The Sexual Assault of Women Frequently Goes Unavenged Legally

Numerous women are sexually abused or assaulted in the novel, and in none of the cases are the women avenged for the crimes committed against them. This demonstrates just how much power men had over women at the time and how power protects men from facing the repercussions of their crimes. The first instance in which this is shown is in Uncle Teddy’s sexual abuse of Mary. He convinces Mary of multiple negative consequences that could arise should she tell anyone about the abuse. She is a child and believes him when he describes the harm that could come to either her or her father if she reported the abuse. As such, she does not report the crimes to anyone in power. He is able to continue to hurt her because no one who could protect her...