I Hear, Therefore I Know: Post-Dictatorial Traumatic Expression and Death and the Maiden

This essay discusses the themes and motifs in Ariel Dorfman’s play Death and the Maiden and attempts to situate them within a constellation of Southern Cone post-dictatorial traumatic expression, including Jacobo Timerman’s testimonial and the 1986 film La historia oficial. The essay argues that not only the specific themes (such as justice, trauma, and revenge in the wake of state-sponsored crimes) but also the historical and demographic context confer upon these works an important place in the growing field of Latin American Jewish literature.