Black Water: Voiceless Victims

A detailed Summary of Black Water: Voiceless Victims

Voiceless Victims: A Woman in a Man's World

Carol Oates invites readers to consider an issue many would rather avoid, because Kelly is someone easy to identify with; she could be our daughter, sister, or even ourselves. Kelly, a young, intelligent, woman, in Oates' novella, Black Water, explores the affect a male dominated society has on the upbringing, life, and eventually, the death of the woman. She is not only the physical victim, but also a victim of social attitudes and perpetuated gender scripts. Kelly is the product of a misogynistic world that not only leads to her death, but, also, to her ambiguity as a person. Kelly represents all the women who are overshadowed and led by the men they admire down paths that result to their demise.

Based on a true story of Mary Jo Kopechne, Kelly represents a woman of obscurity. By this I mean her name and life are never brought out accurately or long enough for the public to have a collective sense of who she was; her name was never a household word. Her name is eventually forgotten, and her life was never known. Newspapers mentioned her name here and there, deeming her an "unworldly" and "unsophisticated" woman. The reader does not learn anything of who and what she was; sh

As a young woman Kelly grew up in a male dominated society that has been reinforced by the men in her life: the Senator, her previous lover, her father, and other members in her family. As a child, and in following the footsteps of her mother, Kelly views women, as objects for men's enjoyment. At one point the Senator scoffs the idea that a woman could not be a "political animal" that they would quickly find it boring. That politics were the "war" of male-egos, something woman could not understand. Kelly tries to defend a woman's position, knowing her stance is important, but soon gives in to the intimacy between her and the Senator, and eventually loses her thought. The Senator holds no real interest in anything Kelly has to say. Different times in Kelly's life, such as her childhood eye surgery meant to correct a lazy eye that her parents deemed abnormal, and later, her problems with anorexia, suggests not only her need to be the perfect "all American" girl, but to fulfill the wishes of her parents as well. Her parents taught her that a perfect, pleasing, woman that was the only type acceptable. At one point Kelly's inability to attract a man made her feel as if she had failed in life, as if it was her mission to be physically attractive to the men around her. Her mother applauds and preaches the strength of men. She teaches Kelly to respect, never talk back to, or insult men. She enforces the idea of a fairy tale life that a man could provide for her. She encourages Kelly to have faith in a man whole-heartedly. Kelly is taught through her parents, media, and the society in which she lived, to follow the "rules" that we so often teach young girls everywhere, even today in an age of supposed equality.

Kelly, an intelligent girl, loses herself in men. Within the first six pages Kelly thinks to herself, "because he wants me to: he insists". She is afraid that if she does not do as he says there will not be a later for them. Kelly, a strong woman, cannot find the will to fight the gender scripts she has been taught, and is afraid to disagree with the men in he

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Approximate Word count = 1401
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels