Abstract: »The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the representations of sexual violence in revisionist rape-revenge through the category of shame. Selected cultural texts are discussed: the series "Beartown" and the film "Promising Young Woman". As a starting point oppressive nature of shaming survivors in rape culture is juxtaposed with the possibilities for use of shame offered by the revisionist take on revenge in contemporary rape-revenge. Research questions address the varied ways in which shame functions in the context of sexual violence as revealed in the analyzed examples, and whether shame can also enable resistance for the subjects shamed within dominant narratives. Chapter one introduces the concept of rape culture from the perspective of feminist theorists, the role of popular culture in negotiating the social meanings of sexual violence, the significant tropes emerging in film representations, and the characteristics of the rape-revenge genre. Chapter two discusses the category of shame in humanities research, from its links to identity, exclusionary stigma, through the role of shame in gender role production and the silencing of survivors, to its transformative potential and feminist strategies based on shame. Based on the above, in chapter three analysis of the examples is conducted, demonstrating that in addition to the critical representation of slutshaming and victim-blaming mechanisms, they also reflect on the shame underlying the production of hegemonic masculinity and on the potential for change through shame, whether in the form of "chafing" accompanying privileged male protagonists or by reciprocation of the shaming gaze by the female protagonist. At the same time, the limitations of such a strategy are revealed, corresponding to problematic aspects in the contemporary discussion following #MeToo.« (Source: Jagiellonian University Repository)

Wikipedia: History of Europe: History of England | History of Europe: History of Sweden | Film: Fiction about rape / Beartown_(novel), Promising Young Woman | Sex and the law: Rape / Rape in England, Rape in Sweden