Dialogue Analysis in The Young Girl and Death

Extract

[...] Paulina embodies a certain desire for purity and the refusal of compromises. Paulina expresses herself with a certain lyricism. We notice the recurrence of the first person, through the repetition of personal pronouns. 'And I can speak and it's been years since I don't say anything' this antithesis shows the cruel silence to which Paulina is subjected. She then repeats can speak'. She forces Gerardo to put himself on the defensive. Gerardo is more pragmatic, he understands Paulina's suffering but he thinks about preserving the honor of the commission he is part of, just like Miranda. [...]

[...] Let us now try to study the way in which these two opposing characters can or cannot find common ground. Gerardo also uses the imperative (grammatical procedure) to address Paulina, but more in the form of a supplication: 'Release this man, Paulina. Apologize for your mistake and release him ' He understands the irrepressible need to avenge Paulina, but he thinks it's a strategic mistake to try to confuse him. II - The Violence of the Dialogues The intensity of the dialogue between the two characters is marked by a recourse to a familiar and even vulgar register of language (lexical procedure): 'they can just go screw themselves', 'no one will screw themselves'. [...]

[...] The Young Girl and Death, excerpt - Ariel Dorfman (1991) - What is the importance of dialogue in this excerpt? [...]

[...] You look ten years older'. She uses a pleonasm when talking about the 'true truth' to better show bitter irony towards these institutions ready to hide the truth if it can tarnish their reputation. Gerardo then uses a metaphor (stylistic procedure) to explain to Paulina that she is still 'locked in this cellar'. He also speaks to Paulina without restraint. These characters opposed in their vision of the world but united by a love that seems passionate and deep maintain a very violent dialogue in all logic, they tear each other apart with very rough and unrestrained words. [...]