Sexual assault is an incredibly mature, sensitive, and disturbing topic to discuss, but it can be even harder to teach. However, by examining literature that depicts sexual assault, readers can develop empathy for the characters by understanding how trauma manifests and acknowledging that no two assaults are the same. Readers gain insight into the victim and the perpetrator and people outside the abuse, such as family and friends. This thesis explores sexual assault narratives that cover incestuous sexual assault, stranger, acquaintance, and gray rape. These narratives are told from the perspective of memoir, semi-autobiographical, and fiction—realistic and historical—to adequately provide a much-needed platform for discussing these horrific and brutal acts of violence. The literature in this thesis also provides a model for educators who want to use this literature to better inform their students about what they may face as they go through life and how their education can protect others. Learning about these texts and teaching them is how the stigma attached to sexual assault gets destroyed.
