Rape in Sarah Kane's "Blasted". Can the play be seen as a story where rape is dealt with as an act of gendering? (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject Gender Studies, , language: English, abstract: Sarah Kane's play "Blasted" shows a high amount of cruelty with the homosexual and heterosexual rape as well as the sucking out of Ian's eyes, who is one of the main protagonists. The heavy use of imagery and action in these plays combined with its focus on dialogue distinguishes Kane from other dramaturgists in the 1970s-90s. Using the depiction of violence on stage, Kane forced the audience to break through the veil of apathy created by the media's insensitive portrayal of cruelty in order to subvert gender norms and the heterosexual patriarchal authority through performance on stage.

"Blasted" is not only a play about rape but also a representation of gender in the 1990s. Though, in how far can the play itself be seen as a story where rape is dealt with as an act of gendering? To answer this question in the following term paper, the term rape as portrayed in the play will be dealt with by analyzing where and what the different rapes in Blasted are and finally, a conclusion will be drawn about the connection of rape and gender and what consequences this entailed in the 1970s-1990s.