This first-ever study of rape in modern American drama examines portrayals of rape, raped women and rapists in 36 plays written between 1970 and 2007, the period during which the feminist movement made rape a matter of public discourse. These dramas reveal much about sexuality and masculine and feminine identity in the United States. The author traces the impact of second-wave feminism, antifeminist backlash, third-wave feminism and postfeminism on the dramatic depiction of rape. The prevalence of commonly accepted rape myths—that women who dress provocatively invite sexual assault, for example—is well documented, along with equally frequent examples which dispute these myths.

Davida Bloom is an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Music Studies at the College at Brockport: State University of New York.

Davida Bloom
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: 18 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7035-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2371-9
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Preface  1

Introduction  5

One: ­Second-Wave Feminism and

Dramatizing Rape  13

Two: Rape Myths and Rapists  25

Three: Female Rage  65

Four: Antifeminist Backlash  96

Five: ­Third-Wave, Postfeminism and

the Commodification of Rape  114

Six: Female Rage Revisited  139

Conclusion  157

Chapter Notes  167

Bibliography  179

Index  197