Author: -

Abstract: »While the sexual assault of women is a common trope in popular entertainment, with rape being shown onscreen on shows as disparate as the violent fantasy series Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011-2019) and the sedate period drama Downton Abbey. (ITV/PBS, 2010-2015). While most narratives simply use it as a plot device. However, a few recent television shows have adopted a distinctly feminist perspective that challenge dominant cultural narratives surrounding sexual assault, rather than merely employing rape as a plotline.
I use an interdisciplinary approach to assess how both series illustrate trauma in a way that is true to the experience of the survivor, non-exploitative, and actively attempts to dismantle rape myths. This is accomplished by analyzing how each series illustrates trauma through tone, structure, characterization, and genre. The purpose of this analysis is to describe the ways in which each series resists the typical tropes used to sensationalize rape in media. I look at trauma theory to further contextualize how each series represents the psychological, emotional, and temporal dimensions of surviving sexual violence. I also examined feminist philosophy and theory, which allowed me to examine how each series represents the roles of power, gender, and the cultural narratives that shape how people perceive sexual violence, and used Stuart Hall’s framework to examine pop culture as a key site of power and hegemony, and Roland Barthes’ Mythologies (1957) to analyze how cultural myths are constructed and disseminated.« (Source: Thesis)

Contents:

	Abstract (p. iii)
	Acknowledgments (p. v)
	Introdutution (p. 1)
	Chapter One. The Myth of Safety (p. 12)
	Chapter Two. The Monster Myth (p. 25)
	Chapter Three. The Myth of Responsibility (p. 35)
	Chapter Four. The Myth of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (p. 46)
	Chapter Five. The Myth of Exploitation (p. 58)
	Conclusion (p. 65)
	Works Cited (p. 68)

Wikipedia: History of the Americas: History of the United States / Timeline of the history of the United States (2010–present) | Feminism: Feminist terminology: Rape culture | Television: American television series / Jessica Jones (TV series), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Sex and the law: Rape / Rape in the United States