Rape Fantasies

What is the theme in Rape Fantasies by Margaret Atwood?

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Victim and Victimization are other themes in the short story.Though not evident at first, Estelle's monologue becomes an exploration of victims and victimization. She recounts her fantasies of being a victim, yet the reason she does so is to poss1bly prevent herself from becoming a victim. Though her coworkers claim she is a worry wart, she sees her fantasies as simply a way of "figuring out what you should do in an emergency." The fantasies also reveal that Estelle considers her imagined rapists to themselves be victims--of bad skin, of mental illness, or of leukemia. In the end, Estelle's best defense against victimization is a strong offense. In her fantas1es, she actively initiates conversations with her would-be rapists in order to establish their common humanity. "How could a fellow do that to a person he's just had a long conversation with, once you let them know you're human, you have a life too," she wonders.