Susan Brownmiller poses with her book in New York, Oct. 18, 1975.
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Suzanne Vlamis/AP
Susan Brownmiller, renowned author of the influential book Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape, has passed away at the age of 90. Historian Claire Bond Potter, who is currently working on a biography of Brownmiller, confirmed her death.
Published in 1975, Against Our Will was a groundbreaking work that delved into the history of rape, challenging the prevalent notion that victims shared responsibility for the crime.
Against Our Will achieved widespread acclaim for being the first accessible book on sexual assault, urging readers to view rape not just as a criminal act but as a tool for maintaining male dominance through fear.
Brownmiller dedicated four years to researching and writing Against Our Will, meticulously examining topics such as wartime mass rape, biases against female victims within the legal system, and societal attitudes that perpetuate myths like the “she-was-asking-for-it” narrative.
In her own words, Brownmiller stated, “From prehistoric times to the present, I believe, rape has played a critical function. It is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear.”
Against Our Will has been translated into multiple languages and was recognized as one of The New York Public Library’s Books of the Century. Brownmiller was honored as one of Time magazine’s Women of the Year in 1975. Despite receiving praise from feminists, the book faced criticism from Black Civil Rights activists for its handling of race in the context of rape history.
The most controversial chapter of Against Our Will was “A Question of Race.” Brownmiller sparked debate by referencing FBI data that suggested a disproportionate number of rapes were committed by Black men. She also discussed the case of Emmett Till, portraying his actions in a way that drew criticism from human rights activist Angela Davis for perpetuating racist ideas.
Angela Davis, in her book Women, Race and Class, highlighted the problematic portrayal of race and gender in Brownmiller’s work, pointing out the biased narrative surrounding Emmett Till and his murderers.
Later in her life, Brownmiller faced criticism from feminists for comments she made in an interview, where she seemed to insinuate that young women bore some responsibility if they were sexually assaulted due to their choice of attire or behavior.
In reflecting on her life’s journey, Brownmiller credited her commitment to fighting violence against women to her upbringing and the lessons she learned about the Holocaust and pogroms during her time in Hebrew School.
In a new preface she wrote for a later edition of Against Our Will in 2013, Brownmiller acknowledged the progress made in combating sexual assault and expressed pride in the impact her work had on shifting perceptions of assaultive acts against women and children.
Jennifer Vanasco edited this story.
