beta
I wanted to talk about this because it is a real and painful story.
We see how a character who was once the victim of a pedophile later becomes both masochistic and a rapist himself. The bottom character, even if he is not a “green flag,” did not deserve to be raped. The scene is disturbing, and it is meant to be disturbing.
These characters are both victims and perpetrators. The top character needs healing because of his trauma, but he must also be held fully responsible for the rape. As for the bottom, he must be recognized as a victim of sexual violence, while also learning to take responsibility for his own actions and to begin resisting the congresswoman’s influence.
The story refuses simple roles of good and evil. It shows how trauma can reproduce violence, without ever excusing it.