It follows that, when we have a sense that a woman is “playing the victim,” “pulling the gender card,” or being overly dramatic, we have reasons to be critical and doubtful of our instincts (Schraub 2016). What she is doing may stand out not because she’s claiming more than her due but because we’re not used to women claiming their due in these contexts. Women are rather expected to provide an audience for dominant men’s victim narratives, providing moral care, listening, sympathy, and soothing.
