I have to disclaim that I am speaking as a survivor and not a literary critic/sociologist/etc, so I am likely biased. However, when they are done well, I actually really like stories about rape recovery that don't focus on the survivor, for the same reasons that sholio mentioned above. I find it really interesting to read stories from the perspective of a rape survivor's loved ones, because it both gives me insight into what my loved ones have gone through, and it gives me a new perspective on my own experiences/allows me to view the crime from a perspective other than that of the survivor.
I also disagree that an effective/sensitive rape recovery story needs to focus on the survivor/survivor's perspective, for a couple of reasons:
a. The story of a rape survivor and the story of their loved ones are...two very different stories. They share themes (e.g. grief), but they aren't the same. The story of the rape survivor is usually one of violation and damaged trust; feeling or being ostracized/isolated; and slowly learning to feel safe and comfortable again, among other things. The story of a survivor's loved ones, however, is a story that is focused more on survivor guilt and guilt over the inability to protect another; possible reactive feelings of paranoia and overprotectiveness; the struggle of trying to deal with your own emotional needs and the survivor's without making the crime all about you; and again, there are many other issues as well. I think both stories are very much worth telling, and a piece of fiction isn't necessarily insensitive for focusing on one story and not the other.
b. Sometimes a fic about a rape survivor's loved ones can actually tell a story about the experience of a rape survivor without entering the survivor's perspective. In my experience there is a huge parallax between the survivor's perception of their own state of being/behaviour after the attack, and the more objective reality of how they are. For example, a survivor may think that they are acting friendly and chirpy and "fine" and concealing all their trauma, whereas the survivor's loved ones perceive the "fine" behaviour as robotic and zombielike and worrisome. A writer wanting to advocate for survivors can also potentially tell the "loved ones should not make the rape All About Them" story in an enlightening and sensitive way by telling it through a loved one's POV, too - possibly more effectively than through the survivor's POV.
c. Lastly, from a purely technical standpoint, I think that if a writer who is not a survivor wants to write a story about rape recovery, they can often do it a lot more effectively and sensitively through a loved one's POV than they can through a survivor's POV. I think it is very, very difficult for someone to accurately and sensitively tell a survivor-POV story of rape if they have not been there themselves - it is an experience that is so idiosyncratic and separate from normal human experience that very few non-survivor authors can capture it. However, the experience of being a survivor's loved one is more universal - still very extreme and particular, but it is easier for a non-survivor to put themselves in the shoes of a loved one's POV, because the experience of loving someone and being horrified at what has happened to them/frightened for them/etc is...again, more universal. If a non-survivor feels the need to tell a rape recovery story, I actually think I would prefer them to write a story focusing on the loved ones rather than the survivor, simply because I would rather read a heartfelt and effective loved one POV story than yet another fic that appropriates the survivor POV in order to tell a cliche, off-the-mark story that reads like a wikipedia article.
I hope all of that makes sense. All of that said, however, I am obviously talking about rape recovery stories done well; there are, of course, many recovery stories in the world that are poorly done and exploitative and depressing.
It makes such complete sense that I've been sitting here since you posted it having Thoughts that are primarily about how much sense it makes. Thank you again.
I also disagree that an effective/sensitive rape recovery story needs to focus on the survivor/survivor's perspective, for a couple of reasons:
a. The story of a rape survivor and the story of their loved ones are...two very different stories. They share themes (e.g. grief), but they aren't the same. The story of the rape survivor is usually one of violation and damaged trust; feeling or being ostracized/isolated; and slowly learning to feel safe and comfortable again, among other things. The story of a survivor's loved ones, however, is a story that is focused more on survivor guilt and guilt over the inability to protect another; possible reactive feelings of paranoia and overprotectiveness; the struggle of trying to deal with your own emotional needs and the survivor's without making the crime all about you; and again, there are many other issues as well. I think both stories are very much worth telling, and a piece of fiction isn't necessarily insensitive for focusing on one story and not the other.
b. Sometimes a fic about a rape survivor's loved ones can actually tell a story about the experience of a rape survivor without entering the survivor's perspective. In my experience there is a huge parallax between the survivor's perception of their own state of being/behaviour after the attack, and the more objective reality of how they are. For example, a survivor may think that they are acting friendly and chirpy and "fine" and concealing all their trauma, whereas the survivor's loved ones perceive the "fine" behaviour as robotic and zombielike and worrisome. A writer wanting to advocate for survivors can also potentially tell the "loved ones should not make the rape All About Them" story in an enlightening and sensitive way by telling it through a loved one's POV, too - possibly more effectively than through the survivor's POV.
c. Lastly, from a purely technical standpoint, I think that if a writer who is not a survivor wants to write a story about rape recovery, they can often do it a lot more effectively and sensitively through a loved one's POV than they can through a survivor's POV. I think it is very, very difficult for someone to accurately and sensitively tell a survivor-POV story of rape if they have not been there themselves - it is an experience that is so idiosyncratic and separate from normal human experience that very few non-survivor authors can capture it. However, the experience of being a survivor's loved one is more universal - still very extreme and particular, but it is easier for a non-survivor to put themselves in the shoes of a loved one's POV, because the experience of loving someone and being horrified at what has happened to them/frightened for them/etc is...again, more universal. If a non-survivor feels the need to tell a rape recovery story, I actually think I would prefer them to write a story focusing on the loved ones rather than the survivor, simply because I would rather read a heartfelt and effective loved one POV story than yet another fic that appropriates the survivor POV in order to tell a cliche, off-the-mark story that reads like a wikipedia article.
I hope all of that makes sense. All of that said, however, I am obviously talking about rape recovery stories done well; there are, of course, many recovery stories in the world that are poorly done and exploitative and depressing.
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I hope all of that makes sense.
It makes such complete sense that I've been sitting here since you posted it having Thoughts that are primarily about how much sense it makes. Thank you again.
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