Rape is a form of sexual assault without the consent of the victim. This definition has changed over the course of history especially for legal reasons and other considerations such as gender, mental, and physical incapacity to deny the act. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, rape is “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any
body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another
person, without the consent of the victim.” The reason for this clarification was for those who cannot distinguish the thin lines this act treads. The clarification is needed to specify what is not generally known to be considered rape. The fact that the definition does not include how demeaning, disrespectful, and disgusting shows how wrong the act is. Rape is and never will be the right thing to do.
One of the main themes of Rene Steinke's novel, Friendswood, is the subject of rape. This theme is aimed towards one of the characters in her novel, Willa Lambert. Willa is a freshman in high school with a religious background. She has a crush on Cully, a popular senior at her high school. With the intent of sleeping with her, Cully invites her to a house party in the middle of the day and introduces her to alcohol for the first time that day. Though she wakes up later in the day without remembering any details, the blood stains on the empty bed she wakes up on, the pain between her legs, and the word "slut" written on her body are enough to explain the happenings of that party. Nobody is actually aware of what happened. Dex is present at the party for some time and though his reasons for leaving are questionable he is not truly aware of what happened. The woman at the house finds her in a questionable state, yet she does nothing to assume the worst has been done to her. Rumors spread around the school and the administration offer "help", but again who can truly stand up for Willa?
At this point in the novel, Willa cannot speak for herself. Though she cannot remember in full detail, she is aware of Cully's actions. Those who wish they could stand up for her cannot and usually would cannot speak for her. One cannot fully blame nor expect Dex for not speaking up for her because what more could her say. Her family and Dani are not even present at the time to defend her. The only people who can truly stand up for her are the people who knew she was raped and of course her rapist, Cully. There is no one else to blame but them an they are the only ones who knew the exact details.
The only way Willa can get her justice is if someone stands up for her. Those who should stand up for her should be her witnesses and her rapist. Cully needs to own up to his actions and not put the blame on her.
