I really liked how this article was structured. The way that each paragraph started with, "Rape culture is..." was very compelling and showed how angry the writer felt about this topic. As a woman, I definitely feel as though I can relate to this topic, especially the paragraph where McEwan describes what women and girls have to be careful about. My mom was always very careful with my two sisters and I and always taught us to be just as safe as she was, just as McEwan describes here; be careful what you wear, how you wear it, how you carry yourself, where you walk, when you walk there, with whom you walk, whom you trust, what you do, where you do it, with whom you do it, what you drink, how much you drink, whether you make eye contact if you're alone, if you're with a stranger, if you're in a group of strangers, if it's dark, if the area is unfamiliar, if you're carrying something, what kind of shoes you're wearing in case you have to run, who's around when the delivery guy comes. Honestly, all of that scared the crap out of me but it's true in today's society, you never truly know who you can trust until you get to know someone. Sadly.
-Nicole
Thanks for highlighting that portion of the McEwan essay. I think your post points to the negative consequences of rape culture for all women, whether or not they actually experience violence. Think of all the work and vigilance we put into staying "safe."
ReplyDeleteI have the same experiences with my mother and grandmother. Growing up I was always warned about boys, everyone used to tell my dad he would have to by a shot gun! It was funny when I was little cause everyone always laughed at it but looking back now its kind of scary that people thought my dad had both police my sexuality but also protect it in those measures.
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