How Does Pamela White's Rape Depicted In The Cry Of Tamar

After reading the book, “The Cry of Tamar”, it is quite evident that during this time period, most women were to blame for the criminal act of rape. It did not matter who the perpetrator was; if the victim was related to the rapist or not, she did not have a voice that was worthy of being heard. In this decade (as many others before), since men were often viewed as being superior to that of their female counterparts, it was especially important that males from religious affirmations retained the authoritative figure of the majority. Women were often objectified and these religious views allowed men to take part in sexual misconduct without having to face consequences or responsibility for their actions. The Cry of Tamar is about the call for action to be taken as women were still fighting for their rights to be considered equal human beings.

Even to this day, the story of Tamar’s rape is not addressed in congregations as some religious leaders refuse to acknowledge the importance of equality for both women and homosexuals. One point I’d like to discuss is the fact that author Pamela White brings up the issue of praising the perpetrator instead of condemning him for his actions. She states that, “The perpetrator, Amnon, begins to look like the protagonist of a classical Greek tragedy, a basically good, even superior person like Othello, noble by birth, who by one tragic flaw-his “love” for his sister, which blinds his reason and self-restraint? His gullibility and susceptibility to persuasion? -Is brought to ruin. Perpetrator thus becomes victim, eliciting our sympathy” (Cooper-White 2012, pg. 30, Para. 2). We can begin to understand just how easy it is to blame the victim of rape and compare the oppressor as a person who is worthy of forgiveness and