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 …showed first 75 words of 1361 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1361 total…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