The Rape Script

I found the rape script presented by Sharon Marcus troubling. I never enjoy reading things that take away the idea of human agency, because from my experience, while there are patterns that occur through our common socialization, human agency is an actor far more than scripts attribute it to be. It enlists people to play the part, to portray certain characteristics, and creates a solution to the problem. In this case, the parts are the weak and fragile feminine victim who will experience the rape, and the dominant aggressive male perpetrator who will execute this situation. For Marcus, this script can only be interrupted by a female character who is willing to speak up, and physically react in order to disturb the script that would continue to take place if the roles were followed. Yet the problem with this 'simple' solution of the feminine subject reacting to her aggressor instead of maintaining her passive stance, is that human actions sometimes do not act in the way they are 'supposed' to. 

For me, I see Marcus' understanding of rape as a script as an easy way to circumnavigate rape myths while also reinforcing them when they (the survivors) do not follow her solution to disturbing the script. I find Marcus' solution more so victim blaming then helpful in preventing rape. I am no longer ready to accept that rape, or anything in our lives, can be done according to a script, especially one so cis-heteronormative. 

The other day I read an opinion piece about how the author saw the way we interpret and create narratives around the after-math of sexual assault damaging. That, by creating only one narrative around how a victim must experience the aftermath of their assault, as well as how this must affect their behaviour. I would agree that this is damaging. While this narrative rings true for many people - and I am in no way trying to refute it, or try to say that anyone's experience is invalid, it is just that having one way to expect survivors to feel after their experience is limiting. It invalidates so many other situations, experiences, stories and feelings and again just creates another script. 

Society needs to let go of it's scripts and myths that build up, tear down, restructure and create what rape is supposed to look like. Rape is silencing enough without societal scripts boxing survivors in.