St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • English (School of)
  • English
  • English Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • English (School of)
  • English
  • English Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • English (School of)
  • English
  • English Theses
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

A second violation : rape myths in contemporary, popular British and American writing; and, The Alden case

Date
2014
Author
O'Hara, Shannon E.
Supervisor
Burnside, John
Metadata
Show full item record
Altmetrics Handle Statistics
Abstract
This thesis and related work of fiction explores the representation of rape in contemporary British and American writing, with a particular focus on the use of rape myths in narratives about sexual violence. It evaluates how this crime is portrayed in popular literature through the analysis of three works of fiction by two bestselling authors: Joyce Carol Oates and Jodi Picoult. It also examines newspaper reporting through the analysis of three news events – one in the U.K. and two in the U.S. – that received a significant amount of coverage from an assortment of newspapers. Literature and newspaper reporting contribute to public views of rape as well as cultural attitudes towards women. People may reference rape narratives as they form opinions about sexual violence, therefore making it crucial that these acts are portrayed accurately. This thesis will examine the vehicles that frame the discussion of sexual assault. It will focus on the way each author depicts the victim(s) and perpetrator(s) and assess how the type of rape – whether date, gang, or stranger rape – affects its representation. It will also reveal if contemporary British and American writing has tried to disprove misperceptions and accurately depict sexual violence or if it continues to propagate myths.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Embargo Date: 2024-05-27
Embargo Reason: Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Print and electronic copy restricted until 27th May 2024
Collections
  • English Theses
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/11383

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter