For the Love of Laura: A Critical Analysis of the Campus Disco Rape

On Wednesday’s General Hospital, Laura experienced a very revealing moment during her conversation with Tracy that needs exploring. Or rather, it added credence to a theory batted around about the infamous “seduction” rape of Laura by Luke at the Campus Disco, oh so many years ago. The rape and subsequent love story that followed were easily two of the most controversial storylines ever on a soap opera.

Married Too Young
During the conversation with Tracy (Jane Elliott), Laura (Genie Francis) opened up about her early marriage to Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner), saying it was more like she was playing house. This confirms the belief that Laura married Scotty more to escape her home (in an attempt to assert her adulthood) than due to a deep love for the man himself. Enter sexy and dangerous Luke (Tony Geary), whom Laura felt an intense connection to early on. She knew how he felt and could have avoided him but instead she leaned more and more on him. She was attracted to him, but because she was very young when she married, she didn’t have a full grasp that you could love two men at the same time and certainly didn’t know what true love really felt like.

A Tale of Two Victims
Yes, there is no question that Laura said “no” to Luke that fateful night. But the General Hospital writers always swore they were telling a story of two victims. Luke fully believed he was going to die soon at the hands of the local mob. He was drinking, and when he saw the woman of his dreams, he begged her to leave because he knew he wasn’t in control of himself. Laura stayed because she cared about Luke and could see something was horribly wrong and desperate about him.

Complex Writing
Luke ended up raping his beloved Laura that night, but when he heard she had been raped, it never occurred to him that he was the perpetrator. For her part, Laura didn’t name him as her rapist. This tale was written before the nation’s acknowledgment of acquaintance rape. It was a story about a man at the end of his rope and a confused young woman who had trouble understanding her complex feelings for that man. He was teetering on the edge – of sanity, society, and the law – and felt together they would heal each other’s pain through forgiveness and love. It’s a story that’s captivated millions for over 35 years.

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