Take Control
Camille Paglia writes the article, Rape and the Modern Sex War, which is about young women being vulnerable in todays society against rape and how feminism has mistakenly led women to believe that they arent in any danger. Paglia states her opinion to women because she believes that women are vulnerable and should be aware of the pervasiveness of rape (83) all the time. Rape has been around for hundreds of years and the effects it has on women are life long terrifying memories. Paglia speaks to women saying that they should be ready for these situations and not be with a group of guys alone, always be with other girlfriends, and learn to take feminism out of the picture and realize that women will always be in danger.
In Paglias article, which I believe is a critical opinion informing women of her beliefs on sexuality, speaks mostly to college women and women in general because she believes that women should be prepared for sexual situations without consent in all circumstances no matter who they are. This is her first step in arguing her point of view on feminism, which I agree with. She wants her audience to see her point that a womans actions can also be held accountable in some rape situations. When a woman is by herself with a group of men getting drunk, she has put her own self in a very risky situation because she is drunk and has no control of herself and the likeliness of rape is very possible.
Paglia believes that a woman should always have control of her actions all
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the time and not to blame men for it is biologically programmed in their heads that they hunt, pursue, and capture, and this is said throughout their sex history (83-84).
The second part of Paglias argument is how she thinks misinterpretations are the womens fault and I disagree with this point because women can walk and talk just as men and are not always to blame for being the victim. Paglia believes that feminism doesnt see that sexual desires can be seen in how we act which means that these desires throughout our body cannot always be verbally said and this is where the miscommunication between the two sexes causes a problem. She thinks that when a woman makes a mistake she should face the consequences and learn from her mistakes.
Her assumptions toward the end of the article are swayed away from her main point stressed to women and I disagree with her point here because this isnt consistent to what she is trying to say.Running to a certain authority is not the definition of a strong woman, says Paglia referring to her Italian philosophy that existence brings about confrontation (84). She wants women to stand up for themselves and when a man makes a rude remark about a womens sexuality they should deal with it then and there.Paglia uses an example from the movie Where the Boys Are when talking about feminism because the movie takes place in 1960 and is about women anticipating and defending themselves against horny men.
Its victim is lured into a room full of guys not seeing what is about to happen and says that actions are often not perceived correctly and this is where the different sexualities are noticed (84). This point can be argued because the media blows things out of proportion and this evidence isnt really evidence because it
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lacks reality and is an opinion of Paglias.Paglias final assumption in her essay is geared toward both sexes and how we must prevent rape as a society. Men and women must come to certain identities, which are somewhat similar but are easily distinguished according to Paglia in my point of view.
When a man has sex with a girl it is said that he is entering manhood. When a woman menstruates she is becoming a real woman and she wants women to know that sex can be fulfilling or it can be a terrifying experience. Paglia thinks that women should be know the power of sex and not pity themselves for being involved in an uncontrollable self - inflicted situation. She believes that society is protecting women against rape but the understanding must be there for this to be the case. Rape is a violent crime but society is not the enemy (84). I can argue with this because our justice system doesnt always see the subject of rape serious enough and that is to blame for the increasing number of women raped in college, excluding the new date - rape drug.
Men and women should be self - protective of themselves because a mans sexuality may or may not be similar to that of a womans but the woman should take charge in seeing the sexuality in a man. Women can also be in this perspective and the same for men goes as well, Paglia states.
Paglia uses an interesting example when she describes a woman fighting back in a sexual confrontation.Boy: Nice Breasts, Girl: Shut up you jerk and go back to the barnyard where you belong. This can be taken many different ways, but I viewed it as a man taking this personally by his house being a barnyard and this is what many feminist women think about men, being barnyard dogs. The comment is stated with an attitude,
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which is firm and not a self - pitying one, which many feminist women possess, Paglia states.
Paglia didnt use any key terms or metaphors in her article, but she uses the word feminism many times showing that men and women have equal rights, but in truth this is not correct. Men and women have some equal rights, but women are looked on as a lower standard when compared to men, and I believe this will never change.Paglia uses different examples throughout the story and puts her thoughts into an informative essay that explains that women should be aware of what they do and learn from their mistakes regarding opposite sexual tensions and that actions arent always spoken but are acted sometimes because of her belief that there is that implanted part of a man which can be dangerous, which Paglia thinks is just part of a mans identity. When a woman realizes the subject of rape and feminism is not thought of, two identities can be identified and with self control and awareness both a man and a woman can have a relationship in which each partner takes full responsibility of his or her actions.
