There are several recurring themes in the novel, such as revenge, justice, betrayal and the past controlling the present.
Past controlling the present:
· “’But unless I settle my account with them, life will have no taste, because I shall not forget the past.’” (pg. 183)
In this statement, the audience learns just how much burden Said feels when reflecting on the events that occurred in the past. We can see a similarity between how Mahran feels, to the way that Paulina expresses herself in Death and the Maiden. Therefore, it leaves the readers to wonder, how far will Said go in order to relieve himself from the stress from the past? Will he go as far as Paulina, torturing her captives? Or, will he succeed in completing the actions Paulina failed to do, by killing his tormentors?
Revenge/Betrayal/Justice:
This chapter in the novel is dominated by the action of Said attempting to rob Rauf’s house. The very actions that Said completes in this chapter support the remaining three themes of revenge in this novel. After feeling that Rauf is a traitor to Said’s way of life, the protagonist attempts to infiltrate and “relieve [him] of a few worldly goods.” (pg.183) Here, Said feels as if he is doing himself justice, by retaliating towards Ilwan’s betrayal. This emphasizes the importance of these themes, as these three recurring ideas drive the plot, specifically Said’s actions. This leads us to wonder, do these recurring ideas depend on each individual? Basically, is it right to the do the wrong actions for the right reasons? For Said, I believe that this is not the case.
Tags: Betrayal, Death and the Maiden, Justice, Past controlling the present, revenge, themes
