Victim Shaming

Although it was nt a huge theme in the novel, there was one particular part of The Bluest Eye that really stood out to me, the victim shaming. In one of the last chapter, two people are talking about Pecola's child, and even say that Pecola holds part of the blame for what her father had done to her, although she is the victim. This really stood out to me because victim shaming is definitely a huge problem today, and has been especially acknowledged on social media after the Standord rape incident. During the incident, the rapist is only charred with 3 months in jail for raping a girl and leaving her in a dumpster. The judge justified this because she was drunk and should've known better. Does this mean that being on incisors means automatic consent to being raped and thrown in a dumpster? No, victim shaming is a huge problem today especially with T the sexism that is going on in the world. When women are abused, harassed, or raped, some of the first questions asked are often: what were you wearing? Did you lead him on? Were you drunk? But what does it matter if the victim was wearing a tank top, or was dancing with him earlier in the night, or was drinking alcohol? If she did not give consent, the answer is no. This is no longer a matter to be overlooked, and victim shaming has to stop. Why are people taught that it is okay to harass a woman if she chooses to wear a tank top or chooses to drink alcohol at a party? This is not how it should be. Instead, it should be taught at a young age how important consent is, and no means no, there are no excuses for these crimes, and people need to stop blaming the victims.