3/3/20:
For my REDHUGO reading, I decided to read and analyze the novel; I Have The Right To, a memoir by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson. The novel follows Chessy Prout’s story of her high school sexual assault, justice, and hope. I chose this book to accompany the documentary Roll Red Roll, another story of a high school sexual assault, and the rape culture that allowed this to happen. Since Chessy’s story is also set in high school, I have an assumption that rape culture is also present at her school, a boarding school in New Hampshire. Chessy’s purpose is to spread awareness of sexual assault and inspire others to come forward with their stories as she has done.
Within the prologue, Chessy draws her audience in as she gives a vivid description of the first time telling her older sister and role model, Lucy, about the night a senior boy raped her. Chessy describes a tradition known as “Senior Salute,” where senior boys have a reputation of hooking up with freshman girls. This is the first look at the rape culture that is present at her high school, one that, unfortunately, Chessy fell victim to. Throughout the next chapters, Chessy describes her upbringing and childhood, the events that led to her eventual move to the boarding school, St. Paul’s. While chronologically telling the story of her childhood and family, Chessy includes photos of her family and friends to appeal to the emotion of her audience to understand that this was just an average girl in a joyous, loving family. The goal of Chessy is to hook her audience in to eventually find out what led to her rape and how she gained the courage to tell her story.
3/6/20:
As I am about a third of the way through I Have The Right To, Chessy has finally entered into her dream boarding school, St. Pauls, and is reunited with her best friend and sister, Lucy. Lucy introduces Chessy to the school and gives her advice on being the new freshman girl. Immediately, I notice a red flag. Lucy informs Chessy, “Don’t kiss any boys during the first month. You don’t want to be known in that way. Boys will try to talk to you all the time. You can ignore them.” This is the first introduction of boys preying on girls at the school, and that is a common culture. Chessy is foreshadowing her eventual rape by using this quote from her sister.
The “Nash Bash,” a school dance, was approaching, and Chessy was also told some advice from senior girls about the behavior of boys during these dances. They said Chessy, “People will be inappropriate. Boys will try to touch you. Try to ignore it and don’t participate.” This shows the culture of St. Paul’s was well known, and no one did anything to try to stop it. Girls had to worry and came up with hand signals to get out of uncomfortable situations. As Chessy introduces this rape community at St. Paul’s, she leaves the reader baffled as to how this was tolerated by the community and left me with a question: Why was nothing done to stop this? And, was Chessy the first girl to speak out about her sexual abuse at St. Paul’s?
For my REDHUGO reading, I decided to read and analyze the novel; I Have The Right To, a memoir by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson. The novel follows Chessy Prout’s story of her high school sexual assault, justice, and hope. I chose this book to accompany the documentary Roll Red Roll, another story of a high school sexual assault, and the rape culture that allowed this to happen. Since Chessy’s story is also set in high school, I have an assumption that rape culture is also present at her school, a boarding school in New Hampshire. Chessy’s purpose is to spread awareness of sexual assault and inspire others to come forward with their stories as she has done.
Within the prologue, Chessy draws her audience in as she gives a vivid description of the first time telling her older sister and role model, Lucy, about the night a senior boy raped her. Chessy describes a tradition known as “Senior Salute,” where senior boys have a reputation of hooking up with freshman girls. This is the first look at the rape culture that is present at her high school, one that, unfortunately, Chessy fell victim to. Throughout the next chapters, Chessy describes her upbringing and childhood, the events that led to her eventual move to the boarding school, St. Paul’s. While chronologically telling the story of her childhood and family, Chessy includes photos of her family and friends to appeal to the emotion of her audience to understand that this was just an average girl in a joyous, loving family. The goal of Chessy is to hook her audience in to eventually find out what led to her rape and how she gained the courage to tell her story.
3/6/20:
As I am about a third of the way through I Have The Right To, Chessy has finally entered into her dream boarding school, St. Pauls, and is reunited with her best friend and sister, Lucy. Lucy introduces Chessy to the school and gives her advice on being the new freshman girl. Immediately, I notice a red flag. Lucy informs Chessy, “Don’t kiss any boys during the first month. You don’t want to be known in that way. Boys will try to talk to you all the time. You can ignore them.” This is the first introduction of boys preying on girls at the school, and that is a common culture. Chessy is foreshadowing her eventual rape by using this quote from her sister.
The “Nash Bash,” a school dance, was approaching, and Chessy was also told some advice from senior girls about the behavior of boys during these dances. They said Chessy, “People will be inappropriate. Boys will try to touch you. Try to ignore it and don’t participate.” This shows the culture of St. Paul’s was well known, and no one did anything to try to stop it. Girls had to worry and came up with hand signals to get out of uncomfortable situations. As Chessy introduces this rape community at St. Paul’s, she leaves the reader baffled as to how this was tolerated by the community and left me with a question: Why was nothing done to stop this? And, was Chessy the first girl to speak out about her sexual abuse at St. Paul’s?
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