Hi Tasha!
Great question and points, but another woman brought up your concerns in the comments earlier. I wrote a response which you can read here:
As to the chambermaid reference, I think it’s important to note that in addition to non-fiction I write fiction as well. Characters in stories are messy and to create more believable characters you have to create questionable moral dilemmas for them. It also allows your characters to make the right decision, or grow and learn while creating an engaging character arc (which was what I was referencing). If we are to paint the world as it is or even in fantasy and science fiction, there will be moments that make us despise characters or cheer for them. In the current novel I’m writing for NaNoWriMo, there’s a scene that involves the rape of a character. I don’t go into detail, but I wanted to paint a cultural critique on rape culture in a fantasy setting. Author N.K. Jesmin does this amazingly well in her Broken Earth fantasy trilogy in regards to racism and misogyny.
While not the most endearing terms, settings, examples, or stories, were we as writers not allowed to create worlds, storylines, or dilemmas that push on people’s pressure points, then our fiction and nonfiction would be very one sided and begin to sound the same and is not a world many of us would want to live in.
I hope that answers your question more clearly and precisely in regards to what I’ve written.
