The ambiguity of an assault

[ScipioSmith]

So five chapters in to my latest project, and I've come to realise something about it that might be a problem, and I'd appreciate some advice about it.

The setup is this: Dagmar, an elven girl and our protagonist, is attacked on her way home by a group of humans before being rescued by two other elves, her school-friend Laureia and a have-a-go-hero named Tiqet. The attack itself was going to be the prologue to the story, but I didn't really like it and so now the story starts with the attack and rescue done, beginning with Dagmar's nightmares about it, and the five chapters that I've written concern Tiqet and Laureia being put on trial for murdering some of the humans they saved Dagmar from.

And as I've written the trial and everything around it, I've come to realise that without that description of the attack from the prologue most readers will probably assume that Dagmar was raped, not least because the trial hinges on the question of whether Dagmar needed rescuing and the prosecution uses a lot of classic rape apologia to try and prove that she didn't (what had you done to provoke those men into following you? How rude of you to ignore them when they catcalled you from across the street. How short was your skirt that night?).

Does this matter? Should I clarify what really happened (I still don't really want to bring back the prologue, but I suppose I could) or leave it as it is, ambiguity and all?

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

You could have it be a "flashback" told from the various sides while they are being examined and cross examined. That way you keep some ambiguity but also have the concrete details.

 

[Velka]

I think it's important to clarify to the reader, early on, that she wasn't raped. In my opinion, there is a very large difference between physical and sexual assault, and I would imagine that the emotional and psychological fallout that follows in Dagmar's life would be different based on what she endured. It also paints a more accurate picture of the crime her attackers committed.

I don't think you have to play out the scene in it's whole. As Brian Scott Allen said, you can use a flashback scenario, or alternately, have it embedded in dialogue.

Character: "At least they didn't rape you."

Dagmar: "Well, when you put it that way I suppose I should send them flowers and a thank you note. Yeah, thanks for not being rapey, well done!"

 

[ScipioSmith]

I think it's important to clarify to the reader, early on, that she wasn't raped. In my opinion, there is a very large difference between physical and sexual assault, and I would imagine that the emotional and psychological fallout that follows in Dagmar's life would be different based on what she endured. It also paints a more accurate picture of the crime her attackers committed.

Yes, I thought that was probably the case, so thank you for confirming it.

At the moment the first chapter opens with a disjointed nightmare of her assault, so I suppose my best option might be to make it more coherent to provide a better picture of what happened.

 

[K.S. Crooks]

A few ideas: I might try to let the emotions of Dagmar and her friends lead the reader to how severe the attack was. If any of the surviving humans are also on trial for their attack on Dagmar what was done can be explained then. Dagmar can explain what occurred when she testifies on behalf of her friends.