In Ivan Bunin’s short story Light Breathing, Olya Meshcherskaya struggles to live with societal views of women and rape. Bunin briefly portrays rape as an evil act. In order to cope with this evil, Olya acts and dresses like the woman that her rapist has forced her to become. However, this further damages her emotionally because she faces societal consequences for acting beyond her years. She understands how society views her and uses this understanding to escape from the crushing pressures that she faces. Neither the man that kills her, nor the man that rapes her face any consequences for their actions because society believes that their actions are a result of her behavior. Olya exemplifies the consequences of societal perspectives of rape …show more content…
However, Olya tries two different methods to cope with her rape. In order to endure her loss of innocence, Olya acts how she expects a woman to act. This change may come from two different places of motivation. The first is that she is acting how society would expect a promiscuous young lady to behave. In her diary entry, she says, “never did she think [she] would be that kind” (Bunin 63). She knows exactly how society would view her if they knew that she was not a virgin, so she creates a persona that fits society’s expectations. If this is the case, it is only a temporary action until she can find the “one way out” through death. On the other hand, she could be acting like a woman in order to handle the situation maturely. She dresses like a woman because that is what she now believes that she is or what society expects her to be. From her father’s books, she learns what it takes to appear beautiful to men, particularly by practicing “light breathing” and having “arms longer than usual” (Bunin 65). Olya changes her behavior as a way to handle her situation. Perhaps, if she can act like a woman, she will be able to handle everything like an …show more content…
The principal scolds her for acting like a wealthy woman. According to Shannon A. Glenn and E. Sandra Byers in their study The roles of situational factors, attributions, and guilt in the well-being of women who have experienced sexual coercion,” society encourages Olya to “’look at [herself]’" for reasons as to why” Malyutin rapes her (201). The principal tells her that her appearance is her responsibility, suggesting that her appearance is something shameful and that society will consider the actions of those around her to be her fault because her appearance may provoke them. When Olya tries to defend herself by saying that she cannot control certain aspects of her appearance, the principal scolds her, saying, “Ah, that’s it! Not your fault… Not your fault how your hair is done, not your fault that you’re wearing those expensive combs” (Bunin 62). The principal says that her clothing is too “expensive,” however; Olya is dressing like a woman of high class, which, to some extent, is exactly what she is. The rant suggests that Olya’s appearance is her own responsibility, and that, should her appearance be the cause of unwanted attention, it is entirely her fault. The principal is telling her that she should not dress like a woman because men will begin to treat her as they believe they should treat a woman who acts the way that Olya does. She receives other messages from society,
This essay will examine Susan Estrich’s and Lois Pineau’s discussion on rape. Both contribute insights on our society’s negligence when it comes to the protection and justice for women. Estrich provides a peak into the legal system on how it determines rape. We will see that the law is shaped in a way that continues to oppress women and leave them unprotected. Pineau furthers the conversation on placing responsibility on the victim to prove the crime. She narrows her focus on date rape and raises an objection to the model of consent that shapes our culture’s attitude and our country’s law. Pineau proposes a communicative model of sex. From this proposal, I will conclude my essay with an objection of her model and will ultimately defend her model against such an objection.
Susan Brownmiller’s excerpt Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape written in 1975 explores rape. It argues that from the beginning of time men had an advantage over women because their genitalia can serve as a weapon, which, in turn, generates constant fear. “Rape provides a sufficient threat to keep all women in a constant state of intimidation, forever conscious of the knowledge that the biological tool must be held in awe for it may turn to weapon with sudden swiftness borne of harmful intent”(Brownmiller, 312). Females are subjected to the harsh reality of rape at a young age through fairytales such as Little Red Riding Hood. Stories like these emphasize how weak women are and how heroic, brave and strong men are. Susan Brownmiller believes that the way to destroy the idea that “you can’t thread a moving needle,” and “no women can be raped against her will” by spreading awareness about rape and how it is a moral wrongdoing and punishable under the
A lady is an object, one which men attempt to dominate. A man craves to get a hold of this being beneath his command, and forever have her at his disposal. In her piece “Size Six: The Western Women’s Harem,” published in 2002, Fatema Mernissi illustrates how Eastern and Western women are subjugated by the control of men. Mernissi argues that though she may have derived from a society where a woman has to cover her face, a Western woman has to face daily atrocities far worse then ones an Eastern woman will encounter. Moreover, Mernissi’s core dogma in “Size 6: The Western Women's Harem” is that Western women are not more fortunate than women raised into harems in other societies. Additionally, she asserts that though women in the Western world are given liberties, they coincide with the unattainable ideals of what is aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, to strengthen her argument towards her wavering audience, Mernissi’s main approach in her paper is to get the reader to relate with her issue by means of an emotional appeal, while also utilizing both the ethical and logical appeal to support her thesis.
Offred and a friend of hers were walking outside one day, saw a group of tourists and thought about how “[she] used to dress like [the tourists]” (Atwood 28). The tourists were wearing clothing and makeup such as skirts above their knees and red lipstick. Offred and her friend were fascinated and envious of these women. They couldn’t imagine themselves wearing clothes like the tourist were wearing. Even though they couldn’t imagine themselves wearing those type of clothes and makeup, they used to wear it in their past. Offred remembered herself going to the laundromat and putting “[her] own clothes, [her] own soap, [and her] own money” into the machines and “having such control” over what she used to do (Atwood 24). She doesn’t have that control over her life anymore. Some women, such as Aunt Lydia, feels that she should be grateful that she doesn’t have to do those things anymore. They feel that Offred is complaining about something that is actually a good thing. Society brainwashes these women into thinking that not having that kind of freedom is a good thing. Society also makes women think that they are just good for having children and sex. Therefore, women lose self-esteem because of the pressure that they are faced with on a daily basis. For example, in the story, Offred has low self-esteem. She “[avoids] looking at her body, not so much because it 's shameful or immodest but because [she doesn’t]
Once Orlando returns to the world of civility, boarding a ship to London in her new dress, she reflects upon the duties of a woman. She remembers that, as a man, she thought women were to be “exquisitely apparelled” but also “chaste year in and year out” (251). This upsets her as she is overwhelmed by the large effort she will have to put into her appearance only to get no reward. Orlando’s dilemma has been one that women have always faced: the balance of sexuality and modesty. Her society places heavy emphasis on marriage, wherein daughters vainly alter their appearance in hopes that they will use their beauty to attract a man of status. Consequently, they must also show modesty, not making a man want them too much, in order to preserve their image of purity. After losing her ability to be sexual, Orlando realizes that she faces many problems that she didn’t have as a man. In coming home after a long trip, Orlando returns to countless lawsuits because her sons are fighting for a property she can no longer own. Although Orlando “remained precisely as [she] had been” (220), her memories and ability the exact same, society deems her incapable of owning property. Orlando’s society would rather take everything from her than admit that her sex changed very little else about her ability and personality.
To start with, Bartky describes how women personalize men’s expectations in regards to their physical appearance, style, attitude and behavior, by using “internalization”. The author is trying to explain that women incarnate “patriarchal standards of bodily acceptability” meaning that have embodied the social standards; which make them feel guilty if they fail acting in accordance with the appropriate principles. Furthermore, women struggle to meet men’s expectations with the fear that if they don’t, they will face male refusal. ‘Male gaze’ constructs how women’s appearance should be according to what is more attractive and more appealing to men. It is also recognized from Bartky that women willingly accept what men want and the disciplines are forced to, but she also understands that the...
It is not a topic that is brought up often, especially at schools or at gatherings, yet it is crucial that everyone be educated, or at least informed on a topic that affects women every day. “Given that sexual violence continues to occur at high rates in the United States, it is vital that we understand attitudes and cultural norms that serve to minimize or foster tolerance of sexual violence” (Aosved, 481). Growing rates of sexual violence goes to prove that it is not taken seriously by many, especially when myths excuse the actions of the perpetrator and instead guilt victims into thinking they are responsible for the horrible act. Burt (1980), in her article titled, “Cultural myths and support for rape” attempts to make sense of the importance of stereotypes and myths, defined as prejudicial, stereotypes, or false beliefs about rape, rape victims and rapists- in creating a climate hostile to rape victims (Burt, 217). Examples of rape myths are such sayings as “only bad girls get raped”; “women ask for it”; “women cry rape” (Burt, 217). This only goes to prove that rape myths against women always blame and make it seem like it is the women’s fault she was raped and that she deserved it for “acting” a certain way. McMahon (2007), in her article titled, “Understanding community-specific rape myths” explains how Lonsway and Fitzgerald (1994) later described rape myths as “attitudes and beliefs that are generally
Zurbriggen, E. (). Rape, War, And The Socialization of Masculinity: Why Our Refusal To Give Up Was Ensures That Rape Cannot Be Eradicated. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34, 538-539
Many of the attitudes, beliefs, and mistaken ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as “women ask for it,” and “it would do some women good to get raped,” from a historical perspective, lead us for better understanding how they evolved. Women are still seen as the property of men, are protected as such. Men and women are still taught to occupy very different roles in today’s world. Men are usually more aggressive, and women are seen as passive. (Vogelman) This socialization process is changing, but slowly.
As the term “rape culture” grows in popularity, it is imperative to break it down to understand what it actually means. According to a report by the Marshall University Women’s Center, “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture”. Rape culture is supplemented by the objectification of women’s bodies, glamorization of sexual violence, as well as many other saddening realities in society. A sad outcome of rape culture in todays society is that women are often seen as the one at fault in rape. Commonly excuses are immediately made for them men, such as blaming the girl for being too intoxicated, blaming the girl for the way she was dressed, or even blaming the girl for speaking out about it at all. A perfect example of rape culture in the media took place in Steubenville, Ohio. A 16-year-old girl, incapacitated by alcohol, was gang raped by two high school football players who then shared photos of the assault on their social networking sites and with their friends. Immediately, mainstream news and media began to blame the victim saying she should not have chosen to get so intoxicated in the first place. The two boys were given the minimum allowed sentence of 1 and 2 years. This court case caused an uproar and a
This element in victim blaming coincides with the content of the Conflict Theory. The Conflict Theory looks at how in a country where a diverse group of people had different needs and ways of life the legal system only caters to the highly affluent. Those with the most money determine the norms of society even though they only make up roughly 1% of the population and anyone who does not comply with the set norms will be targeted. Compared to the groups who are considered normal those who go against societies normality will be subject to incarceration and criminalization (D’Alessio&Stolzenberg, 2003). When a black woman is a victim of rape and she has a strong and independent personality that is different from the gender norm decided by the 1% she is blamed for her attack and looked at as promiscuous because she is going against society. Because she is not submissive and dependent she is looked down upon and targeted by those observing who are complacent to the behavioral norms. A victim being blamed and victimized for her rape just because her personality and behavior is not what the wealthy have considered acceptable is and example in how the legal system gains control over the different
Many of the attitudes, beliefs, and mistaken ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as “women ask for it,” and “women secretly enjoy rape,” from a historical perspective, can lead us for better understanding how they evolved. Much stems back to the idea that women are still seen as the property of men, and are protected as such. Men and women are still taught to occupy very different roles in today’s world. Men a...
Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our individual selves, if we didn’t have the weight of gender expectations. ( Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie )” Taking a step back, it is clear that rape culture is not a part of our society that will change anytime soon. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize the role that we play in institutionalizing rape. We have become blinded by the presence of sex in the media and there is a lack of awareness in terms of rape in our society. This, in turn, has led to a belief that most rape crimes are more or less victimless. As a society it is time to enact change, promote truly equal gender equality, and create an environment where the victims are free from shame and
Rape is known as one of heinous crimes a person can commit to someone else. Even though US’s justice system recognizes that rape is a serious threat to women’s physical and mental safety as well as their autonomy, our justice system gravely fails to convict and persecute the perpetrators, making women vulnerable to these sexual crimes. Hence, many women, especially those who are victims of rape, live in fear, which seriously curtails their freedom of movement and confidence in everyday life (Chamallas, 2013). Not only our justice system fails to protect women from rape, but also our society’s skeptical attitude towards rape severely affects rape victims to come forward or report their terrible experiences. The general public views rape as a myth rather than as a fact, and believes that women cry rape just to get public attention, sympathy, and compensation from the perpetrators. Even if the rape did happen, most people still blame women for being irresponsible. Due to the lack of our justice system in convicting rapists and our society’s misconception of rape, the conviction rate of rape is very low even though it is a common crime in our country.
It is not uncommon in this day and age to hear someone say, “Well if she wasn’t dressed like that,” or “she was drunk and asking for it,” when you hear the unfortunate story of another girl being the victim of sexual assault or rape. It is likewise as common for these crimes to go unreported, due to the victims feeling they will not be believed, or become subject to further shame and humiliation. This is because of the idea of “rape culture,” a term coined in the 1970’s during the second wave of feminism. It suggests that the reason that these actions and concepts are so commonplace is because they are things ingrained into our collective psyches from a very early age. As a victim and survivor myself, I believe that this needs to change. The only way it will, however, is if we as a country take a stand now and put a stop to what perpetuates it further.