Now, should we treat women as independent agents, responsible for themselves? Of course. But being responsible has nothing to do with being raped. Women don’t get raped because they were drinking or took drugs. Women do not get raped because they weren’t careful enough. Women get raped because someone raped them.”
-- Jessica Valenti (chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: Jessica Valenti, in her book, “The Purity Myth,” describes the fundamental reason why a woman is raped, dispelling excuses that some may offer in defense of a rapist.

No more than 20 percent of rapes are reported to the police, a statistic that defies comprehension until one looks closely at how sexual-assault cases are adjudicated in the United States.
-- Jon Krakauer (chapter 1 paragraph 17)

Importance: The author hints at a problem within the U.S. justice system that is behind the reluctance of the majority of rape victims to report the crimes.

Men and women think completely differently. Men are much more concrete. In...
-- Detective Merifield (chapter 6 paragraph 61)