Black Water: Voiceless Victims

Voiceless Victims: A Woman in a Man's World Carol Oates invites readers to consider an issue many would rather avoid, because Kelly is someone easy to identify with; she could be our daughter, sister, or even ourselves. Kelly, a young, intelligent, woman, in Oates' novella, Black Water, explores the affect a male dominated society has on the upbringing, life, and eventually, the death of the woman. She is not only the physical victim, but also …

…traverses in a world where she is the inferior sex. Women's lives become a struggle between the gender scripts employed by social beliefs and their own choices to do what they feel is right for them. Kelly, disagrees with the rules; nevertheless, she cannot eliminate them. Instead of rebelling in any systematic way, she humbly follows a man to her death. Not only does she allow him to take her integrity, but also her life