The Vision, By Dean Koontz

Mary hears the flapping of wings in the back of her mind, and that is when the reader knows something big is about to happen. Throughout The Vision, the author Dean Koontz uses the flapping of wings as a symbol of the main character’s visions. These visions can be traced back to abuse she experienced as a kid. The reader soon learns that the main character, Mary, was raped by a man who babysat her when she was younger. The rape she experienced when she was a young girl began to affect her life as a women. Not all children who are sexually abused experience symptoms. 40% of sexually abused children are asymptomatic, and the other 60% experience very serious and long-term consequences (NSOPW). Dean Koontz uses Mary’s childhood to mold her into
80% of all rapes happen to women who are under the age of 25, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Rape is the most underreported crime in the United States. Why do people choose to keep these acts of violence to themselves instead of coming out and telling people what happened to them? Fear. That is why these crimes are hidden. Mary didn’t tell anyone because she was afraid of what it would do to her family. Her family was very close to the family of her rapist. She decided she should keep it to herself, and she thought that she was protecting her family. What she was really doing was making things worse for herself. Nine percent of victims say that they do not report their rapists because they knew the person and did not want to ruin their lives (Global News,
The contention that rape should be regarded as an asexual act has done nothing to remedy this. Nor will it. As activist and writer Wendy McElroy points out, "there can be as many motives for rape as there are for murder and other violent crimes … Rape is every bit as complex." Insisting that no rape is ever "about" sex but is rather about an individual man acting on a patriarchal mandate to sow terror by exercising "power" does a disservice to us all. (qtd. in Baker)
The essay opened people up to having honest conversations about rape, instead of suppressing it. Katie J.M. Baker states that rape should not be discussed in a “vacuum.” She wants people to take the discussions past the vacuum, where it will be opened up to a new audience.
There is no solid reason as to why people rape. Some do it for the thrill, some do it under peer pressure, and some people do it without realizing what they are really doing. Just like Mary, there are many rape victims out in the world. If rape awareness continues to spread, people just like Mary will get the ending they deserve. Rape is not something that should be pushed under the rug, but it should be something that is looked into the eyes and taken care