1. Choose a line, and then analyze
the passage in a reader response in which you explain why this
portion stood out to you. Try to make sense of it. Did it raise
questions? Did it confuse you? What part of the language stood out to
you? Why did Atwood choose to describe the passage in the way that she
did-- how do her literary choices lead to meaning? Friday, February 1, 2013
C-BAND: HANDMAID'S TALE (191-211)
1. Choose a line, and then analyze
the passage in a reader response in which you explain why this
portion stood out to you. Try to make sense of it. Did it raise
questions? Did it confuse you? What part of the language stood out to
you? Why did Atwood choose to describe the passage in the way that she
did-- how do her literary choices lead to meaning? 
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"I'd like to have Luke here, in the bedroom while I'm getting dressed, so I could have a fight with him. Absurd, that that's what I want. An argument, about who should put the dishes in the dishwasher, whose turn it is to sort the laundry, clean the toilet; something daily and unimportant in the big scheme of things...What a luxury it would be" (200).
ReplyDeleteAll Offred really wants is some sense of normality back in her life. It would be weird if a marriage didn't have fights about things liked doing the dishes, the laundry, or any other sort of busy work. That stage of relationship is Offred's comfort zone, and she wants it back. She admits to herself that these kinds of things are meaningless in the big picture, but they are still signs of the life she once had that was taken away from her. She uses the word "daily," which suggests that not only did these happen every day, but now she thinks about them every day as well.
Lily Cook
DeleteI completely agree-Offred longs for the frivolous fights that she used to have, because now her life is completely the opposite, in the sense that every decision she makes is extremely important.
I agree with this and I think that because of her freedom being so restricted, she just wants to do whatever she wants. Offred not only wants to see Luke, she wants to have the freedom to express her feelings and not have a guy to just have sex with to be there. Offred wants the freedom to simply have decisions and keep her live less bland and generic.
DeleteLily Cook
ReplyDeleteThe quote that stood out to me was on page 209, when Offred talks about how the Commander is drinking Scotch and water when she goes to see him. She says, "When I kiss him goodnight, as if I mean it, his breath smells of alcohol, and I breathe it in like smoke." It interests me that she says she kisses him "as if she means it", like she is using him and pretending that her displays of affection are genuine. But when she contemplates asking the Commander for a cigarette, she decides against it because she doesn't want him to think she's using him. So I think that she is aware that she's using him to a certain extent, but she doesn't want to make it obvious.
I think Offred likes the idea of having a connection with a man or anyone for that matter but is scared to open up or even love someone of such a higher power like The Commander. For example, on page 210 she states, "His head is a little below mine, so that when he lookes up at me it's at a juvenile angle, It must amuse his, this fake subservience." That she refers to his gaze as a "fake subservience" means that she sees his letting her in as all fake, and that he does not really care. From this view I think she holds herself back and tries to act like she only sticks around to use his for things like cigarettes or lotion.
DeleteI agree that she is using him to an extent. I think she is scared to open up to him because of his power and because of her lack there of. I think that she uses him only when given the opportunity to. At one point the commander asks her what would make her life better and she replies asking to know what is going on. In situations like that I think Offred is using the Commander completely. I also don't think Offred would ever just ask the Commander what was going on without him asking her first.
DeleteOlivia Shlansky
The quote that I chose is, "Though maybe it's not Your doing; I don't believe for an instant that what's going on out there is what You meant" (194). In this quote Atwood shows how Offred understands that this was not God's doing and that really meaning of religion and values has been twisted. This clearly shows how Atwood is trying to explain that the ideals of women in this society, or even in our society today, are twisted from words that never truly meant to oppress women. It is easy to pick apart overarching ideas and make it hold a new meaning. Offred wished that God would set this straight and she would not continue with "what's going on out there". This reminds me of today where certain people pick apart The Bible to prove that gay marriage is wrong, when that view was never meant to be a main idea coming from The Bible. I wonder if actions like this will ever change in a society or is there will always be misinterpretations.
ReplyDeleteEve, I agree with this interesting perspective in that people mold and twist these powerful ideas like religion to oppress certain groups. it seems to me that this will change in future societies to come. it seems that certain groups, once targeted lose faith in their religions. i saw this in Offred as she was contemplating suicide in that she is losing faith in the beliefs and values of her society.
Deletei chose the quote on page 195, " Oh God. It's no joke. Oh God oh God. How long can i keep on living?' Atwood ended the chapter with this power quote from Offred. just this question of her wondering, thinking of her existence. This is a new step for her, in that she is standing out of this oblivious society, thinking of how her life isn't satisfying. i think Offred is beginning to realize that her life her in the Gilead is meaningless and is wondering how important she really is. before this, Offred talks about her telephone and how she cannot use it and says that even if she could use it, she says, "who could i call?'. This shows how there is little Offred can do in this life. This lack of purpose and connection to others is what leds her to question her existence and contemplate suicide.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Offred distinguishes her self in this segment. Offred's decision to pray with her eyes open,not on the side of the bed, and talking to god instead of reciting formally demonstrates her rebellion against this regime. Offred has always known she was as meaningless as any other hand maid in Gilead, why now does she start to care? Why now is she so fed up with her life that she contemplates suicide? Do you think she would ever take her own life, or is she still so connected to her old life with Luke that she would be too scared?
DeleteI agree, Offred distinguishes her self in this segment. Offred's decision to pray with her eyes open,not on the side of the bed, and talking to god instead of reciting formally demonstrates her rebellion against this regime. Offred has always known she was as meaningless as any other hand maid in Gilead, why now does she start to care? Why now is she so fed up with her life that she contemplates suicide? Do you think she would ever take her own life, or is she still so connected to her old life with Luke that she would be too scared?
ReplyDelete“That way I could keep the match…There it would be, at night, under me while I’m in bed. Sleeping on it. I could burn the house down. Such a fine thought, it makes me shiver. An escape, quick and narrow” (209).
ReplyDeleteWhen Offred is allowed to have a match by Serena Joy, she immediately gets a small amount of respect from Rita. I think because of the kind acknowledgement Offred receives, she automatically feels a sense of higher status than being a Handmaid. Through this quote Atwood demonstrates that Offred is not used to having any freedom or power anymore, but is willing to take small and dangerous measures to feel less inferior. It shows that she's becoming more like Moira, but why? Is it because she really is miserable and wants to escape, or because she wants to prove to everyone that she can make it out of that place? I think this quote shows how power can get out of control if it were to be in the hands of too many individuals. I wonder if Offred would really dare to set the house on fire or even escape, or if she just states these things in order to convince herself of having the ability to have some options/choices.
I think you pose a really interesting point. Offred contemplates ways of "escaping." Whether it it suicide, setting the house on fire or running away, all of these ideas are quick and easy. But, she never actually follows through and does any of them. I don't know whether this is because she has created a relationship with the Commander or because she knows she could just be labeled "another of of those" women that kill themselves or run away. I think she just wants to know she has the ability to take matters into her own hands and do something drastic.
DeleteI too found it interesting that Offred enjoyed the idea of burning down the house so much that it even made her "shiver". I think this shows how desperate Offred is, and how even a seemigly stable person can be driven to do insane things when under such repressive conditions. It also shows how un-stable Gilead is. Even though there is the pretense of peace and normality, beneath it everyone is desperate to escape, to die even. To answer your question, I think that Offred really could set the house on fire, considering how desperate she has become for an out. But, I agree that he most likely also just wants to believe that she has a choice in her life.
Delete"I sit in my chair the wreath on the ceiling floating above my head, like a frozen halo, a zero" (200). This quote stood out to me because it really has been showing me how much of a toll this environment has been taking over her life and making more depressing every day. Atwood makes this quotation seem like those depression medication commercials that have the cloud over the client's head. The frozen halo makes it seem like what was once good, 'froze' or stopped. So to thaw the ice, the environment she's in needs to change. Atwood uses in what I believe is a simile, to symbolize a frozen halo as Offred's state in an environment she is not fond of as well as missing most of her family member who don't have the same life she does.
ReplyDeleteI did not pay attention to this quote while reading, but reading your analysis I agree with you that the halo could have been Atwood's way to show the reader that all the good in Offred's life has stopped. Usually halos represent something good just like angels. But if the halo is frozen, and the angels are something feared in this book then it does show Offred life is very sad, and how all the good has been taken away. Does she still have the same amount of hope like before?
DeleteI like your analysis, Nik. And to answer Diana's question, I think that Offred was becoming so accustomed to this life,"... I wait, for the arrival of the inevitable egg"(200),that she was losing hope. But then Serena Joy tells Offred that she might be able to give her a picture of her daughter, if she gets pregnant by Nick and then Offred seems to become very hopeful again.
DeleteAlso, the fact that this halo is described as in the shape of a "zero" is interesting in terms of her value in this society.
Delete“That’s one of the things they do. They force you to kill, within yourself” (Pg.193
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about Luke killing their cat, Offred realizes that every decision she and Luke make on what to do in order to deal with the situation is exactly what this new regime wants her to do. They want her to turn into a co-dependent housewife, and they want Luke to kill the cat. This new government’s tactic is to control their citizens; by having their citizens lose control of themselves. Killing the cat symbolizes the abandonment of their morals and therefore a lose of control over their lives, this is what Offred means when she says “they force you to kill, within yourself.” They drive women to harm themselves so much, that there is nothing left of them. They then use these thoughtless empty women for the only thing Gilead see’s in them, their ovaries. Offred now realizes that this is what her mother and Moira were constantly ranting about, trying to warn her. Offred makes her thoughts clear, her anger, temptations, regrets, and fear come through the book. To everyone around her she must be a blank slate, as she is when is she is talking to the commander about her opinion, “ I don’t think a lot, I say lightly” (pg. 211).
Ella, I agree with you completely. This quote also stood out to me when reading. I think the idea of Offred losing who she is and becoming nothing is brought up a lot. Especially in this passage there are many references, at the bottom of 193, she says it is her fault that she is forgetting so much. I think this ties in to the idea that their society is turning women in to nothing and only using them for sex.
DeleteYes thats what i was trying to get across in my post! But i wouldn't say they are using them for sex, I would say they are using them for babies. This is a huge and extremeley important difference!
Delete"Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some." (211)
ReplyDeleteHere, we see the two different points of view between the Commander and Offred. When the Commander says "better never means better for everyone," he means that it is better to know that things will never get better, rather than saying it will be better even though it won't. While Offred is saying that it doesn't always apply to everyone. Maybe things will never get better for the Commander and he knows that and is fine with it, but things will/can get worse for the Handmaids and that isn't "better for everyone." If they don't get pregnant by a certain point, they will be looked upon as useless and incomplete, while the Commander will just have sex with another woman and it won't be a problem. Do you think the Commander will change is opinion on this topic now that he has built a relationship with Offred?
I chose this same quote but I look at it in a different way. When he says that, I think that he means someone will always be harmed or disappointed as a result of someone else's benefit. If someone is a winner than that is good for them, but then that means someone else must be a loser, which is worse for them. It's sort of like there's two sides to every action, and affects both sides differently, so better and worse go hand and hand.
DeleteI agree with Adrian, where there is a winner there must also be a loser. But this begs the question would the Commander ever allow his own situation to get worse in order for someone else's to get better? Perhaps the answer is no, but Offred is going to change that in him. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw the Commander making some sacrifices in an effort to help Offred, possibly even help her escape.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"There was nothing to work for, nothing to fight for..You know what they were complaining about the most? Inability to feel. Men were turning off to sex, even. They were turning on marriage" (pg. 210).
ReplyDeleteI found this passage particularly interesting because it gives a window into the past. It seems that the Commander is suggesting that the world just became too easy. Un-bearably so. Is he suggesting that the world was almost too perfect? That life, when there is nothing more to overcome, becomes meaningless. If this was why they altered everything, then do they really think things are better now? It seems like they created conflict soley for the purpose of having conflict. Or perhaps, the men wanted to feel power again. Perhaps they were threatened by how women had begun to reach the same level of jobs and treatment as they did. The Commander specifically states how hard things were for men before, stating that men didn't enjoy sex and men didn't enjoy marriage. Does he think this way of life is better because it is a world in which the men are in the position of power again?
I completely understand where you are coming from. Later on in the chapter, the commander continues on to say "Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for someone." (211)I found this really interesting and after reading your comment it made me think about what he meant. Maybe he meant that the situation became better for the men and worse for the women.
Delete"Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse for some."
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me particularly because this was a conversation that I was having with someone recently. If something happens to someone that is good for them, almost always there will be someone receiving a negative outcome from that same event. In a world of winners, there will always be losers, which means some people will always be suffering. But what I don't understand is, who is benefiting from this world of Gilead? No one seems to enjoy themselves at all in this world, and there is no background as to where these motives for the people who run this world come from. It also reminded me of how Moira was talking about Offred poaching other women's men. Offred did not look at it to be a bad thing; in fact she looks at it as a wonderful thing. She loves Luke, and she doesn't think twice about the affair. But the other woman probably does not think the same. From Offred's betterment, she gets the short end of the stick.
That's a really interesting point about how no one seems to be benefiting from this new society, Adrian. I agree that no one seems to be happy, and even if they have a sort of power or authority in Gilead, there is no joy. The motives for such a world do not make any sense to me. Perhaps it is all in the eye of the beholder as to who is benefiting and who is suffering. If no one is benefiting and everyone is suffering, couldn't that also mean that everyone IS benefiting? If everyone is losing, then there is no difference between losing and winning and therefore everyone is winning as well.
Delete"Stay with me, I want to say. But they won't. It's my fault. I am forgetting too much."(193)
ReplyDeleteThis idea about Offred always being alone or feeling alone is reoccurring. She is always talks about how she misses her life and how she miss the feeling of being touched or just having someone there. She constantly is having flashbacks and discussing her past life and seems like she just wants to feel. She doesn't seem to have real relationships that let her have emotions and I think that is why she becomes upset when she forgets her life before. She is afraid of forgetting because eventually she will just be a Handmaid with nothing. She will be completely alone and will be heartless. Later in the section she says that Serena Joy is "made of wood or iron" because she has no heart and Offred fears ending up like her and being alone with no one.
Lila, I agree. I like what you wrote about Offred and her lack of relationships. I wrote about something similar in my blogpost. I think that one of the saddest parts of Offred's reality is the fact that with all of her memories she becomes more depressed. It's hard to think about your past when you know you cannot have it. On one hand it's happy and joyous, and on another hand, it's very awful to know that you'll never have that moment again. But if Offred knows what that it hurts her to remember, why does she keep doing it?
Delete"I'd like to have Luke here, in this bedroom while I'm getting dressed, so I could have a fight with him. Absurd, but that's what I want." Page 200.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this quote I was actually very confused. I started thinking about why she would want to have a fight with someone and I immediately thought of the lack of passion in her life. That made sense to me. With passion comes risk, and love, and fear, confusion and many big emotions. However, Offred's life is full of risk and mystery right now. Her secret meetings with the Commander, and the signals with Nick, the fact that she is disobeying the entire system seems to be pretty exciting to me. Why would she want excitement somewhere else? Then I started thinking that maybe there is some comfort not only in a fight but having a fight with someone you really, truly love. When I fight with people like my mom, or sisters, I know that no matter what it'll end up alright. That sounds naive but it's something I thought about when I was reading this quote. Offred doesn't know where her life will end up if she continues living the way that she is. However, with a fight, she gets the feeling of passion but also a sense of safety, and understanding of what the end looks like.
I understand that you believe when you argue or fight with someone you love, you know everything will be alright. I do agree, but this quote also made me think about when someone argues with you it’s because they care about your thoughts. Enough to not let the topic go until you have come to an agreement. Maybe the fact that she knows everything at the end of the fight will be okay is what she does want. She wants this because she craves the feeling of being cared for. She might feel that she is cared for because Luke would keep on fighting and she might think, "He keeps trying to convince me, it bothers him that I disagree, it bothers him because he CARES!!!"It’s funny that this reminds me of The Kite Runner that we read in the summer and how Amir wanted his friend to punch him and argue back at him. It’s so absurd how the human minds thinks we need our loved ones to argue this us to KNOW that they care for us and reassure us that everything is okay in a weird way.
DeleteSydney Anne Valentin (C-Band)
"You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, is what he says. We thought we could do better. Better? I say in a small voice. How can he think this is better? Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for someone." (211)
ReplyDeleteI thought this was significant because this is where both Offred and the readers realize that the commander understands what is going on. He understands that he is one of the luckier ones who got the better half of the change; that some people are really unhappy with the lives that they live now. I also think it's significant that Offred and the Commander can openly have conversations like this with each other and not feel uncomfortable. Earlier on in the passage, Offred says that she is no longer afraid of the commander. The commander treats her as his equal in the times that they spend together.
Yeh I agree, it shows that he isn't as simple, or clueless as he is looked to be by Offred. For example earlier when he gave Offred the hand lotion, she didn't know where to put it and the commander didn't know what she was talking about. I think that he redeemed himself to her and in general in the book.
Delete-Marcello Brattesani
"I look up at her. She looks down. It's the first time we've looked into each other's eyes in a long time. Since we met."
ReplyDeleteAlthough Serena and Offred seem to be getting closer, their relationship is based on selfish intentions, and even at points blackmail by Serena. Serena's offer to get Offred pregnant (thus out of the colonies) though kind, is really in her own self interest because Offred will not raise the child, Serena will. On top of that she plays on Offred's emotions by saying that she will be able to see a picture of her daughter. This reveals that Serena has known where Offred's daughter was all along. Showing another instance of the cruelty that occurs, woman to woman, in Gilead. Furthermore, (although Serena may not know), a switch of partners could put a damper, or even make Offred feel guilty about her and the commanders relationship. As the visits to the commanders office become more frequent, Offred seems to becoming more and more attached to him.
I agree that Offred and the commander seem to be growing closer and their relationship is getting more personal, and I also agree that Serena is only acting to benefit herself. But I don't think there is any other way for either of them to get a leg up on the system. I don't think Serena cares one way or another what happens to Offred as long as she gets pregnant and delivers a healthy child, the same way Offred doesn't care what happens to Serena as long as she gets moved into a better place once her baby is delivered. To me, the way Serena threw in the little part about Offred's daughter makes believe that she knows at least a little bit about what is going on between Offred and the Commander.
DeleteQuote: "Every night when I go to bed I think, in the morning I will wake up in my own house and things will be back the way they were. It hasn't happened this morning, either. I put on my clothes, summer clothes, it's still summer; it seems to have stopped at summer."(pg-199)
ReplyDeleteI find it od how she still thinks that what is happening is a dream. Why can't she just wake up and smell the roses. She should dream how she is going to try to excape, or something simular to that. Does she dream like that maybe because that is her old life and she wants it back to normal or maybe is it because she expects her life to be like that afterwards, and if she excapes? Or is she just ignorant and thinks that this is a dream? I assume that she wants everything to be back to normal, at least "for her." Also why does she say that the clothes that she puts on are her's? I thought that in the beggining she didn't want to say that even the room that she stays in now is her's why would she want to say that these new clothes, the clothes of new life/ society are her's? Maybe she is done fighting, and their are some things that she has to give in to.
-Marcello Brattesani
"We thought we could do better. Better? I say in a small voice. How can he think this is better? Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for someone." (211)
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement that Offred says completely. She finally realizes that the commander understands her life. He understands that even though he has a decent life, she doesn’t and he notices that. Although, he might be grouped with the unhappy people of this twisted society as well. Does it occur to you that he might be unhappy with his position as much as Offred is with her position? What if he wants a relationship where the lady he is married to is the lady that he can have intercourse with? Could he be unhappy with Serena Joy? I think he is. I believe that he wants a close relationship with Offred. It may be because he wants to have a full relationship with a female, instead of having two females for two different purposes. I can tell he looks at Offred as someone he can confide in and looks at her as another intelligent human being. I wonder does he remember the society before this one as much as Offred. Does he want a relationship like the old ones?
Sydney Anne Valentin (C-Band)
I agree with your analysis of this quote; it makes me wonder as to who has the worse position in this society, Offred or the Commander. I think that since the Commander has once admitted to feeling lonely he may be as sad as Offred and that may be the reason why he always requests for her company. Even though I think that he remembers the past society as much as Offred does, I don’t think they remember it the same way due to the fact that he has always lived life as a higher status than her.
DeleteWhen Offerd was remembering what the Commander said to her,"What the Commander said is true.One and one and one and one doesn't equal four. Each one remains unique,there is no way of joining them together."(192)I thought it was a contradiction to what she said earlier in the novel when, oflgen told offred there were more of them that want to change the way things are in Gilead and Offred said,"We have made an opening."(169)This seemed that she had alot of hope that something was going to happen to change the way they lived.But,the first quote shows how she losing hope,and seems to getting accustomed to the way things are being ruled now more that time has passed.
ReplyDeleteYea I noticed that change as well Diana and it seems Offred wants to believe that it's going to change and she continues to hope and dream, but the longer she lives in this society the less that becomes a possibility. I also feel before she hadn't made a decision on how she felt about Gilead but now that she doesn't have hope she begins to really hate this place and tell us that she does. Another way we know she is losing hope is the way she describes her surroundings with deep dark symbols.
Delete“I would help you. I would make sure nothing went wrong” (205).
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because I thought it accurately displayed the relationship between Serena and Offred. There are many separate aspects of the quote that show the types of bond the two of them have. On the one hand, we see a nicer side of Serena. She originally showed signs of not necessarily hatred towards Offred, but she definitely served as an annoyance to her. But now we see her attitude changing and helping Offred with her problem. She even assures her safety and peace of mind, appealing to Offred’s human side. But on the other hand, there are always Serena’s selfish implications to take into account. Perhaps she wants to get this pregnancy out of the way… because she’s really going to be the one raising the baby. She could be getting tired of how long it is taking the commander and is now taking things into her own hands.
I agree with you, but, also, I would like to say that I don't think there is a nicer side of Serena. If you think about it, this whole thing is her just being selfish. She is being nice for HER selfish reasons. She wants the baby and she will do anything to get it. In my opinion, she is just saying that she will "make sure nothing went wrong", because she wants to make Offred feel assured.
DeleteI also agree that Serena is beginning to warm up to Offred, and they have found some common ground. But I feel like anything Serena does do for Offred (i.e. getting her the picture of her daughter) is a cover do get something for herself for her own selfish implications. Serena is someone Offred can't trust, which is why these two can never be acquaintances, let alone friends.
Delete"She knows where they've put her then, where they're keeping her. She's known all along. Something chokes in my throat. The bitch, not to tell me, bring me news, any news at all. Not even to let on" (206).
ReplyDeletePower is a reoccurring motif in The Handmaid's Tale that continues on becoming a significant part of the book. This part of the book really shocked me because it brings up this idea of who really has the power in Gilead. For so long, I believed that the women were stripped from their powers, but that is not true at all. The women, indeed, do have the power, they have all the power. The Handmaids obtain this emotional power against the Commanders, while the Wives obtain this physical power over the Handmaids. Ultimately, the women rule this society. The Commanders are so clueless about everything, even what is going on with the Handmaid's job. This also brings up the question on who is in control. I want to say that the Aunts are, but that is too big of an assumption. Either way, let me get back on track... This quote interested me because Serena Joy obtains this huge power and knowledge of knowing where Offed's daughter is. This is astounding! You would think that she would be sympathetic towards Offed losing her daughter, since she is desperate for a child herself, but she doesn't. Its actually pretty sad. Offed seems pretty frustrated, as any mother would be, so I wonder if she would do anything about this. Would she try to avenge Serena for knowing this whole time and do something with the Commander? Or is she going to do everything she says for her daughter? As a matter of fact, how do we even know if Serena is bluffing, she is desperate, isn't she?
"Every night when I go to bed I think, In the morning I will wake up in my own house and things will be back the way they were. It hasn't happened this morning either" (199)
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 31 we begin to see Offred make a solid decision about Gilead and speak about it, she hates it there. She is becoming more and more depressed and just wants to go back the way it was, including all of the flaws with her and Luke. This quote lets us know that she believes that what has become to this society is all a dream and that in a blink of an eye everything will be like it once was. What I found significant was that she felt that this would be the morning that everything will change and it just shows the importance of this day.
I noticed this is one of the few passages where you can really sense her discomfort in Gilead; where she isn't merely describing her daily toils. It seems the only time we see such vulnerability from Offred is when she is thinking about Luke. I find it interesting that in a world where women are treated like objects/breeding tools, that she doesn't hold a grudge against the other gender and still longs for her husband.
Delete"Maybe night falls because it's heavy, a thick curtain pulled up over the eyes. Wool blanket. I wish i could see in the dark, better than I do. Night has fallen, then. I feel it pressing down on me like a stone. No breeze." (191)
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote from the very beginning of the reading because Margaret Atwood does a very good job using "night" as a metaphor for the new regime that has taken over the US, and the society that has followed. Night is very fitting for this regime because night is generally a dark time where evil is present. Also, when Atwood writes "a thick curtain pulled over the eyes", it refers to how the majority of the people leaving under the new regime are kept unaware of what is happening outside of their individual lives. Finally, when Atwood writes "no breeze", she means that there hasn't been any kind of sign that the future will be better. Nothing has blown Offred's way.
"The problem wasn't only with women, he says. The main problem was with the men. There was nothing for them anymore.
ReplyDeleteNothing? I say. But they had...
There was nothing for them to do, he says.
They could make money, I say, a little nastily. Right now I'm not afraid of him. It's hard to be afraid of a man who is sitting watching you put on hand lotion. This lack of fear is dangerous"(210).
I choose this passage because it reminded me of when Luke said to Offred "We still have..." (182), and like Offred in this section, he didn't finish his sentence. I also choose this passage because I found it very ironic how the Commander claimed that men had nothing to do back then, but it seems like they have even less to do now. Like instead of doing something important, he's watching Offred put lotion on her hands. The Commander's view on the past is weird.
"I would help you. I would make sure nothing went wrong." (205)
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 31, Serena has a conversation with Offred about getting her pregnant. Serena thinks that maybe the Commander is sterile and that Offred can possible get pregnant by another man. All throughout the book so far, it has appeared that Serena hates Offred. Even in this section, Serena taunts Offred with the idea of knowing where her daughter is. So it's confusing as to why Serena would suddenly want to help Offred become pregnant. Becoming pregnant and giving birth to a healthy baby means that you will never become an Unwoman or be sent to the colonies. This is a big privilege in Gilead. So why would Serena suddenly want to help Offred in such a huge way. Also, for Serena to promise that nothing would go wrong is sort of a big statement considering she has no control over whether or not the baby will come out healthy.
~ Olivia Shlansky
"How long can I keep on living?" (195) It seems to be about time for Offred to think something like this. Her soul purpose in life has become to be a tool used for ovaries. Her life is lonely and I believe that just being given the opportunity to live this bare, minimalistic lifestyle is not enough. What was interesting about this quote to me, is that Offred ponders this as if she is living. The life she is "living" is no life at all, rather it is just a forced plane of existence that seems to be waiting to end. If she does not get out of this way of life, one way or another, I don't think she will be able to live much longer. What she is really saying in this quote is how much longer can she go on living the way she is.
ReplyDeleteI also wondered about how she could even think of this way of life as living. What she has to go through on a daily basis along with the other handmaids isn't even living. These women are given no rights and I am happy that she realizes she can do much better than this and that she deserves more.
Delete"She'd like me pregnant though, over and done with and out of the way, no more humiliating sweaty tangles, no more flesh triangles under her starry canopy of silver flowers"(204)
ReplyDeleteIf Offred were to become pregnant it would finally allow for all the tension in the household to be taken care of. I feel like although Offred has a bit of sympathy for Serena because she has to see this happen all the time Offred still sympathizes with herself too because she is cast in the middle of this conflict. Offred here is trying to say that she has no say over what happens and that if it was up to her she would not be in these humiliating and sweaty tangles.
I think she resents her and always will because she represents a lifestyle/society Ofred hates. So sympathy is extremely minimal.
Delete"What we prayed for was emptiness, so we would be worthy to be filled: with grace, with love, with self denial, semen and babies. Oh God, King of the universe, thank you for not creating me a man. Oh God, obliterate me, Make me fruitful. Mortify my flesh, that I may be multiplied, Let me be fulfilled...." (194)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I was a little creeped out by the intensity of feminism in this passage. What these women are "praying for" solely depends on their bodily functions. They want nothing but to become pregnant- which in part is possible by a man, yet they go on to say that they are glad not to be men. These women also condemn themselves for simply being; claiming that they are empty and therefore have no value until they have become pregnant. It's kind of messing with the idea that women should take pride in what their bodies are capable of, and value the fact that they can do this marvelous thing that men can't. Only this idea is taken to the extreme, and that is the only thing that is valued about them and everything else that should give them pride or self-worth is rendered a disgrace. Everything that is normally unique and empowering to women is taken away from them in Gilead. The creepy part is that this robbery, robbery of womanhood is accepted so widely and without questioning, And here Ofred is contemplating it so...numbly. It bugs me how she describes this new world where everything has changed and her gender is being reduced to their reproductive organs and isn't throwing a hissy-fit over it. I would!
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ReplyDelete"I don't think a lot, I said lightly. What he wants is intimacy, but I can't give him that. "-page 211 This statement and the nature of this entire passage or conversation suggested a new power that Ofred has. The "power" seems so small and insignificant that we don't even consider it really power; but Ofred undoubtedly has an edge here. She is able to contain what she knows, she has something (the answers) that the commander wants and she has become of the small hold she now has over him. The fact that they are both of that she's not sharing all she knows gives her confidence, she becomes confident in this passage becoming evident soon after when she says " There's hardly any point in thinking is there?" -211. She is able to mock him and what he and many others have worked to create. I saw the character we have only merely glimpsed in flashbacks come into light here, even if she will be quickly be put back in her place, there's some sort of spark.