Rape as a Plot Device

[lucybond]

It's come to my attention this week that rape, or attempted rape, is allegedly a kick-ass plot device in the arsenal of the modern writer. I've got a few things to say about that...

Comments

[50_ft_queenie]

*applause*

[ghost_girl]

"but in reality, there isn't a set number of people you have to kill before your pain goes away."

OMG YES THIS. Awesome article. :D

[elnigma]

Plus, women often get much of their curves as a young teen - so just how young is smaller Lara supposed to be? eww

[lucybond]

She looks about the same age to me, in the promo pics. They're denying it even more heartily now.

[melody_rossiter]

I agree that it is lazy plot that has the power to really upset a whole subset of people who have been raped. And, as I like to mention, men can and go get raped.

I think rape as a storyline is tired. I'd like to see a story where a man tries to rape a woman, and instead of becoming powerless, she beats the living fuck out of him. And that's it.

[melody_rossiter]

It's lazy altogether. I do think that rape needs to continue to be a discussion in our society, but not as a form of entertainment.

I am a very picky movie-goer (and television watcher). I want to be entertained by the sheer wit and cleverness of the characters I am watching, or it's crap. I want plot that isn't all the same. And it. Is. ALL. THE. SAME.

Or, perhaps I have watched/read too much and I'm just really jaded.

[lucybond]

The only fictional rape survivor I've seen lately who I had any belief in was in season 5 of Dexter, and there were still a lot of fantasy-style-recovery elements to her story. At least they took it slowly. Sorry, I'd absolutely love to discuss it, but hate giving spoilers.

[maymorning]

Well done! This is why I will not read the "Girl with the dragon tatoo" series or any of the Scandinavian novels currently being pushed. They seem to feature far too many women being murdered in really quite unnecessarily nasty ways. In fact there's a nasty taste about the whole thing.

It's also part and parcel of the gloomy hero who has lost his wife before the plot begins, or nowadays, is divorced. I hate it!

[lucybond]

To be fair, like the trope in which kids run wild on holiday without their parents, or teens run wild at uni, it's just a plot device to get the guy on his own without dependants. At least we know his wife probably won't be held to ransome by a bad guy later in the series. Probably.