Paper Reflection
The article reviews a memoir by Chanel Miller. The article’s author (Jennifer Weiner) uses Miller’s poetic piece, ‘Know My Name,’ to air her concern about discrimination against women. In the article, she exposes the assault that Miller underwent. Miller was sexually assaulted by Turner. The event happened in 2015 as Miller was trying to go home a little bit tipsy from a party. The author challenges offenders of assault against women by condemning their attempts of victimizing themselves.
Weiner amazingly starts her text by attacking people who try to protect sex offenders. She gives a couple of excuses that are aired in favor of offenders, such as what will become of their art, jokes, books, films, and careers. I think how Weiner starts this article is strategic and seeks to point out selfishness. As men face the consequences of their offense against women, they start caring about their future but never seem to care about the future of the lady or woman assaulted. The matter addressed in this article is essential as it shows an injustice in society. It is as though successful people should not bear the consequences of their crimes (sexual assault) because this will ruin what they have been working for. This is the highest form of selfishness and injustice because the victim is regarded as a nobody who can be paid off.
Reading through the article, I realized how the internet and news writers favor sex offenders. From Miller’s perspective, it is clear that people do not care much about the victims’ future. For instance, when Miler gained consciousness in the hospital and read about what had transpired online, she learned of the athletic prowess of her offender, but nothing substantial was written about her. The newspapers give offenders a name, a face, and a back story (Weiner, 2019). The objective of this is to win the offender the public’s pity by showing them what the offender will lose. This is so unfair; emphasis should be put on what the victim lost and how their future will be affected.
The article reinforces the significance of writing on something that someone is passionate about. Weiner seems to care about what befalls victims of sexual assault, and this is evident from how she references a couple of victims. This writing inspires me to write on whatever topics I am passionate about, regardless of whether they are controversial. The issue of sexual assault is controversial and one that most people tend to avoid as a way of trying to forget about it. However, Weiner shows us that victims of sexual assault do not forget the traumatic experience but can learn to overcome it. A great example is Miller; through writing, she has overcome her traumatic past and is now advocating against injustices against women sexually assaulted.
The article is insightful and has an arrangement that favors its objective. The inclusion of Miller’s memoir emphasizes the experience that victims of sex assault undergo. It is so sad that men of sex assault use what they will lose as a shield from the consequences of their deeds. People who back such offenders support selfishness as they forget about the future and losses of the victim. I agree with Weiner that Miller’s memoir deserves a broad audience, especially young men who regard women as sex objects.
References
Weiner, J. (2019, September 24). ‘Know my name,’ a sexual assault survivor tells the world. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/books/review/chanel-miller-know-my-name.html