“Rape” by Adrienne Rich was published in one of the first major volumes of feminist poetry, Diving into the Wreck, published in 1971-72, early in the movement. In this seminal volume, Rich addresses one of the key issues of the movement, violence against women and additionally, in this poem, rape jurisprudence as it isolates and degrades victims of sexual violence.

In her poem “Rape,” Rich depicts a rape victim reporting the crime in a precinct to a male cop from the victim’s neighborhood, as she states, “ [he] is a prowler and father…from [the victim’s] block” (lines 1-2). Rich utilizes the cop in the poem to personify the justice system as an unsympathetic and mechanical entity that criminalizes victims for being raped. Rich states, “his hands type out all of the details…on a machine and file[s] it in a file.” Rich creates an impersonal tone through the machinery imagery and the repetition of the word “file” as it insinuates that to the justice system all cases are the same and to be handled in the same automated manner. Rich describes the cop as a “warlord among the trash,”  with his, “ideals [standing] in the air…between his unsmiling lips” and possessing “machinery that could kill you” (7-10). This imagery underscores the lack of sympathy within the justice system and the fear it invokes in the victims of sexual violence. Her description of the cop as a “warlord among the trash” also underscores the tyrannical power that the justice system has over the victims and that the victims of sexual violence are lowly trash that don’t amount to anything. Rich continues to write, “you have to confess to him [the cop] you are guilty of the crime of having been forced” demonstrating that the outcomes of rape cases are almost predetermined as the justice system has created and supported a rape culture that criminalizes and blames the victims. The justice system puts victim’s characters on trial and lets rapists walk on the basis that it was not a crime, but rather it was a misunderstanding, or the woman was “asking for it.” Estrich writes in her article in “The Yale Law Journal,” that a verdict in cases of rape, “shifts from whether the man is rapist to whether to woman was raped. A verdict of acquittal…signals that the prosecution has failed to prove the woman’s sexual violation-her innocence- beyond a reasonable doubt”(pg 110). Rich calls attention to this pattern of sexism within the justice system and highlights that, due the ambiguity of the definition of rape in law, the interpretation and verdicts of rape cases are decided on the basis of the male standard of sex and appropriate female behavior not the victim’s story. Furthermore, Rich demonstrates that current rape laws enforce male aggression and contributes to the issue of rape leaving victims isolated and afraid.

Throughout her poem Rich uses the second person “you” to call attention to, as well as to connect with, the myriad of other rape survivors to construct a space and joint consciousness where women and other survivors can feel safe and understood. The repeated use of “you” is indicative of how intimate and personal the discussion of rape is and invites others to join the dialogue; Rich insinuates that rape will never abolished in silence but insists that the current nature of our justice system, as evident in her poem, has created a culture where victims are afraid of coming forward. Rich writes about the cop, “you hardly know him but you have to get to know him: he has access to machinery that could kill you. He and his stallion clop like warlords among the trash” (6-8).

The poem “Rape” by Adrienne Rich was published as a part of her book of poems titled Diving into the Wreck in 1971-72.  In her poem Rich depicts the story of someone reporting their rape to a male cop and highlights the corrupt and sexist nature of the justice system.

Additionally by including all readers, not only women and victims of rape, in the “you” Rich invokes a strong sense of pathos. Rich forces the readers into the shoes of the victims in hopes that they better understand how truly helpless and afraid victims are.  Not only the the rape occurs but also when they confront the misogynistic justice system. Rich writes, “And so, when the time comes, you have to turn to him [the cop], the maniac’s sperm still greasing your thighs, your mind still whirling like crazy. (11-13). Rich uses the second person to draw the readers into the story and then utilizes evocative and shocking language, “the maniacs sperm still greasing your thighs,” to force the reader to confront the horrifying realities of rape. Rich uses visceral imagery to expose how traumatizing these proceedings are for the victims as they are forced to trust and confide in this unsympathetic “warlord”[cop].

Rich ends her poem with the use of anaphora stating “and if, in the sickening light of precinct, and if, in the sickening light of the precinct” (27-28). The emphasis falls on the word sickening as it creates this again this visceral imagery that makes the reader recoil. Additionally, the two words in the phrase “sickening light” exist in contrast with each other. as light typically insinuates hope, freedom, or a sign that you are going somewhere better while including the descriptor “sickening” creates an uncomfortable dissonance that is indicative of the criminal justice systems treatment of rape. One would like to believe that the justice system is there to protect and support victims of sexual violence but as illustrated in her poem Rich exposes that faith in the justice system is misplaced and present rape law is only further contributing the issues at hand.

Work Cited

Rich, Adrienne. Diving into the Wreck: Poems, 1971-1972. 1st ed. New York: Norton,    1973. Print.

The article “Rape” by, American feminist and lawyer, Susan Estrich was published as a part of the 1986 issue of “The Yale Law Journal.”  This journal has “been at the forefront of the legal scholarship, sparking conversation and encouraging reflection among scholars and students, as well as practicing lawyers and sitting judges and Justices” (Yale Law Journal). [more context]

In this article calls attention to the sexism in rape law as a current and pressing issue stating, “sexism in the law of rape is no matter of mere historical interest; it endures”(1091). In the context of rape legislature Estrich discusses the ambiguity of words like “force” and “consent” and the notion these definitions are still in great part determined by the victims actions and response during the rape itself which leads to the victim being put on trial and taking the focus off of the rapist who actually committed a crime. Estrich writes, “the victim of rape may not be required to resist to the utmost as a matter of statuory law in any jurisdiction, but the definitions accorded to force and consent may render ‘reasonable’ resistance both a practical and legal necessity” (1091). As Estrich continues to write, “in the law of rape, supposedly dead horses continue to run” (1091). Estrich uses that bold imagery to demonstrate her strong resentment of this standard in law that puts the blame on the victims for not resisting in such a way that satisfies the court. The continuation of these legislative practices usher on a rape culture of victim blaming and violence against women.

Additionally there was no clear definition of rape in law during this period, leaving key concepts involved in rape decisions like “force” and “consent” discussed in this article to be defined by the male dominated criminal justice system and the patriarchy’s understanding of sexuality. “where differences between male and female perspective [about sex] may be most pronounced” (Estrich pg 1091).]  As Estrich writes, “because the crime involves sex itself, the law of rape inevitably treads on the explosive grounds of male aggression, and female passivity” (1091). Traditional standards of heterosexual relationships strongly impact interpretation in rape cases but due to the male dominated justice system cases of rape are analyzed through the lens of the male standard of those relationships.

Work Cited

This Article titled, “An Open Letter to the Anti-Rape Movement,” by radical and socialist feminists, Robin McDuff, Deanne Pernell, and Karen Saunders, was published as a part of the feminist periodical Second Wave volume 5 no.1 in 1977.This periodical was designed to be an accessible resource, so that all women, regardless of socioeconomic status, could be kept informed about current issues in the political and social spheres. The hope being that this awareness would create a joint consciousness that would educate and help women feel like they could exercise autonomy over their own lives.

This article examines the issues of rape during the second wave of feminism and serves as a critique of the anti-rape movement’s relationship to the justice system. This article exposes the staggering failures and sexist foundation of the criminal justice system in cases of rape and insists that a “strong revolutionary local movement” outside of legislative reform is the only way to abolish rape. During this period many anti-rape groups evolved from labeling themselves as feminist groups, whose goal was dismantling the sexist justice system, to identifying as “service groups” for rape victims who believed they and the justice system had a common purpose to “get rapists off the street”(11). The authors contest this change writing, “attempts at ‘good relations’ with the criminal justice system have seemed to co-opt our movement and have led to the belief (or hope) that the criminal justice system can solve the problem of rape. Yet, the sexist nature of the justice system only makes the problem worse” (11). They continue to say “sexist attitudes (and actions) cannot be legislated away. Legislation does not exist in isolation; even ‘good’ anti-rape legislation (and it isn’t clear what that would be) will be ineffective in a sexist society that encourages violence against women” (12). These women promoted alternative solutions to combat rape that did not include legislative reform or working with the justice system initially. Although the end goal of the anti-rape movement is the creation of effective and beneficial anti-rape legislation and the abolishment of rape, these authors call attention to the fact that criminal justice legislature currently is only amplifying the issues involved in rape and this won’t change until the root causes of rape, like sexism, are dismantled.

“An Open Letter to the Anti-Rape Movement” by Robin McDuff, Deanne Pernell, and Karen Saunders was published in 1977 as a part of the volume 5 no.1 issue of the feminist periodical Second Wave.

This article promotes the idea that attempting to combat rape through the present justice system by encouraging more women to go through the courts ignores the totality of the issue of sexual violence as women experience violence and harassment to a varying degree every day and this will not be prevented by mere legislation (12). They propose that the “answer to the situation is not to try to prosecute all cases (which is impossible and impractical as well as useless) but to work on creating more alternatives for people in their lives” (12).  They highlight that even when a rapist is prosecuted the prison systems “are incapable of changing rapists… male sex roles, violence, and power relations which lead to rape in the first place are strongly reinforced (in prison)… prisons don’t deal with the roots of the problem, they only add to the cause” (12). Not to say that rapists should not go to prison, but that all aspects of the criminal justice system require staggering revolutionary reform.

The authors conclude their article by emphasizing again that in order to abolish rape the anti-rape movement should first, “work on community education, and on developing practical alternatives [rather than legislative] that deal with both the symptoms and the root causes of sexism and violence” (13). They offer four practical alternatives to combating rape within the community. First they encourage women to group together and discuss strategies and ways in which they can look out for each other in the community and domestic spheres. Secondly they urge a joint effort in being active bystanders so when people hear someone call for help, or see someone who looks like they are being hassled they are active in responding or getting help. Next they call for the publication of decriptioms and identities of individuals who rape, harass, or assault so those men/women lose anonymity and women can better protect themselves and others. Lastly they state that the community should support the confrontations of victims with their assaulters outside of the justice system if the survivors chose to do so. A confrontation allows the victims to “be active and powerful in a situation in which it is safe for her be so” which is different from reporting a rape “where the woman’s role is a passive one[out of no fault of her own]”  due to the unbalanced power structure present in the justice system(13). These are practical solutions that are meant for anyone to be able to implement in their lives with the hope that a community effort will urge the effort toward more permanent reform. This article illustrates the ways women used publications to raise awareness about the uncensored truth of rape in order to educate women and help them become active in combating violence against women in their everyday lives.

Work Cited

Elana Dykewoman, et al. “The Second Wave.” Second Wave, The, vol. 5, no. 1, The                                          Second Wave, Inc., Mar. 1977, pp. 1–60, https://jstor.org/stable/community.28044449.