Read your classmate’s work and mark the using the editing tools where

Anabel Parra

2/4/2023

Essay 2 Outline

Professor Syaylor

Was it really Rape or Fun Sex

Now a days there are so many cases of sexual such as rape acusation. There is over

463,000 rape victims in America year.Usully young Americans are at the highest risk for sexual

violence. And 90% of adult rape victims are women it is not normal to hear that a mand had been

raped. I believe that it may be that it is just not being reported as normal as a woman. This paper

will be about two young adults who are currently in college and it happened to be that there was

a spark and they had a night of sexual interaction. It seems to be that one of the sexual interaction

people was not in full consent mode and it all seems to go downhill from there for the two fresh

college students. I am talking about Amber positioning herself in a non-consent sexual position.

We will be talking about Tom and Amber. Was this Sexull interaction consented? Is there

an argument that there was no consent? I would like to say that both Tom and Amber

personalities show who they are and how they can be and I would like to say that one person did

not speak up where she needed to. Amber seems to be a person who likes to please people and it

is hard for her to say “NO”. It is very important to say no when you're not in a position you

don’t want to be in even if it is last minute. I think also Amber thought she wanted to do

something because she was feeling a spark and it made her feel confident but at the end of the

day she felt used and that is how she ended up in the position she is currently in.

Getting to know both Toms and Amber's cultural background from the beginning, it is

very clear that Amber comes from a privileged background. Amber is Jewish and shows to be

very confident. The way she speaks and comes off seems to be very laid back and also Amber

does not care to step on people’s toes. She will do anything to make herself look good because

Amber has self esteem issues. And on the other hand we have Tom where he is a very genuine

person and is starting a new journey as well as Amanda. Tom is an appling young man that

seems to be confident but he also shows vulnerability. Tom is African American and came ready

for the judgment that he did not think he would get so soon to go to college.

When looking into the many ways that Amber placed herself in the situation she was in,

it made me think that she was not thinking much of the consequences that could have happened.

Amber started to flirt with Tom with a question game and told Tom flirting “do you want me to

come with you Tonight?” In exchange she wanted Tom to answer her question from the game.

Both Tom and Amber started to feel a connection and I would like to say that Amber believed

something completely different then what Tom was feeling.Amber felt like she was being seen

by someone. She felt like Tom was the greatest guy and she was amazed. Tom opened up to

Amber of some of the struggles he was going through. He did not give all the details but he did

have a conversation with Amber. He opened up about his culture. Tom actually made some

judgments that perhaps he did not need to do so. Tom could have been a very rude guy and just

left. He did not have to hear Amber telling him he was some kind of privilege because he was

African American.

Amber made a series of judgments when she was drinking with Tom. And those

Judgments lead to consequences that result in a lot of damage.Amber accused Tom of having non

consensual sex the night that they were both drinking alcohol. From Amber's perspective it

seems that she did not enjoy any of the process of where the flirting took her and Tom to. In

reality there was no verbal consent saying “it is okay to have sex together” but they both seem to

be enjoying the night and they both agreed to leave the party and be together. Amber had even

suggested this when Tom and Amber were playing the question game. Amber said "do you want

me to come with you Tonight?”. I could say that Tom was not thinking of getting into bed with

Amber until Amber and him had a great time. It came to a point where Tom and Amber were at

the party and Amber took off her shirt in front of everyone. Amber said she wanted to cheer Tom

up but that is not the way to do that you don't take off your shirt in in front of everyone at the

party. If I would have been in Tom’s shoes I would have thought the same thing Amber wants to

have sex let’s get out of this party. When amber was acuusing Tom of rape people that where at

the party mentioned that they seen Amber and “everyone agrees that earlier that night you took

your shirt off. That you drank to excess. That you very willingly went back to Tom’s room and

got into his bed.” This was making it seem that Amber just want to blame someone and the first

opportunity she got she blamed Tom. The office of their school said these “Which makes me

wonder: why do you think these actions that you admit you freely took don’t amount to some

kind of tacit consent?” And the pane with all this evidence Amber was still saying that she was

rape and that there was no concent. This could be a tricky situation Amanda had her own feelings

that were affecting her.

Tom was accused of Rapeing Amber. He was in complete shock when he was told

this. Tom had thought that everything was okay because they had just talked after having

sex. Tom never expected to be in this situation. A statement was placed and it said “Tom

makes his statement. He’s like a.) we were drunk and b.) I would never rape someone. He

can’t even say “rape” – he takes this enormous pause before he says it like there’s

something in his mouth that’s causing”. The way that he reacts is very genuine and

concerned. Compared to Amber she seems to act like she has all the power and is not

caring for what could happen to Tom. Tom criticizes himself for doing something that he

believed was okay; he did not see it as rape.Tom said “That’s the thing that I… I mean, I

thought… Deep down, I thought I was a nice guy.”PG. 48. Amber was jealous of Tom

because he was being seen Amber said to Tom “It’s a privilege to have everyone always

looking at you? Is that right, No one ever looks at me. So yeah. I think it is.”PG.46”

Amber Self esteem was not in a good place and seems to show at the end of the play she

expresses all of what she was feeling. But it sucks that she had to go to great lengths to

accuse Tom of rape and cause him to have long term consequences.

In conclusion we have learned that the cultural background can be very damaging in the

long run if a person is being accused wrongfully. We went ahead and reviewed and got a glimpse

of the main events. And we also got to see both judgments and consequences from both Tom and

Amber. I believe that Tom should have never been accused of sexual assault. They both knew

what they were doing and they were both drinking. I would like to say that in this case Amber

has self esteem issues and she needed to point her feelings towards someone and that one person

happened to be Tom. Tom could have taken extra precaution and knew that there was to be not

only emotional consent but also verbal consent. All in all I would like to strongly communicate

that having consent is very critical even when you least expect it.

Alyson Yuen

English 001B

February 2, 2023

Professor Staylor

Essay 2 Rough Draft

There are always two sides to every story and in some cases, the stories we hear will

never agree with each other. In “Actually” we read about two college students who attend a

prestige college and have a sexual encounter one night after a party. However, after their drunken

and playful night, Ziegler describes both points of view of Amber and Tom of what actually

happened that night, but explains it in very ambiguous details. The dialogue jumps from scene to

scene to events that lead up to that night and also background evidence that tells us a little more

about who Tom and Amber are. But with so much going on, it is hard to learn the truth about

who was in the wrong. Miscommunication and misunderstanding are what both characters are

feeling after that night, and it could be quite difficult to determine to learn the exact details of

that night. Although we experience a dilemma between Amber and Tom, I believe Tom should

not be accused of sexual misconduct because his race being black already puts judgment in the

court, Tom doesn’t appear to be the aggressor in this situation, and both characters knew that sex

was on the table.

Race and privilege are always one of the first things people judge when accusations are

made against a person. Because Amber is white and comes from a higher-class family, it would

be easier to believe her words that she was raped. She’s unaware of her of how she speaks to

Tom and doesn’t believe she is offending him by telling him, “ It’s a great way to help you get

into college. Just like being black”(5). Her lack of self-awareness and as Tom says, “

Alyson Yuen

English 001B

February 2, 2023

Professor Staylor

macro-aggression” are reasons why people like Amber would make an easy accusation towards

Tom without thinking of its consequences. Another example that shows how race plays a huge

role is when Amber makes a comment, “And the way Leslie looks at me, even though he doesn’t

say anything, makes me worry that Tom isn’t gonna get a fair trial..then I realized that shouldn’t

really matter to me”(17). Amber may have an advantage in this case, and her realization of what

black men go through in court doesn’t bother her at all. With her being white, she can probably

get away with this, unlike Tom who is already seen as incriminating. This raises the idea that

racial bias will always be an issue, especially in court, and Tom will have to advocate for himself

more compared to Amber.

Looking back on the details of that night, Tom may have not been the aggressor of the

situation as Amber initiated the start of that night. At the beginning of the book, Tom and Amber

are playing two truths and a lie, which Amber initiated to play the game. Coming off from her

exact words, “ If you wanna sleep with me tonight, for one thing”, gives the impression to the

readers that she knows that the night will end with them having intercourse. Amber comes off

confident that things will happen between them and Tom follows along with her, thinking they

both want the same thing. Another quote from Amber was,” I imagined Tom slipping into my

dorm, unannounced, crawling into my bed just having me”(22). So during the nights of being

together, Amber had fantasized about Tom being with her and this goes to show that Amber was

not opposed to sleeping with Tom. Of course, sometimes at the moment, she may feel erratic

moments like these but it still tells us that Amber like the idea of being with Tom. From the night

of the party, Amber was prepared for what the night will bring her. For example, when she got

Alyson Yuen

English 001B

February 2, 2023

Professor Staylor

Tom drunk because she saw he was in a mood and she didn’t want him to go through that as they

were out. So her idea was to get drunk, which she did, and also get Tom drinking so he can forget

whatever he was feeling prior to meeting up. Another piece of evidence that shows Amber being

the aggressor was in court when they state,” So everyone agrees that earlier that night you took

your shirt off. That you drank to excess. That you very willingly went back to Tom’s room and

got into his bed.”(45). Both characters appeared very drunk that night and Amber’s action of

taking her shirt off during the party shocked Tom of how drunk Amber was. He just went with it

and continued on until they both decide to leave together and go back to Tom’s dorm. This

doesn’t mean that Amber was using her body to symbolize that she wanted to sleep with him,

this was just a spur of the moment that gave the reader the impression that she initiated the

sexual experience.

Tom may appear to be a cocky and confident person when he’s about partying and

sleeping with a significant amount of girls, but he’s self-aware of his actions and words.” And

this might be why I write back Amber back. Because she looked at me as though I really might

pursue something”(35). He had genuine feelings about Amber that made him text her back. It

seems like Amber wasn’t like other girls he has been out with which is why he was hesitant

about saying yes to her in the first place. However, a scene that has me questioning Amber's

self-awareness was when she thought to herself, ” Why would you have asked him to stop? You

were into it at first. On this everyone agrees”(41). Amber is insecure about how other people

would think and what their best interests are instead of prioritizing her own. If something felt

wrong and you wanted to stop then communicating those feelings would change the situation.

Alyson Yuen

English 001B

February 2, 2023

Professor Staylor

But those feelings are how she felt at first, then she realized she also didn’t want it. She

definitely has experienced hard times saying no which could explain why she found it difficult to

stop Tom from continuing on. And the morning after their hookup Tom asked his roommate, ”…’

but she was into it right?’ And he gives me this look like ‘you’re really gonna ask me that?’ but

still he said…And I guess that was what I was asking. And I was relieved”(43). After Amber had

left, Tom didn’t want to have an uneasy feeling of knowing if the night between him and Amber

went well. After finding the condom on the floor, he felt some sort of relief that they had causal

sex and the night didn’t go the wrong way, which Amber thinks otherwise. But he did text her

asking if she was okay and just assuring her that he was in a different state last night, just to clear

the air in case Amber may have other feelings about what happened.

Based on the points of what has occurred between Amber and Tom, personally, I believe

that there has been no case of sexual misconduct. There was just so much unassuredness and a

hard time recalling memories of that night that made me believe that nothing serious happened.

Both characters have two different stories of who stormed out the morning after their hookup and

it’s two different stories that no one but them can actually confirm the truth of that morning.

During a part in the book, as we are reading about Amber’s thoughts in court, she fantasizes

about him and being with him in bed which gives an off feeling because she is accusing him of

rape. Or when Tom’s roommate, Jayson, confirms to Tom that Amber was into it, then later

confesses the opposite in court. So it’s quite conflicting to really take a side in this story, and

Ziegler has definitely made sure to have the audience really think about the different subjects of

matters between race, privilege, and the complex hookup culture in college. Personally, I try my

Alyson Yuen

English 001B

February 2, 2023

Professor Staylor

best to not let bias affect my decision because it’s only fair that both sides are carefully looked at

instead of looking at it based on gender or race. Sexual assault cases should not be taken lightly

and although Tom and Amber are facing a battle, it’s hard to determine who is at fault here.

Actually a new play by Anna Ziegler Representation: Seth Glewen The Gersh Agency 41 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10010 212-634-8124 | [email protected]

2

Characters Amber: early-mid 20s, high-strung, talkative, charmingly neurotic. She is Jewish. Tom: early-mid 20s, appealing and confident with some swagger that conceals a deeper vulnerability. He is African-American.

3

(Lights up on a college party. Princeton. Two students, freshmen— Amber and Tom—are outside on the quad. A first date. Sort of. They’re drinking. A lot.)

AMBER Let’s do another one. Let’s do Two Truths and a Lie. TOM No. AMBER Come on. TOM Okay. I have two truths for you…I hate games and I hate that game. AMBER But you’ll play it. TOM And why would I do that? AMBER If you wanna sleep with me tonight, for one thing. TOM (without missing a beat) Okay, who goes first? (A shift in tone. Amber faces the audience. ) AMBER So, like… TOM (to the audience) In some ways I’ve been on trial my entire life. Like every minute of every day of my life. AMBER

4

It wasn’t an actual trial. It was a hearing but it felt like a trial. We sat across from each other. At these long wooden tables. I felt like I was a character in The Crucible. Maybe because our “trial” was in a classroom where I’d happened to read The Crucible earlier that semester. TOM We sat across from each other. AMBER The room was very cold. I had to wear two layers. The cardigan I carry with me because I am always cold but also my jacket. Inside. TOM I couldn’t believe how cold this girl got. She’d have goose bumps like sitting outside on a 75 degree day.

AMBER See it became, almost immediately, “the matter of Anthony dash Cohen.” (bashfully) Which I couldn’t help thinking looked like what our last name would be if we got married? TOM I get an email from the Office of the Vice Provost of Institutional Equity and Diversity. It’s from some dude named Leslie. He made it clear that he was a dude by saying “because the name can be ambiguous I want to make you aware that I am a man.” I’m told to come into the office “at my very earliest convenience.

AMBER (back to the audience) What happened was I told Heather who told our RA Olivia who told whoever she told. TOM I honestly thought maybe this was about my being an asshole for not joining the Black Student Union. AMBER But I didn’t know Heather would tell anyone. She just came into my room and was like “Amber. People are saying you were topless at Cap and Gown last night. What the fuck. Were you super wasted?” And I’m like “that’s the least of it. I mean, Thomas Anthony practically raped me.” And she looked at me with these wide eyes, like she

5

was kind of seeing me for the first time, and what she saw both impressed and horrified her?…And I knew immediately that I said something I couldn’t take back. (Back in the scene) TOM (getting a little frustrated) So…are you gonna—

AMBER Okay my first truth is: I thought I’d fall in love on my first day of college. TOM First day. Wow. AMBER (she speaks very fast) Well, my parents did. My dad was my mom’s professor in a class called History of the American South and she liked his accent and in a sort of twisted way that he was old enough to be her father and I guess he liked being able to lord it over her and probably her looks –my mom was very attractive back then – because then they were together. TOM That was allowed back then? AMBER You don’t even know if anything I just said was true. TOM Okay. Fair point. AMBER Second one: I have never excelled at any sport. TOM But you’re on the squash team. AMBER Third one: I have no feelings for you whatsoever.

6

(Tom stares at her.) So now you guess. TOM No, I know. I’m thinking. AMBER Lay out your thought process. TOM Well, I’m an arrogant bastard so I think you do like me…And that shit about your parents is either too detailed to be a lie or so detailed it’s the obvious lie. AMBER Hm. Interesting. TOM You’re on a team here so I think you’ve excelled at sports. And I’m way confident you’re into me— AMBER So you’ve said. TOM So I’ll go with the lie is about your parents. AMBER The lie was not about my parents. TOM Then you’re no good at sports. AMBER I’m no good at sports. TOM How the hell did you get on the squash team? AMBER Anyone can get on the squash team.

7

TOM Is that right. AMBER I mean, you don’t have to be great. You can be good. Or just okay. It’s a great way to help you get into college. Just like being black. TOM Um. You know you can’t say that. Right? AMBER But it’s not a micro-aggression or anything. TOM Cause it’s like a macro-aggression. AMBER Come on. Everyone has things that help them get in. I’m not saying either of us is remotely unqualified to be here. TOM (in disbelief) Wow. Okay. AMBER No, I’m sure you’re super smart. You had to beat out a shit ton of other black kids to get in. I just had to beat out some other mediocre squash players. TOM You think my only competition was other black kids? AMBER Mainly, yeah. We all fill some stupid niche, which reduces us to something much less than what we are, but that’s the way it goes. Has it been very hard for you, being black? TOM (laughing) God, you really are a piece of work.

8

AMBER But has it? TOM (back to the audience) So I’m sitting across from Leslie, and the guy has an enormous beard. Part of me wonders if maybe there is a woman behind there. AMBER So I’m like “well…yeah.” And she’s like “well, yeah what?” and I tell her what happened. Or what I can remember. But I don’t tell Heather everything. I mean, why should Heather know everything? TOM And he’s like “I assume you know why you’re here” and I’m like “enlighten me, Leslie” not realizing I shouldn’t be, like, a dick right now. And he squints his eyes at me like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. Okay, so even though my mom was always like “don’t give anyone any reason to write you off” or maybe because of that – I’m not great at gauging when I should be polite. Like in 11th grade I once said to the school psychologist: “who’s your shrink, shrink?” I mean, like, I had this one weird thing and my high school sent me into therapy. What’s that all about? AMBER So I just say to Heather that things went pretty far and she’s like but that’s not rape and I’m like I know that Heather. What might have maybe constituted something approaching sex without my one hundred percent consent was that he got a tiny bit rough with me and at first I was like into it but then I wasn’t into it anymore and I was like “actually, um” and I stood up, but he pulled me back and kept going. Also I was just so, so drunk. TOM (back in the scene) It’s my turn, right? AMBER I’m all ears.

9

TOM Okay, so I guess I’ll say…in the spirit of truth… AMBER Or maybe a lie. TOM If I can, one day I’d like to play piano professionally. Like in a symphony. Or jazz piano. Or the orchestra pit of Hamilton or something along those lines. AMBER Oh god I love that show. TOM (impressed) You saw it?? AMBER No. TOM The second one is…my mom is the love of my life. AMBER Aw. That’s sweet. That better not be a lie or you’re kind of deranged. TOM I am capable of some pretty poor behavior. AMBER (flirty) Oh yeah? TOM The third one is… (He thinks for awhile) I feel most out of place when people would assume I feel most comfortable. AMBER Like when?

10

TOM You don’t even know if that one’s true. AMBER I know it’s true. The question is which of the other two is the lie. TOM Oh fuck. AMBER What. TOM I fucked it up. AMBER You forgot to lie. TOM I straight up told you I hate games. AMBER Wanna do it over? TOM I’m just too honest. What can I say? AMBER Then tell me some other things that are true. TOM (to the audience) I was playing the piano in one of the music rooms during a free period. And this teacher Emily Mackey, who couldn’t be more than five feet tall, and who teaches percussion, (which is like “percussion”—who even takes that?), she walks in and asks if I’d mind if she listened to me play. I was like sure, be my guest, and I just kept playing. And yeah, maybe I stepped it up a little because I had an audience. And maybe it wasn’t totally lost on me that Ms. Mackey looked about eighteen and also that she was a type I hadn’t tried before –

11

boy body, flat-chested, short

Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers

Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.

Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS

Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?

Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.

We write plagiarism Free Content

Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.

Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.