The readings from this week were particularly indicative of women’s ongoing struggle to control their own lives, destinies and bodies. The topic of rape is all too familiar to young women like us and odds are many girls my age have friends or family members who have been victims of rape. Whitney Walker’s statistics, which say one in four women will be targeted for rape, reveals these violent sexual crimes as the most pressing injustice that faces females in society. It is perhaps naïve that I do not live in a state of perpetual fear of my male counterparts, because, as these readings have made obvious, rape is yet another all too common force which forces women into a state of fear and powerlessness.
Susan Brownmiller’s article was indeed very informative but definitely had some weaknesses. I thought it was very interesting how Brownmiller explored the analysis of rape over the years and used that to show the perpetuation of the patriarchy. The discussion of the Freudian inaccuracies (and the subsequent pattern for other researchers to follow in Freud’s footsteps) when it came to studying rape was a classic male-dominant misinterpretation of the subject. It was hard to comprehend the stupidity of the criminologist Dr. David Abrahamsen’s study of eight rapists—he ultimately concluded that “the sexual frustration which their wives caused is one of the factor motivating the rape” (277). This conclusion is an utterly nonsensical assertion which tries to blame females for the act of a man raping a woman. It truly sheds light on just how deeply entrenched patriarchical thought is in our world. It is sadly not a surprise that “she was asking for it” is the response many people have to this violent and inexcusable crime.
I did take issue with the author’s tone in this piece though, as she concluded that “rape is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear” (172). I would certainly agree that rape is an exercise of aggression and power but to distort the act itself into a male crusade to keep women down is both unfair and untrue. This is where Brownmiller’s feminism gets too caught up in itself and her statements blaming “all men” certainly serve to alienate any male reader and confuse her ultimate message. Furthermore her illusion to Myrmidons was just ridiculous; to say that police-blotter rapists perform these crimes for the benefit of all men in our society is not a very accurate view about the purpose of rape. Rape is weapon with the intent to harm, there is no doubt about it… but rapists as the “front-line masculine shock troops” for the all men campaign to keep all women in fear? Come on, Brownmiller, my dear old dad would not appreciate that.
Emily acknowledges that she does not live in a state of perpetual fear of her male counterparts. I, generally, agree with this statement. Particularly at Colgate, where I feel comfortable and know many of the males I surround myself, I do not generally fear that I will be raped. I definitely fear for my safety more in situations where I do NOT and/or have relationships with the men that are around me. However, the general concensus is that most women who are raped know their rapist. Perhaps we should not feel as safe as we do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily in that Brownmiller does make some broad man-hating statements that take her argument too far. I would be intersted in reading the rest of her book to really get a better handle on what exactly she is trying to get across.
Levy, as usual, generalizes and makes all high school girls sound like tramps with no self-confidence. There are plenty of accomplished young girls who dress appropriately and pride themselves on their accomplishments rather than how much attention they can gather from the opposite sex. I am beginning to get incredibly irritated with Levy, as I feel that she gives all women a bad name. Clearly this is not her goal, but her failure to give women ANY credit is getting old. However, she does bring up some very valid points. The hook-up culture, especially in high school but even in college, is very reflective of our patriarchal society. Levy quotes one high school girl who says that girls don't really have orgasms in high school, showing how desperate girls are to satisfy boys that they completely ignore their own satisfaction. This is also evidenced by the popularity of oral sex, but mainly oral sex performed on males. She also quoted a high school boy who said that boys would like girls no matter WHAT they wore. Some positive reinforcement from men of all ages that they are attracted to women who don't dress provocatively might go a long way, if this is true. But I am fairly certain that there is a substantial part of the male population that has come to expect women to dress in the way that our society has deemed appropriate, and that is what they have been trained to find attractive.
Morgan's article was incredibly disturbing and it's impossible to even imagine what she has gone through. It would be extremely interesting to listen to Morgan and Walker engage in dialogue and hear Morgan's opinions on whether she believes training like that which Walker has recieved would have helped her in her situations. If group rape is as common as the Brownmiller article states, it is very disheartening to think that a woman as confident in her ability to fight back as Walker is could be overpowered in a situation that involved more than one man.
I also don’t feel threatened by the presence of my male friends. I guessed we have developed a sense of trust but like Monica said one can never be too trustful because many times your close male friends are the ones that commit rape. While rape has not happen to me pr any of my family members sexual assault did happen to one of close female members in my family. She was touched on her behind and when she told me I was extremely furious and in rage. I always saw her so secure of herself and funny all the time when all of a sudden she was quite and did not talk anymore. Her strength and her happy spirit where completely gone. She would call me very often every time she saw a guy walking close to her. She was afraid to go buy groceries. It was until she told me and I went to her school to denounce this act of unwanted touch that she felt better and protected. She knew I was there and I gave her that security she needed. Now this was not as extreme as rape but it was an unwanted touch that was forced upon her. The scars are not as deep as Morgan. I can barely imagine what she went through. I feel that she is brave beyond measure because I do not think I would be able to make alive after that horrifying and life scaring experience. Rape and unwanted touch, however, have something in common they invoke fear. It is the feeling of insecurity and of powerlessness that makes any unwanted touch or rape scaring for life. Like Browmiller says in her book and Emily points out in her post, rape is way to keep women intimidated, powerlessness, and insecure.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad and scary to know that to be women means to have higher chances of being sexually assaulted or to feel powerless. Whether it may be the displaying of a men’s genitals or the unwanted touch, they are all distort the mind of female and keeps them in constant insecurity that is transferred to their social life, academics, jobs, etc. Women should be able to walk anywhere and know their bodies are not at risk of being possess by a stranger. This can make women move freely without the fear of men and assurance that their biological differences, as Brownmiller says, is not weapon that can be used against them but something they are proud and can enjoy.
Sexual pleasure is one of the main topics that Levy talks about. Levy points out that many times women do not have sex because they want to but rather because it is expected. They don’t enjoy their sexuality as they should but they use it as a tool to get recognition, awe and popularity. I kind of agree with Monica in that she sometimes generalizes man in a way that her message may be misinterprets and taken as offensive by men. But overall, I don’t think that’s her main purpose. She focuses on women owning their sexuality and not lending or making use of it for acceptance. Levy is concerned that young teenage women have sex to give pleasure but not to receive it. This again puts women as a tool for satisfaction rather than as a human being that wants to feel pleasure.
I agree with all of the above, I think its hard not to acknowledge that most rapes occur between a female and a male that is friends with. Yet, I will not go out and live my life in fear. I will be cautious about how much I drink when I am around men, be sure to drink only from a cup I saw get poured, etc. But yeah its sad to think that women must fear being around their guy friends. Its sad because clearly the reason for that is because guys take advantage of the trust that their girlfriends entrust in them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Missy, there are plenty of women who do not identify with the raunch culture. Levy seems to generalize that all women are as such, and being a girl at Colgate, I can tell you my class room full of girls in womens studies is a group of smart, accomplished girls who probably dont fit into Levy's mold.
Sexual pleasure, according to an article by Luce Irigaray "The Sex Which is Not One" she also argues that sexuality for women cannot be compared like sexuality is to men. In other words, she states that womens sexual desire and pleasure cannot be achieved through hetersosexual intercourse. Irigaray goes on to say that it is almost rape, whenever a man sticks his penis into the vagina and splits our organ in half. It should only be done for reproductive purposes. She goes on to say that the way for women to achieve the ultimate orgasm, freedom and completle pleasure is to engage in homosexual intercourse with other women. I am not sure if I agree or not, clearly she is a strong feminists, but the point could bring up some interesting debates. Are owmen truly ever satisifed from sex? Are we, really? Or do we just think we are. Levy believes that women give pleasure and dont receive it, and perhaps that is the case, I personally have definitley felt that a time or two.