Changing the Perceptions: Tracing Feminist and Postfeminist Apprehensions of Rape Culture in Sohaila Abdulali’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape

Abstract

Rape is the linchpin of patriarchy. The prevailing perception of rape and rape victims is an important matter of discussion as many people still believe in rape myths. Writer, activist, and rape survivor Sohaila Abdulali’s personal narrative What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape questions gender roles and the patriarchal system. She describes how erroneous beliefs about rape, rapists, and rape victims affect society and leads to victim blaming, slut shaming, and questioning the behaviour of women. Rape myths, which are by-products of patriarchy, rationalise sexual violence and promote animosity toward the victims. In the book, Abdulali urges society to shift its focus from women as victims to men as rapists. By depicting the real incidents, the author shows how men use power to justify rape and sexual assault. Born in India, she takes the issue of rape to the global level by addressing rape cases from all around the world to show how rape affects people from various communities and cultures. This paper seeks to explore the ways in which Sohaila Abdulali deals with the issue of rape with reference to gender, race, and class. The paper also looks at how much society has changed over time in terms of its perceptions of rape and rape victims while there are many people who still adhere to the old gender stereotypes. The study draws on feminist and postfeminist theoretical elements to address the issue of rape.