In the memoir, Lucky by Alice Sebold, the author flashes back to her experience of rape and abuse on her college campus. She demonstrates her triumph of a traumatizing experience and how she overcomes the situation. The novel, explores her experiences after the rape as the traumatic event changed her as well as a transformation from the treatment of others. Throughout this essay I will summarize the major events of the rape, the aftermath, reactions and experiences that the author discussed and give critical insight of my reaction to the novel.
The Rape
First, the book is set in 1981 in Syracuse, New York, where seventeen-year old Alice Sebold is finishing her freshman year of college at Syracuse University. The reader is introduced to the …show more content…
She perceived her mother as strict on her behavior and appearance and only wanted to please her. After she met with her mother, they went to the police station to give a formal affidavit. As she talked with Sergeant Lorenz. She was first tasked with looking at mugshots, but none of them were of the man who raped her. Afterwards, the sergeant ordered her to give her affidavit, mentioning all the details, but the officer only wanted to know the facts. She began to tell her story. Alice left her friend’s house and began to walk toward the dorm when she heard someone following her from behind. Suddenly, a man grabbed her around the mouth and told her to not speak or he would kill her. She identified the perpetrator as a black male, approximately 16-18 years of age, small and muscular, 150 lbs. Lastly, she made the remark that she desired prosecution once the man was found. After the meeting with the officer, Alice travels home to …show more content…
For instance, when she was meeting with members of the community, such as Tom McCalister when he learned of her rape he moved away from her. Also, when she returned back to college students on campus, several students stared at her almost as if she was a caged animal. For the rest of her life, Alice will be known for the rape and people will judge her before they know the truth or her other admirable traits. Next, Alice was very level headed, when she met her rapist on the street rather than confronting him and making a scene she called her parents and wanted to make a sketch to help the police find him. One of my favorite moments is during the pretrial Alice speaks about the rape, attempting to convince the jury members of her pain and suffering that the rapist, Gregory Madison, has caused her. After the trial, Alice felt alone and upset that Gregory Madison stole her virginity and she longed for a memorable first-time experience. When she had drinks with a boy named Jamie she liked from class she told him about the rape and lied when he asked if she had been with anyone else. They ended up having sex, and Alice soon regretted her decision. I felt pain for Alice in this instance, as she wanted to be normal and forget about the traumatic event. During the trial, Gregory Madison and Alice Sebold were in a closed courtroom with no jury just the attorneys, judge, and family members.
The Rape
First, the book is set in 1981 in Syracuse, New York, where seventeen-year old Alice Sebold is finishing her freshman year of college at Syracuse University. The reader is introduced to the …show more content…
She perceived her mother as strict on her behavior and appearance and only wanted to please her. After she met with her mother, they went to the police station to give a formal affidavit. As she talked with Sergeant Lorenz. She was first tasked with looking at mugshots, but none of them were of the man who raped her. Afterwards, the sergeant ordered her to give her affidavit, mentioning all the details, but the officer only wanted to know the facts. She began to tell her story. Alice left her friend’s house and began to walk toward the dorm when she heard someone following her from behind. Suddenly, a man grabbed her around the mouth and told her to not speak or he would kill her. She identified the perpetrator as a black male, approximately 16-18 years of age, small and muscular, 150 lbs. Lastly, she made the remark that she desired prosecution once the man was found. After the meeting with the officer, Alice travels home to …show more content…
For instance, when she was meeting with members of the community, such as Tom McCalister when he learned of her rape he moved away from her. Also, when she returned back to college students on campus, several students stared at her almost as if she was a caged animal. For the rest of her life, Alice will be known for the rape and people will judge her before they know the truth or her other admirable traits. Next, Alice was very level headed, when she met her rapist on the street rather than confronting him and making a scene she called her parents and wanted to make a sketch to help the police find him. One of my favorite moments is during the pretrial Alice speaks about the rape, attempting to convince the jury members of her pain and suffering that the rapist, Gregory Madison, has caused her. After the trial, Alice felt alone and upset that Gregory Madison stole her virginity and she longed for a memorable first-time experience. When she had drinks with a boy named Jamie she liked from class she told him about the rape and lied when he asked if she had been with anyone else. They ended up having sex, and Alice soon regretted her decision. I felt pain for Alice in this instance, as she wanted to be normal and forget about the traumatic event. During the trial, Gregory Madison and Alice Sebold were in a closed courtroom with no jury just the attorneys, judge, and family members.