Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape (英語) ペーパーバック – 1993/5/11

Published in the midst of the second wave women's movement AGAINST OUR WILL remains an integral book in the feminist literary canon to the present day. Employing an historical analysis Brownmiller reveals in exquisite detail how some men have been subjugating some women since Biblical times. Her thesis of the use of rape during wartimes as an arsenal for the winning army is especially strong and admirable. This section alone deserves to be read by anyone interested in gender and women's studies as it clearly demonstrates how rape has been used to further antagonize and horrify the defeated population. The utilization of rape during the World Wars, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Serbia is certainly a difficult bit of knowledge to swallow. This book clearly demonstrates how rape has been used to keep some women on edge and weary of being both in public spaces and in their own homes.
Despite Brownmiller's important thesis I have several problems with AGAINST OUR WILL. Brownmiller has a tendency to over-emphasis her arguments with a deluge of statistics and case studies. It's almost as if she inserted every historical example she could find to further her arguments. Less is better in this instance. If she pared down her examples I believe her thesis wouldn't have been diluted in any such way. Another objection I have to AGAINST OUR WILL is her assertion of the following quote from her introduction, "Man's discovery that his genitalia could serve as a weapon to generate fear must rank as one of the most important discoveries of prehistoric times...[Rape] is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear". My problem with this passage is two-fold. First, I think it is mundane and questionable to argue that man's discovery of rape ranks high next to the discovery of fire, etc. I also have clear problems with Brownmiller's assertion that *all* men contemplate rape to keep *all* women in a constant state of fear. It is clear that there are variations of fear and victimization in the general population. Brownmiller argued this every point later in her book when she discussed issues of class and race. To generalize this phenomenon to every man and woman is dangerous in itself. I consider myself to be a feminist but I strongly dispute some of Brownmiller's arguments.
Overall, AGAINST OUR WILL is an important book to read but please be careful not to consume all of the author's arguments at face value.

This book is as ground-breaking today as it was in 1975. Brownmiller systematically identifies and combats the many rape myths which have long kept both women and men in chains and in doing so, illustrates just exactly how much work anti-rape activists have ahead. By approaching the subject of rape in political terms, she challenges the reader to examine their own thoughts and experiences in a new light. This book is a daring and unapologetic appeal to people everywhere to rethink everything we ever thought we knew about sexual violence.

Brownmiller's book gives a detailed account of the historical and cultural origins of rape. She gives insight to the causes of this heinous phenomenon. Brownmiller writes with an honesty that is absolutely necessary when dealing with rape, however this same honesty may cause some defensive males to take offense. Brownmiller's book requires us to take a critical look at rape and urges us to take action.

Ms. Brownmiller's groundbreaking work on rape may be a little dated, and some of her more esoteric points incorrect, but for the most part this is an excellent, well written book.
Others have gone into detail about the strengths of this book, but I want to particularly point out her highlighting of the Bangladesh invasion, and how Pakistan used rape as a cultural weapon. Since that time, the former Yugoslavian Republics, numerous central African nations, and many far east nations have adopted the same practice. Ms. Brownmiller explains why such an action is truly a human rights violation of the first order, and deserves more attention than what it gets.
Ms. Brownmiller's one failing, though, is her assertion that rape only exists among humans, and does not exist in any other realm of the animal kingdom. I believe she is incorrect, but that is a small point.
The strongest point in Against Our Will is when Ms. Brownmiller contrasts the film reviews regarding the numerous rape scenes from "A Clockwork Orange," with the reviewers' description of Ned Beatty's rape scene in "Deliverance." While film reviewers fell all over themselves about "fullfillment" and eroticism in "Clockwork," somehow nothing fulfilling nor erotic occured in Deliverance. Now that's a pretty clear double standard.
This book has been around a long time--but it still has something to say. Ms. Brownmiller is a good writer, and the book moves well. Most high schoolers should not have any trouble reading it--and I think most of them (boys & girls) should. It would serve as a wonderful starting point for discussion of contemporary sex roles.

For an excellent read on the topic of rape and war, please read "Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape" by Susan Brownmiller. The enormity of such crimes is well documented by Brownmiller.

When I read the book in the late 1970s, my understanding of the sexual abuse consequences of war left me overwhelmed by the agony of millions of women through the ages. Upon re-reading it years later, the impact of the book still left me devastated.