Missoula Quotes

[7] In his book, “Missoula,” John Krakauer analyses the issue of rape in the college town of Missoula. Krakauer begins his work by quoting the article False Allegations of Sexual Assault:

Rape is unique. No other violent crime is so fraught with controversy, so enmeshed in dispute and in the politics of gender and sexuality… And within the domain of rape, the most highly charged area of debate concerns the issue of false allegations. For centuries, it has been asserted and assumed that women “cry rape,” that a large proportion of rape allegations are maliciously concocted for purposes of revenge or other motives.

Krakauer uses this quote because in every situation he writes about, there is a common element of false allegations being made. In

An incident occurring between Kaitlynn Kelly and Calvin Smith is a prime example of the court system’s failure. Kaitlynn met Calvin one night and invited him up to her room for casual sex. Once she noticed that her roommate was in the room asleep, she withdrew her consent and said they would just lay there and go to sleep. As Kaitlynn slept, Calvin began to rape her and woke her up in the process. [1] She became upset with him. He went back to his dorm. After he left, Kaitlynn realized that her bed sheets were covered in her own blood and he had stolen her jeans. The police department did nothing to help her and once again took the rapist’s side. When the college found out about the incident, they decided to hold a formal hearing to decide whether or not Calvin Smith should be allowed to continue attending the college since he broke one of their rules. Calvin Smith asked the prosecutor, Kirsten Pabst, to attend the college’s formal hearing. The proceedings were very one sided. Pabst did not listen to any of Kaitlynn’s testimony. Instead she states, “Once there was an affirmative verbal agreement to have sex, so consent was given, she’s really fuzzy on whether or not she verbally withdrew that consent. So, it’s not fair for us as prosecutors to expect a suspect to read someone’s mind when they’ve verbally consented” (Krakauer 100). Kaitlynn stated many times to the police and the Dean

At the beginning of the book, in the author’s notes, Krakauer states, “Rape is a much more common crime than most people realize, and women of college age are most frequently the victims.” Most college students are already on edge, especially because of the new environment and people, and introducing them to the possibility of being raped adds a new level of terror for many. Rape can scare anyone and tends to intrude on someone’s piece of mind. [5] Sadly, there is a higher probability that a rape will occur by someone an individual knows; for example, significant others, siblings, friends, and even parents than a complete stranger. Krakauer shows his readers what happens to a person when they are raped; he tells of the emotional and physical damage that can come from the rumors spread, the court cases, and the dirty feelings, and he stands to support victims of rape and stop people from falling victim to this