in her words and physically brutal towards Roberto. Later, to show her dominance, largely due to possession of her gun, she "puts the gun to [Roberto's] head" and asks "who are you threatening?" (32). Because Paulina suffered torture and mistreatment, she feels the need to “bring [Roberto] to trial” (34). The "trial" is quite unfair because she constantly treats Roberto brutally and will only accept a confession - even though that may not be true - but with all her power and decision-making ability, no one can oppose her. She even has command over her husband, Gerardo, ordering him to remove "Roberto's gag" and not letting Gerardo free Roberto (31). Like a judge, Paulina has complete control over the decisions made. Like a dictator, Paulina sees no need to follow the law, telling Gerardo that if Roberto is truly innocent, "then he's really screwed" (42). Dorfman symbolizes the corruption that resonated within the Chilean government and the Chilean society he lived in through Paulina's harsh and authoritarian actions and dialogue. Paulina symbolizes power and control over her weaker subjects, directly reflecting the imbalance of power in Chilean society. Dorfman further uses character symbolism through the character of Gerardo to represent an element of the Chilean government and society of a Chile that he lived in for a time in his own country. life: fairness (or at least the desire to have it). Dorfman expounds the concept of fairness in society in the character of Gerardo as the lawyer who represents the people, the man who can be counted on to be fair and impartial. Essentially, Dorfman presents Gerardo as a fair lawyer who defends the accused and serves on the commission charged with investigating criminal acts, especially those that result in death. Gerardo treats Roberto the same way, as if he were a regular customer, stating that "even if [Roberto] committed genocide daily, he has the right to defend himself" (31). This demonstrates the great..