Running head: Picking Cotton Informative Analysis

Hannah R Fudold
Picking Cotton Informative Analysis
University of Kentucky
CIS 110-006

Abstract

PICKING COTTON INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS

I read chapter 2 in Communicate! and apply concepts related to the perception process to the
situation, people, and relationships portrayed in the University of Kentucky common
reader, Picking Cotton. Specifically, I discuss how did the individuals in this novel engage in the
steps of the perception process, and how this affected the situation and outcome. I address the
examples of distorted or inaccurate perceptions. I make a recommendation for the individuals
(and people in general) on how to improve their perceptions of others. As part
of this essay research, I engaged in additional research regarding the ways perceptions can affect
communication, and applied these concepts to the common reader. I also found examples of
other events that involve issues of self- and other- perceptions, comparing/contrasting them with
the situation involved in Picking Cotton.

In the novel Picking Cotton, a young woman, Jennifer was sexually assaulted.
Throughout the novel, the story is told through not only her perspective, but also from the man
that was falsely accused be her, and eventually convicted. By doing this the common reader not

PICKING COTTON INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS

only get the story of what happened, but also two different outlooks on the events that took place.
This gives the common reader two different perceptions of the story other from their own.
Perception is the process of selectively attending and assigning meaning to information (Gibson,
1966). For a perception to be made, there must be certain key items to be considered, such as the
individuals background, personality, experiences, age, and so on. The relationship that the
University of Kentucky common reader was aiming for was that the incident was an horrifying
situation and to make students aware of what can actually happen to anyone at anytime. If the
common reader fails to read the novel, then it may be seen as them not being able to understand
the severity of rape.
In the novel, Jennifer was a young college girl with a boyfriend that she was most likely going
to marry down the road until the incident occurred. In order for her to form a perception of what
had happened she had to offer a nonjudgmental description of the behavior that
led to her perception, (Communicate, 2-1). In this case, when she had to give
the description, she had to state to the police what had happened repeatedly
without waver in her description. Then she had to offer her interpretation of
the event, she was frozen, she was almost in shock where the reality of it
hadnt hit her, she found it unbelievable, (Communicate, 2-1). She then had
to offer a second interpretation, (Communicate, 2-1). This consisted of her
having to look from a different view of the situation. Her perceptions effected
the outcome greatly. Much so that her perception put a man behind bars, not
to mention the wrong man, whom was innocent and had nothing to do with
the entire situation. Her perception of how he looked was distorted in the
sense that she convicted the wrong man. One of the struggles she did face

PICKING COTTON INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS

was the fact of being alone, she was unable to confide in her family as they
saw it as a shameful thing even though it was out of her control. In another
circumstance, her very boyfriend that she had intentions to marry had asked
her the question of if she enjoyed it. Something the common reader who has
not experienced this in their life, is not able to see or feel how personal this
felt to her. When someone asks if rape was enjoyable. Jennifer had mixed
perceptions that imprisoned the wrong man, but was also struggling through
a lot on her own without the support of even her family or boyfriend.
Ronald Cotton on the other hand had no perception of the situation at
hand. He was called into the station for a line up and then was told that he
was a rapist and then put to trial. He had no reliable alibi for that night to
support his innocence so was convicted for 10 years in prison and would
have served longer if they hadnt concluded that it was the wrong man that
they put behind bars. His perception though on the other hand was more
reliable than Jennifers seeing as she recalled the wrong face and Ronald had
done nothing in this case. If Ronald, on the other hand would have been able
to give an alibi for the night that Jennifer was assaulted, then he would have
been able to avoid false imprisonment. Again though, how were they to know
that on a single night that they would need an alibi for this reason. There was
no way to do so in this sense.
This story can relate to me in a way that it can not for most individuals, but
there are a group of people who can. That group are the people who are rape
victims, such as myself. During January 16th of 2016 I had found myself at a

PICKING COTTON INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS

party with a group of friends, this party which had been thrown by a
fraternity that was from the University of Kentucky, where I attend college. I
had consumed alcohol that night along with my friends but not quite to the
point where I had blacked out or completely forgotten what happened. I
however, had enough alcohol that had me to the point of having a few
unmemorable moments of the night. By the end of the night, I had been
forced into a small bathroom towards the back of the the party house and
was assaulted. I later got away and found my way into the hands of my best
friend and in the hospital. The main factor that put a time constraint on the
persecution of the rapist was the fact that I had been under the influence.
Upon research, it was discovered that if a person is mentally incapacitated,
which means that a person is rendered temporarily incapable of appraising
or controlling his conduct as a result of the influence of an intoxicating
substance administered to him without his consent or as a result of any other
act committed upon him without his consent, which in this instance was
alcohol (Kentucky Revised Statues, KRS Chapter 510.020). In this
circumstance, this would be considered a failure to give consent, in other
words, rape in the first degree (Kentucky Revised Statues, KRS Chapter
510.040). According to Kentucky State law, which is the state in which the
assault took place in, the case should have been in favor of the victim, but it
remained an unsolved case and was left open.
In the book Picking Cotton, Ronald Cotton had been convicted of rape in
the first degree and had been sentenced. Something that sparks my interest,

PICKING COTTON INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS

is how she was able to accuse the wrong person of assaulting her. The
difference between myself and another common reader is that we both seem
this concept absurd, but in the situation itself, a common reader who has not
experienced this type of assault is not able to understand the extent of how
ludicrous Jennifer is for what she did. I can recall every detail about the man
who had assaulted me as Jennifer claims she can, she seemed so confident,
yet she put the wrong man behind bars. Our situations may not have been
exactly the same, seeing as she was in her own home and I was in another
persons home, but the matter of the fact is, it that she should have never
accused the wrong person. I find that more absurd than the average
common reader would see this as, or being able to understand what it is
actually like having to point out the correct person. This is an example of
how distorted and inaccurate her perception was and how the common
reader may see this as an easy thing to do. When in fact, in my opinion, it
can be extremely difficult to accuse an incorrect person of a crime that the
victim is so close to the accused. It is seen as very easy in the novel, when in
fact it may be more difficult as Jennifer played it so easy to do so.
I would recommend individuals to improve their perceptions of others by
expanding their thinking and trying to see different view points from people
with different experiences and different backgrounds. Jennifer as well as
many other individuals have experienced this type of assault, some of the
common readers lack to even read the novel Picking Cotton in thought that
they already know what is going to happen, when in fact they do not. This

PICKING COTTON INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS

novel is not just an ordinary tale of what Jennifer experienced, but it told the
story from the perspective of both the victim and the falsely accused. Which
gives the common reader, who did choose to participate in reading Picking
Cotton, insight on the events that took place.
Jennifer did go about accusing the assailant in all the right ways, of which
included going to the police and filing a report. This can also be seen as a
very difficult thing to do, especially seeing as 83% of women that have been
sexually assaulted have failed to report it (Beckford).

Citations

Kentucky Legislature. (2016, February 23). Lack of consent. Chapter 510.020. 1.

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=40849

Kentucky Legislature. (2016, February 23). Definitions for chapter. Chapter 510.010. 1.
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=40848

Beckford. (2012, March 12). 80% of women dont report rape or sexual assault, survey claims.
80% of women dont report rape or sexual assault, survey claims.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9134799/Sexual-assault-survey-80-ofwomen-dont-report-rape-or-sexual-assault-survey-claims.html

Kentucky Legislature. (2016, February 23). Definitions for chapter. Chapter 510.010. 3.

PICKING COTTON INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=40848

Kentucky Legislature. (2016, February 23). Definitions for chapter. Chapter 510.010. 5.
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=40848