Sex and Violence

As Mary sits in the morgue looking down at the corpse of Colin, she begins to formulate a thesis as to the violence inherent in male/female relations. Men are born with a desire to hurt and women with being hurt. Robert and Caroline are the perfect example of this relationship - this much is obvious. However, the theory of the natural oppressor and the naturally oppressed is Robert's guiding principle and, given his behaviors, it is nearly impossible to accept this at face value. Even Mary, who would like to explain this horrible symbiosis to Colin's dead body, cannot speak. As an aggressive feminist, she might be expected to agree with Robert on this one point of human nature; but when she is brought nose to nose with the truth, she realizes that she does not believe this.

The marriage of sex and violence, in...