Sarah Kane’s play "Blasted" shows a high amount of cruelty with the homosexual and heterosexual rape as well as the sucking out of Ian’s eyes, who is one of the main protagonists. The heavy use of imagery and action in these plays combined with its focus on dialogue distinguishes Kane from other dramaturgists in the 1970s-90s. Using the depiction of violence on stage, Kane forced the audience to break through the veil of apathy created by the media's insensitive portrayal of cruelty in order to subvert gender norms and the heterosexual patriarchal authority through performance on stage.
"Blasted" is not only a play about rape but also a representation of gender in the 1990s. Though, in how far can the play itself be seen as a story where rape is dealt with as an act of gendering? To answer this question in the following term paper, the term rape as portrayed in the play will be dealt with by analyzing where and what the different rapes in Blasted are and finally, a conclusion will be drawn about the connection of rape and gender and what consequences this entailed in the 1970s-1990s.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Historical outlook of feminism in the 1970s -1990s
3 Different forms of rape as portrayed in the play
4 Rape of females and males in the 1990s
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The academic paper examines the depiction of sexual violence in Sarah Kane’s play "Blasted," specifically analyzing how the work challenges traditional gender dynamics and the representation of rape. The study aims to determine whether the play serves as a commentary on the loss of feminism or as a broader exploration of power structures during times of war and patriarchal conflict.
- Analysis of rape as a tool for challenging gender norms.
- Representation of both female and male victims in the context of "in-yer-face" theatre.
- Evaluation of how the play shifts the focus from victim-blaming myths to structural power abuses.
- Examination of the interplay between war identity and sexual violence throughout the 1970s and 1990s.
Excerpt from the Book
3 Different forms of rape as portrayed in the play
“Kane represents how incidents of rape highlight, exacerbate, and solidify the unevenness of power distribution between men and women in the modern world and provides a new perspective on what we might call “rape in general” (Zhurba p.2). Therefore, by vividly portraying the physical rape of a woman onto the male body, Kane introduces a new dimension to the issue of sexual violence through the representation of the feminized male body, challenging the status of rape as an exclusive female victim explicitly dealing with the representation of such rape scenes. Before the more or less obvious acts of rape depicted in the play will be dealt with, the term rape needs to be looked at more closely.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines rape as the “unlawful sexual activity and usually, sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against a person's will or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception”, an “outrageous violation” and “an act or instance of robbing or despoiling or carrying away a person by force”. Therefore, in the term “rape”, one can speak of a patriarchal superiority of one person over another, who is physically or psychologically inferior. For that reason, rape is rather an experience than a physical event, meaning that it is something that is taken up and experienced not in the same way by every person.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces Sarah Kane’s play "Blasted" and outlines the research objective to analyze how the play portrays rape to deconstruct gender norms and patriarchal authority.
2 Historical outlook of feminism in the 1970s -1990s: The author contextualizes the "in-yer-face" theatre movement and the impact of the Women's Liberation Movement on artistic representations of sexual violence during this era.
3 Different forms of rape as portrayed in the play: This chapter defines the concept of rape and explores how the play challenges traditional myths regarding victims and power dynamics.
4 Rape of females and males in the 1990s: The analysis shifts to how the play intertwines male and female vulnerability, specifically looking at how the male protagonist Ian becomes a victim and its symbolic significance.
5 Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes findings, arguing that the play transcends simple feminist critiques to comment on the broader, destructive power structures inherent in war.
Keywords
Blasted, Sarah Kane, Rape mythology, Feminism, Gender roles, In-yer-face theatre, Sexual violence, Patriarchy, Power distribution, War identity, Dramaturgy, Masculinism, Victimization, Political unconscious.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper primarily examines the portrayal of sexual violence and rape in Sarah Kane's play "Blasted" and its significance in addressing gender power dynamics.
What central themes are explored?
Central themes include the social construction of rape, the breakdown of patriarchal authority, the role of women in the 1990s, and the impact of warfare on human identity.
What is the primary research goal?
The study aims to investigate how Kane uses graphic depictions of rape to challenge the notion that rape is exclusively a female experience, thereby shifting the perspective on power in a contemporary context.
Which methodology is adopted here?
The paper employs a qualitative analysis of the play's text and imagery, incorporating historical context and existing academic theories on feminism and rape mythology.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main sections analyze the progression of rape scenes in the play, the contrast between the female character Cate and the male character Ian, and the influence of the "in-yer-face" theatre aesthetic.
Which keywords characterize this analysis?
Key terms include Sarah Kane, "Blasted", sexual violence, gender power structures, rape mythology, and the intersection of war and identity.
How does the play portray the character of Ian in terms of victimhood?
Ian is initially presented as a perpetrator of abuse, but the narrative eventually forces him into a passive position as a victim of rape, illustrating a reversal of power dynamics.
Why does the author consider "Blasted" representative of 1990s theatre?
The play is seen as a quintessential piece of "in-yer-face" or "experiential" theatre because it forces the audience to stop behaving as passive viewers and instead confronts them with the visceral realities of violence.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2023, Rape in Sarah Kane’s "Blasted". Can the play be seen as a story where rape is dealt with as an act of gendering?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1367591
