Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f2DL7sg22280; Tue, 13 Mar 2001 16:07:54 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 16:07:54 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <saae45ae.087@langate.gsu.edu> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Daphne Greenberg" <ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:1293] interesting experience X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=_99C200EE.DEBFDC15" X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 5.5.3.1 Status: O Content-Length: 5257 Lines: 115 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Last Thursday, I saw the play "Vagina Monologues" (if you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it). It was very moving and entertaining. Eve Ensler, Pearl Cleage, (I hope I am spelling their names correctly) and Jane Fonda combined comedy and seriousness very effectively. Something occurred at the end of the play which alarmed me. Eve Ensler asked all in the audience who have been incested or raped to stand. There was an audible pause, as various women in each row decided whether or not to stand. One woman in front of me gave a very long and deep sigh and painfully slowly stood up. All in all, very few women stood. She waited, asked again, and waited as some more stood. She then asked all in the audience who know someone who have been incested or raped to stand. Now, the majority of women stood. Finally, she asked everyone to stand who would do their best to make sure that incest and rape does not occur. Of course, most, if not all of the participants were standing at this point. My alarm was due to her initial question. I can guarantee that the majority of women who had been raped/incested did not stand up. And why should they decide in such a public place to reveal such private information? Unfortunately, it had the effect of showing that few women are incested/raped, instead of the large numbers that we know in reality exist. I was also concerned about the women who chose to stand-did some stand out of perceived internal/external pressure? Did some women regret making such public announcements when they were not ready? Did some women have harmful reactions after the play as a result of standing/not standing? The reason why I am bringing this up, is I wonder how often, in conferences, workshops, classrooms, we ask ourselves, and our students to do things like this, without really thinking through the consequences. Any thoughts/experiences that you would like to share? Daphne Greenberg Associate Director Center for the Study of Adult Literacy Georgia State University University Plaza Atlanta, GA 30303-3083 phone: 404-651-0127 fax:404-651-1400 dgreenberg@gsu.edu
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