Common Decency by Susan Jacoby, Essay Example

This document is divided into two sections. The first will give a description of content contained in the story Common Decency by Susan Jacoby. Section two will offer a literary analysis of the script. Precisely, Common Decency begins with the captivating account of an incident whereby an unnamed woman is being mistreated by a man she loves. In asserting her independence and apprehension to such treatment she invites an ex-boyfriend to dinner in her apartment. On approaching her bedroom she changed her mind after encountering a brief disappointment. The ex-boyfriend left angrily vowing never again to response to any future invitations (Jacoby, 1945).

The woman later apologized for the case of ‘mixed signals’ and her ex politely accepted the apology. At this point the author discloses that she was the unmanned woman highlighted in her story. This was her recalling during controversies surrounding ‘date rape’ emergence coinciding with William Kennedy Smith’s assault accusations as they flew across the nation. For the author this was a confirmation that authorities that categorize stranger rape differently from acquaintance rape excusing social rapists were as guilty of perpetuating injustice to men and women alike (Jacoby, 1945).

Jacoby (1945) further contends that people, who apologize for date rape inclusive of women is advancing that the average man lack the ability to control his sexual impulses, therefore, cannot be trusted. Importantly she continues that both men and women send sexual signals irrespective of their age groups that initiate sexual interpretations by either gender. However, some men she contended can decode these signals to avoid forcing themselves on unwelcoming women. Comparatively, women exercise similar self-control when rejected by men who did not accept their sex signals. The author classified this behavior as civilization (Jacoby, 1945).

In explaining the elements of civilization the author expressed a classic demonstration was observed in her old when he did no use her mixed up emotions as an excuse to rape her at the time. Further she reiterated that many date rapes occur because men cannot take ‘no’ for an answer. Simply, it is not that they mis understood the woman’s request. She describes this as minority culture behavior in comparison to civilization. Importantly, authority sanctions it as ‘boys being boys.’  Consequently, it has now escalated into an issue for college age women on campuses across the country (Jacoby, 1945).

This environment the author explained produces a date rape atmosphere because there is a large unsupervised student population. They drink; get drunk and women become vulnerable to men who claim that they were unaware of their actions. When the crime is discovered often women are blamed for being in the company of men who are potential rapists.  Jacoby (1945) then expresses disapproval of feminists’ philosophy informing women that they can expose themselves to man without fear of being raped. The fact, however, she argues is that women have sexual instincts that arouse male sexuality. This does not disappear when a feminist philosophy is inculcated (Jacoby, 1945).

In concluding her arguments and clarifying the influence of female sexuality in date rape Jacoby (1945) cites Paglia in linking the dysfunction to logic by saying that the next generation of composers may be found in dorms and fraternity houses targeted as brutal gang rape sites. Sex therefore ought to be a pleasurable undertaking between the sexes and not a social control device (Jacoby, 1945).

In this summary of the essay Common Decency by Susan Jacoby (1945) the main points were contained in the encounter with her boyfriend, who was abusive. The author, then, pursue an extensive discussion on date rate. In her emotional account the author explained both sides of the incident whereby even though men are the perpetuators women are equality responsible for exciting them into sexual activities. She concluded by reiterating that feminists movements are giving inappropriate signals to women regarding their sexuality, which is responsible for them being more vulnerable to date rape.

The meaning of this summary to me is that as a woman the way I present myself determines whether I become a date rape victim. Therefore, always there must be the awareness that women are vulnerable. Also, it becomes my responsibility to alert young college students of date rapes that occur on University/ college campuses.

The second section of this discussion embraces a literary analysis of the essay written by Susan Jacoby (1945) – Common Decency. First the strength of this essay lies in the author’s ethos. The ethos of a piece of writing often exposes the author’s credibility for making statements within an argument. Here Jacoby argues against rape occurrences, but she is more concerned about date rape of which she was almost a victim. In expressing this ethos she opens her story referencing an unamend woman, but as she holds the reader in suspense as to what the mistreatments were she discloses her identity that the women described in ther opening episode was herself (Jacoby, 1945).

This in my estimation is a profound attitude in communicating the magnitude of date rape as a social problem facing young women in our society today, especially in institutions of higher learning. Consequently, the tone in which she communicated her story ranged from mild aggravation to subtle sarcasm. Aggravation was communicated in her expression of men being nasty and brutes and women constantly have to guard against them. Even though it was not expressed as being her personal opinion but a reference made to those in authority who constant make excuses for the dysfunction, it was communicated with some degree of anger and aggravation (Jacoby, 1945).

A weakness, however, of this entire essay is that it appears to be based on opinion rather than facts. Once in the essay a theory was mentioned to support an argument. It is when the author referenced Paglia’s creative energy of art.  Besides major parts of the esay were based on her opinions of how feminists view date rape and rape generally. She later focuses on their misrepresentations of women’s sexuality in relation to men’s arousal presumption to pursue them to the extent of rape (Jacoby, 1945).

A statement is fact if it matches objective reality. Objective reality is derived from scientific proof with supporting evidence based research applications. Opinion is non- scientific assumptions with no theories supportive of the opinion and is thereby considered subjective. In this essay very little reference was made to a scientific approach towards explaining date rape. The author mainly started with her experience and continued with her opinions of the issue.

The author demonstrated strength, however, in use of her pathos. Susan Jacoby‘s (1945) emotional appeals well subtle, but impacting. For example, on page 238 the second paragraph she explains that if the projections of date rate apologists were true then, most women would be raped by men and alternatively almost all men would be accused of some kind of rape or the other in their life time. Importantly, the language she uses to express these thoughts is not derogatory of either sex thereby creating profound clarity in the analysis of the issue being promoted (Jacoby, 1945).

A powerful logos was communicated in referencing Paglia’s philosophy whereby (even though not very explicit) sexual aggression is linked to the theory related to creative energy of art. The contention continues by proposing the logic that there are ‘no female Mozarts’ neither ‘Jack the Ripper.’ Essentially, the author uses logic in highlighting the present female stereotyping that exists within our society and how feminists’ groups are missing their role in adequately promoting female identity (Jacoby, 1945).

Works cited

Jacob, Susan. Common Decency by Susan Jacoby.  Pdf. 1945. Print