Death and the Maiden and Punishment are literatures that talk about women who have suffered in their lives, but in the end make choices that made them happy. These two literatures explain the power that women can bring through control. Paulina and Chandara come from two different countries and backgrounds, but very similar when it comes to completing a goal in their life that they need to achieve. Chandara and Paulina are two women who seem weak at the beginning of the story and the game, but when they set a goal they become strong and wise in the decisions they make. One of the main themes that occurs throughout Death in the Maiden and Punishment is control. Control is defined as dominating or commanding something or someone. In Death and the Maiden and Punishment, Paulina and Chandara take control of their lives and decide how to live them without anyone telling them how to live their lives. Chandara possesses self-realization when she discovers that her husband does not really care about her and begins to make her own choices and have self-respect towards herself. Furthermore, Paulina knows that she wants Roberto to tell the truth that he raped her. With Roberto saying he raped her, she will feel free and more confident in herself after knowing she heard what she wanted to hear. Additionally, one main thing that affects the women in Death and the Maiden and Punishment is the way their country runs the government. . Death and the Maiden is set in Chile; in Chile the government was governed by a military dictatorship, but years later it became a democratic state (Gascoigne). Even though Chile became a democratic state, women did not have the power or control to do as they pleased. For example, in Death and the Maiden, Gerardo tells Paulina to bring Roberto to... middle of paper... control of what she wanted in life as well as Chandara. These two women also have similar cultures. For example, Chandara would serve as a traditional wife, cook and take care of children. Paulina was also a traditional wife, they had no children, but she still cooked for Gerardo and cooked for him when he came home. In conclusion, control is seen as a factor of power in Death in the Maiden and Punishment. Paulina and Chandara are considered an inspiration to many women, because many might be in the same situations they were in and not know what to do, but Chandara and Paulina were able to do things their own way and had control over their lives . Paulina and Chandara were outcasts in their country when it came to justice and laws, but that didn't stop them from believing in what was right and getting justice from the actions of others.