What stands out to you from your reading? Choose a passage and explain why it seems significant to you. Work from places of confusion-- perhaps choose some lines that you don't quite understand and explore them. Perhaps you ask a question and try to answer it. You can also just respond to a passage, explaining why it stands out to you and what it reveals about a character, conflict or big idea.
Either way, make sure that you respond to someone else and do not repeat passages! Agree or disagree, but make sure that you add something new-- a new idea, a reference to another part of the book. Include textual evidence as you push the conversation forward.
Format:
"...." (#).
Response:
"This is meant to be a time of silent mediation for her, but she's not in the mood. There is loathing in her voice, as if the touch of my flesh sickens and contaminates her"(95).
ReplyDeleteThis passage reveals another sign of envy between the Wives and the Handmaid's, but it also shows Serena Joy's hatred of Offred herself. Handmaid's are not necessarily needed in a household, and the presence of one makes Wives feel insecure, and that they have no purpose. The Wives' only purpose is as a trophy,they represent the idea of a woman on a pedestal, she is seen and never heard, just an object. This is shown through the comments Offred makes on Serena Joy, that she knits and gardens. These petty actions contribute nothing, making Serena Joy envious of the other women, who at least contribute something to the household. Although earlier in the book it is referenced that Serena Joy was an advocate for women staying at home and Gilead society, she was still a woman of power and examples like this show the frustration of women in all of these power structures. The fact that she is supposed to be mediating and decides not to shows her rebellion, in its own way. Resistance is futile for women in this society, and for many such as Offred and Serena Joy they can only disobey through their mind, or by executing the small power they have against woman below them. With being restricted so much these women try to play themselves higher then the women around them, this is shown through the Econwives spitting at Offred and Ofglen, and of the Marthas uncalled hatred towards the Handmaids(as if they had a choice in their jobs or enjoy it). Through these mean actions towards each other they can feel some power that has been taken away from them by the rulers of Gilead. This also brings us back to the stereotype that women or girls can never get along, and the typical "jealous" teenage girl.
The quote you chose stood out to me as well, and your comment challenged me to think about it in a different light. The Wives are merely playing house, putting up the facade of the perfect home with the white picket-fence and a garden out back. There is no longer a concept of a trophy wife, because all of the Wives are trophy wives or at least infertile trophy wives grasping for attention. For Serena Joy, a woman used to having a purpose and a job (even if it was to spout hypocritical speeches that would encroach all woman of their freedom), this doesn't sit well. And then there is the whole another-woman-is-sleeping-with-my-husband-in-my-bed-while-she-lays-on-my-stomach issue. It is an awful situation. And even Offred, a Handmaid easily susceptible to society's pull, feels for her; she understands the pain and the hurt of a Wife, at one point questioning which job/role is worse. Offred, in her own act of rebellion, is compassionate. Serena Joy, in her own act of rebellion, refuses to try. Instead of thinking further, past the figure-head of the enemy, she turns on Offred as the target of her jealousy and rage. That, of course, was the intention (of the founders of GIlead).
DeleteBut I am still left with the question, what is the difference between the Wives and the Handmaids, other than fertility of course? How does one become a Wife as opposed to a Martha, is it a true "love marriage"?
Well I don't think that in this society women are valued enough for men to marry them out of love. They are immediately categorized and none of them are treated differently. I don't know for a fact if this is true, but I think you might need to be from a very notable background to be considered for a Wife. I thought in this passage Serena Joy might not have been disgusted because she was jealous, but because she was watching this woman having sex with her husband, creating her baby, in her sitting room. She should be able to oblige her husband and give him a baby, but she can't, and she just has to watch. That has to be the most uncomfortable situation in this novel. She also can't object, because this is actually in service of her. A very mixed up situation, let's just call it.
DeleteI agree with both of your statements, through this society women are devalued and put into jobs in order to separate them in order to prevent rebellion from ever occurring. If they were ever united as one force they could stand together and fight authority, but being pitted against each other prevents that from happening. To your question, I think Wives might have been the women that supported this change in government or the ideals of Gilead, giving them some protection. Or they might have just been extremely wealthy or some sort of celebrity, because Serena Joy was famous before and probably had large amounts of money. Although the women are called Wives, I'm sure they did not pick the commanders they married and I doubt that any of them knew the people they were forced to marry. In such a messed up society such as this I doubt there is any freedom for women to choose who they want to be with, and because Offred is no longer with Luke it hints that only the wealthy could become Wives. And the issues with fertility effect this as well, if a Wife could give birth I don't think a Handmaid would be needed. Overall this society dehumanizes women by placing them into these factions and removing all their forms of freedom and choice in the world, no one is free, everyone is limited by their own set of rules.
DeleteMy name isn’t Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it’s forbidden. I tell myself it doesn’t matter, your name is like your telephone number, useful only to others; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter. I keep the knowledge of this name like something hidden, some treasure I’ll come back to dig up, one day. I think of this name as buried. This name has an aura around it, like an amulet, some charm that’s survived from an unimaginably distant past. I lie in my single bed at night, with my eyes closed, and the name floats there behind my eyes, not quite within reach, shining in the dark. (84)
ReplyDeleteThroughout what we’ve read so far in the novel, it seems as though Offred is arguing with herself about what she thinks about this society she lives in and whether it makes the right choices for how she should live her life. Her name should be the smallest thing she has to worry about, as she changes her name every time she works for a new commander, yet it isn’t because it’s her identity, the one thing she has left in a world where all of her freedom has been taken. It’s “not quite within reach” anymore as people have made it their mission to take away women’s names, but she’s still thinking about it because of it’s “charm.” This paragraph interested me a little because one of the things she describes about having a name is it’s “some treasure I’ll come back to dig up.” In the flashback on page 39, Offred repeatedly thinks to herself her daughter has been killed, or better yet that she has been killed because she doesn’t know what’s happened to her. I also believe that when she thinks about the world before Gilead was created, it’s as if she’s trying to preserve something from a past life, or from a dead person. You may disagree with me, but this name “shining in the dark” is no longer even hers’ anymore, but a better version of her that she wish she still was. Knowing that you’re so hopeless that you can’t even attempt at a better life is the most debilitating thing Gilead may be doing to these women.
I personally think that this quote has to do more with her on and off relationship with hope. I agree that her name is a better version of herself, a person she took for granted, which is the constant in all her flashbacks, taking things for granted. She sees this as a treasure she hopes to dig up because she hopes one day she would be able to reclaim it. She believes hope is a dangerous thing so she just identifies her hope as the possibility of retrieving her actual identity. Hope is too dangerous so she doesn't gamble it with the idea of her daughter. She loses all hope for her, to not live her life in false hope and misery, but yet she still knows she wants some hope. Her name is another thing the government has taken from her, but still issued a new one. She holds onto the memory of her original name because she knows an identity is still something that exists. I personally think that she believes with the return of her name will also come with the return of her daughter, but is too afraid to admit it or to hope for it.
Delete"We are containers, it's only the insides of our bodies that are important, The outside can become hard and wrinkled, for all they care, like the shell of a nut. This was a decree of the Wives..." (96)
ReplyDeleteOne could say that the founders of Gilead, struggling with the infertility crisis and fearing the power of women united, separated women into classes, gave them different roles and divided them thoroughly. That, however, would be an understatement, because the founders of Gilead did so much more. They pit women against each other, set the flames of bitterness and resentment, added a struggle for power and freedom, and then (as a final touch) completely and utterly objectified the small, fertile portion of them. The Handmaids are but ovaries and uteruses, "containers" or better yet incubators. That is their only purpose, and their only job. And if they do anything wrong (disobey, resist, or show any signs of unhappiness), then they can be punished just as Moira was punished in the Science Lab with steel cables that are frayed at the end; as Aunt Lydia reminded the Handmaids at the Red Center, for their jobs their hands and feet aren't necessary. And if their skin is dry and they feel they need lotion, they don't really need lotion because moisturized Handmaids would threaten the Wives (who already have enough to deal with, even though they don't have to have non-consensual sex). The Wives, who somehow have some say in laws and government decisions, would feel more comforted if the woman their husband was sleeping with was ugly and wrinkly. Because lotion really makes all the difference.
"But now it's officially a sitting room, because that's what is done in it, by some. For others there's standing room only. The posture of the body is important, here and now: minor discomforts are instructive." (79)
ReplyDeleteThis small passage reminded me of another text I read last year called Brave New World. In the dystopian society in this book, what they would do to children was to put them in a room with a book in front of them and once the kids noticed the book and started looking at it, they would deliver an uncomfortable electrical shock to each child. Now, it wasn't enough to hurt them, just enough to scare and shock them into associating books with bad feelings. I think that Atwood is conveying the same idea here, that the Handmaids have these everyday discomforts that keep them from slacking or losing their good posture. This causes them to always stay "ladylike" and not lose their sense of posture importance.
Additionally, I found it a bit hypocritical of Offred when in the parlor waiting for the Commander, Nick touches her foot with his, I suppose in an attempt at hidden flirtation. Offred doesn't go along with it and moves her foot away many times. However, on page 98, "He puts his hand on my arm, pulls me against him, his mouth on mine, what else comes from such denial? Without a word. Both of us shaking, how I'd like to... he makes me hungry." She contradicts her earlier opposition to his touch, although she doesn't take much action on her newfound feelings. I suppose this could be because there was no one around at the second point, but what stopped her from simply thinking that she wanted to be with Nick in the parlor?
Wow, I didn't even connect this part of the book to Brave New World, but i definitely see the similarities between the two situations. If you show any type of difference to the "norm" in Gilead, you are automatically punished or sent away from the people in fear that someone will follow your actions. Similar to Brave New World, the people in authority would refuse to let even young children become educated in fear that they could grow up to go against the government's "grain". Obviously, there is something fishy going around where everyone has to follow specific rules and not question them. Moira felt something wrong and was punished. John the Savage committed suicide basically after the government pressured him to, by getting the media to question the questions that he brought upon them.
Delete“We had it read to us every breakfast, as we sat in the high school cafeteria, eating porridge with cream and brown sugar. You’re getting the best, you know, said Aunt Lydia. There’s a war on, things are rationed. You are spoiled girls, she twinkled, as if rebuking a kitten. Naughty puss” (89).
ReplyDeleteDuring class, we spoke about the subject of a sisterhood being possible throughout this novel. For example, the Aunts were supposed to have a big sister/motherly type of relationship with the Handmaids: they gave advice to the Handmaids when they needed it. However, this quote suggests that maybe the Aunts are not as wise as the Handmaids thought they were. I think the Aunts are little tools that the government uses to help gain some sort of trust within the household, so that the Handmaids are blinded to the reality that they are in. Aunt Lydia says that the girls are “spoiled” and “are getting the best” and talks to them like she’s trying to tell a pet that it should be grateful for the things that it receives. That’s exactly what Handmaids are to other people in Gilead: pets that are vulnerable and available to whoever can get their hands on them. How can they be considered privileged when they are giving up their bodies and dignity to these commanders? When we talk about a possible sisterhood between the women in Gilead, it’s plain to see that they are using each other in order to keep themselves saved. Consequently, the Handmaids are unable to put trust in anything they feel, and are unable to feel like they have anyone they could look up to.
I agree with your argument that the Aunts are very rude in the way they speak to the Handmaids. But, I disagree with your point stating they aren't wise. I think the Aunts have a lot more knowledge about the type of society they live in but they don't want to warn the Handmaids. This is because they envy the Handmaids for being treated as the ones who will save mankind from extinction. I think they would just rather allow the Handmaids to make mistakes and be thrown out of the Commander's house instead of trying to help them. This has been shown in many other passages in the book when the Aunts have resisted telling the Handmaids all the secrets and decisions that Gilead is shrouded in. Although they state it's for Handmaids' "own good", they should be allowed to know what is going on in their society.
DeleteI agree with you on how the aunts are incredibly disrespectful towards the handmaids. But, I agree with Odeta about the aunts being smart they actually are quite intellectual and have more knowledge about the society. And the reason for the dispute is how the aunts are smart, and how the handmaids (at least their label in society) as the ones who have children.
DeleteEthan Burda
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Which of us is it worse for, her or me" (95).
ReplyDeleteI think this is such a powerful question that truly makes me question both sides of the situation. While I was reading the incredibly awkward sex scene between the Commander, Serena Joy, and Offred, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Offred at first. In the room, she is basically being used an object while the real intimacy is supposed to be between the Commander and his wife. Not only must it be uncomfortable to have sex with someone who is technically still a stranger to her, but she does it in the presence of his wife. She is forced to embed herself between them and feel both their emotions and pain at once. Even after all of that, Serena Joy still does not value Offred for the help she offers by being the one to endure nine months of brutal pregnancy. Instead, Serena basically views her as nothing more than a prostitute who is blessed with the ability to have children. That is where you see Serena Joy's perspective on this situation. She envies Offred for being fertile. She despises the fact that Offred has to be the one to have sex with her husband; that she can't be the one to pleasure her man herself. I believe Serena Joy is frightened that her husband will like the Handmaid more than her because she is able to provide more in the household. But most importantly, Serena Joy hates the fact that she can't be the one to give birth to the child, who is supposed to be hers. I believe she treats Offred with the least amount of respect and dignity because she experiences things she can't, and that jealousy eats her alive. Serena Joy also hurts in this society-- although many don't notice-- because her role isn't as important. Many people forget to look at the different viewpoints because although the Handmaids have it tough, so do the Wives, Econowives, and Aunts.
"To be a man, watched by women. It must be entirely strange. To have them watching him all the time. To have them wondering, What's he going to do next? To have them flinch when he moves, even if it's a harmless enough move" (87).
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, I believe Margret Atwood, shows the other side of the whole gender standards in Gilead. The Commander, who is seen as the most "powerful" men are also put to a standard of being the most "perfect" person. In an earlier passage, the word sterile is banned because the decline of fertility is not seen as the mans fault, only the women. Men have no flaws, or at least are not allowed to. They are the head of household which is a very sacred thing as well "The house is what he holds. To have and to hold, till death due us part." Then men are also the only ones allowed to read the bible, and are responsible for sharing the bible's message with the rest of the household. All these responsibilities put the Commander in a spotlight, a bright spotlight that can catch his mistakes. The entire household looks to him, and the Commander has to uphold these responsibilities. Yes the women are confined to wearing long red dresses and have their own specific role but so are the men. The Commander must wear black, and right upfront strike fear onto those he comes across. People flinch when they see him at first, and how can they not. They are confined to a dark suit that gives off that he has no emotions or feelings. The commanders are as well restricted and forced to play a role that brings room for judgment by the other groups. The women are put in forced roles that gives them fear to break out of, but who is to say that the men aren't.
When I was reading this paragraph in the book I was thinking the exact same thing. Your explanation and what I was thinking while reading the quote reminds me a lot of those Feminist criticism pages we read before starting this book. The author explains then how sexism affects men as well as women and how there are many negative effects to a society favoring one gender over another. The Commander is expected to be perfect, it is one of his jobs to read a part of the societies bible to everyone that serves him. Like you said, they all watch him so closely, in fact Offred notices that he is not a very good reader. Everyone envies the Commander for having these powers, but at the same time, these expectations that are put on him, have negative effects as well
DeleteI agree with both of you with the fact that mean also have to live up to social standards, however I have a question, how exactly is the commander "holding the house." I know the Martha's, the Handmaid's and the Wives do most of the work to maintain the house clean, meals on the table and a welcoming feeling to come home to. They are the ones who give structure to the household, however only the commander gets credit? At this point in the book, I believe that the Commanders have so much power, that if they wanted something to change they could make it happen. If they are in a spotlight, it's because they want to be there.
DeleteAt the same time, there's this pressure that no one wants to break under. No one wants to constantly be held up on a pedestal and that's the situation these commanders are in. It's a world of extremes and like we saw in our short stories and The Circle, society is really about finding a balance. Not every man is the same and not every woman is, so be predeterminging their responsibilities they're harmed and that leads to the society being harmed.
Delete“I want Luke here so badly. I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I am not; I want to be more than valuable. I repeat my former name, remind myself of what I once could do, how others saw me” (97).
ReplyDeleteThis says a lot about the common wants of many people. It is so powerful in this case because the situations are taken to the extremes. Like Margret Atwood said in her introduction to the book, “It is an imagined account of what happens when not uncommon pronouncements about women are taken to their logical conclusions.” Offreds wants are not uncommon, everybody wants to feel valued, and capable of making a difference, people want to feel powerful and they want others to respect them. But in this book Offred wants to hear her real name because it is forbidden and as long as she stays there she cannot hear it. She wants to be valued because nobody thinks anything of her, she has a purpose, which is important, but in this society, according to others, there is nothing else to her. This is Offreds last chance to have a child, the other two times she has been matched with Commanders, Offred, according to everyone else, was not able to do her job. She wants others to see that she is important and that she she is capable of more than just having children for the Commander. She wants to help, and prove herself because here she is like a machine that people are beginning to doubt. For example, after the Commander left the room, Serena Joy said, “You can get up now. Get up and get out” the Commanders wife said this because she was jealous of Offred but also because her job was done, her entire purpose in this society, for the month, was over.
I really like your argument. It relates a little to mine own in the sense that Offred does have this need to feel valued and loved. I just want to add on that it's as if Offred is holding on by a string, metaphorically of course. She keeps try to picture Luke, and his clothes, and in different situations. She is trying to hold on to the hope that one day he will come for her, alive and well. I feel that is also why is trying to prove to everyone that she can have children of the Commander. If she remains alive, she might have the slight chance to see her husband again.
DeleteI agree. She keeps going back to her memories to keep her going. She uses them as hope that she can go back to being valued and a normal life. Offred doesn't want to give up on the fact that she still has a chance of being valued. No matter how much everything is hurting her, she will keep pushing.
DeleteBefore this distopia, there was a seemingly normal society where Offred has a relationship of her own and (even though had her insecurities) felt content and loved by the people around her. I'm starting to get a sense how this distopia takes place as we know that Offred is a very paranoid person and I wonder if that was the reason the gov't wanted to create this world where you dont have to worry about relationships and happiness and being guilty because you have 1 job. But in truth, that just does the opposite.
Delete
ReplyDelete“‘I was coming to find you,” he says, breathes, almost in my ear. I want to reach up, taste his skin, he makes me hungry. His fingers move, feeling my arm under the nightgown sleeve, as if his hand won’t listen to reason. It’s so good, to be touched by someone, to be felt greedily, to feel so greedy. Luke, you’d know, you’d understand. It’s you here, in another body. Bullshit ” (98-99).
The person sharing this act of affection with Offred in this passage is Nick, a Guardian as well as the Commander’s driver. I liked this passage because it allowed me to see a really vulnerable side of her. This is something relating to her body and how she really wants to be touched and loved, and be in the arms of someone who won’t be taken away from her, like her husband Luke. She tries to subconsciously imagine it is Luke she is touching, but she immediately stops her thoughts with a simple “bullshit.” Offred doesn’t want to be forced to have consensual sex with a greasy, old Commander, even though she doesn’t openly admit it to herself. She doesn’t want to be pretend to be “one flesh” (94) with the Commander’s wife during sex with the Commander, when in reality there is a mutual hate between them. And this comes back to the fact that these women hate each other because each one envies something the other may have, just like the Commander's wife envies the handmaid’s fertility and the handmaid envies the wife’s freedom. This is the society they live in, one where these women can’t receive the type of affection they want from a lover or for someone to actually care about them. And believe it or not, the men are suffering from lack of affection too. I bet Nick wanted to keep kissing her because it can’t actually touch a woman, and I bet the Commander probably gets stressed out by the fact that he has to get a handmaid pregnant for the good of society, instead of actually enjoying the company of his wife or someone. Both genders are actually having a hard time adapting to this “new society.”
I agree with you. Offred often think really deep, but when she makes thoughts and reality catches up to her, she diminishes it. I find it funny how Offred seems naked to be in her own body and that it even feels foreign to her but seems to want an almost complete stranger to touch her. It is also crazy to believe that the only thing society believe they csn offer to this world is their bodies to bear children. I wonder if the Commander, the wives, the Marthas, or anybody else really see Handmaids as anything more than that. What would Luke--the love of her life-- think after seeing and knowing the real Offred before Offred even existed think? Who is really benefiting from this the "good of mankind"? "Oblivion is inevitable" and the government failed to realize that.
Delete“The Bible is kept locked up, the way people once kept tea locked up, so the servants wouldn’t steal it. It is an incendiary device: who knows what we’d make of it, if we ever got our hands on it? We can be read to from it, by him, but we cannot read. Our heads turn towards him, we are expectant, here comes our bedtime story” (87).
ReplyDeleteThe power religion holds when it is conveyed through one person is strong and usually is enforced in a corrupt matter. The Bible is a book therefore, it can be interpreted in many ways. Having the Commander’s eyes being the only one to see the writing in the book, leads to some misinterpretation since he may emphasize some passages, and put others to shame. Hence, commanders use the Bible as a way to influence these women into doing what they want them to do by using quotes such as, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth” and “Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her” (88). Excerpts like these, make it seem as if the only job for a women is to reproduce therefore, it is like a privilege to be a handmaids. The women believe they must follow the religious “laws” that the males have enforced, therefore, the women have not rebutted because they are afraid of going against their God, and the punishments that come with disobeying. However, until they learn the truth of what the Bible contains, and not only what the men wants them to believe, they will continue be treated in the same corrupt matter.
Interpretation is a huge thing not only in the book, but in real life, for instance when it comes to Islam, certain people believe that it's a religion full of violence, when in reality it really isn't, it's just that a certain group might interpret the Quran (excuse any spelling mistakes) in a violent manner. And to relate this back to the book when Aunt Lydia says "Blessed are the meek," I forget why she says it, but then she leaves out "for they shall inherit the earth", which is a pretty significant portion of that quote. If she had said the sentence in it's entirety, she would have been uplifting the handmaids, instead of teaching them about their place in their suppressive society.
Delete"I've been watching him for some time and he's given no evidence, of softness. But watch out, Commander, I tell him in my head. I've got my eye on you. One false move and I'm dead."(88).
ReplyDeleteWhen I first came across this passage, I was a little confused, and I still am. I believe what Offred is saying is that, any sign of weakness or emotion that the Commander shows, the blame would be placed on her, but why though? This reminds me of a discussion we had in class one day about men and their emotions, specifically on how society believes that they are the emotionless ones and are suppose to be all macho and tough all of the time. So if I were to take this passage and bring it to reality, would this be saying that women are the cause for men acting any other way than the stereotypical "norm"?
Maybe Offred personally thinks that the blame on a Commander would be placed on her. The people in Gilead have been manipulated enough to fear the higher social status members. Even if the Commander does not blame it on Offred, she has so much fear inside of her with the punishment rumors that she has heard about. This leads to an idea that in this society, mistreating others is okay because each person has fear inside of them and they do not try to fight back. The women in this society are desperate to survive but they know that the way the society works is not right.
Delete"Serena Joy grips my hands as if it is she, not I, who is being fucked, as if she finds it either pleasurable or painful... But isn't this everyone's wet dream, two women at once?" (94)
ReplyDeleteI expected the members of Gilead, at least the ones of higher authority, to treat the Ceremony with great enthusiasm because they live under a theocracy. However, the tone of the paragraph gave way to underlying hints at "impatience" and dread. Atwood even described Serena Joy's life prior to the switch as being filled with preachings of the woman's place, yet Joy shows no joy while witnessing her husband (emphasis on husband) attempt at impregnating a total stranger. The bedroom portion of the Ceremony felt like a twisted joke, controlled by a higher power who accidentally got his puppets tangled and decided to go with it, putting on a show about adultery. And while imaging this, I began to wonder, who is this higher power? God? Does their God hold so much over the citizens of Gilead that they'll abandon their moral codes to appease him? Or could it be the government, brainwashing the lesser people with injections and pills? Surely they can't brainwash all the citizens. Constantly I had to remind myself throughout this reading that this isn't the Circle or 1984, and cameras aren't capturing every breath of every being (despite the ominous eye mentioned a few times). But what Offred mentions in the earlier paragraph is somewhat frightening. "There wasn't a lot of choice but there was some, and this is what I chose" (94). Hadn't she mentioned before in a flashback that she was captured. That they drugged her, and persuaded her into thinking this was the best role for her? Choice no longer exists within Gilead, freedom is a thing of the past. In place of it there's "duty" and regularity. "Whatever is going on is as usual. Even this is as usual, now" (56). The usual becomes unquestionable.
"I have another name, which nobody uses now because it's forbidden. I tell myself it doesn't matter, useful only to others; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter..."(84) This quote stood out to me the most because, it shows that even though Offred was given a name by society she feels like that isn't who she is. Even though she knows its okay and that it doesn't matter something still hangs on to her because she knows that it really isn't okay. "This name has an aura around it, like an amulet, some charm that's survived from an unimaginably distant past" she wants to know her old name because she thinks that's what she is. Not something that society gave to her.
ReplyDeleteI agree, in chapter seven Offred was saying her name over and over again saying that she wants to be her old self and not what society made her. On page 97 she said "I repeat my name, remind my self of what I once could do, and how others saw me." is another quote that also supports the argument of wanting to be true to her self. I would also like to add on about out she trying so hard to remember the past and wants to remember how people saw her then and compare it to now when the people spit where she walks.
Delete"They only show us victories, never defeats. Who wants bad news? Possibly he's an actor." (83).
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this part of the book I was reminded of the book Fahrenheit 451. The line, “Possibly he’s an actor.” reminded of when Guy Montag, in Fahrenheit 451, was being chased on tv for a having books in his house but they lost him. Instead of telling the viewers they lost him they started to chase a random guy claiming it was Guy just so the viewers would still have a “show” to watch, even if it was the wrong person. The head of the society did not want the society to think they were not in control which I think Gilead is trying to do too. Gilead is brainwashing its citizens by only showing the good making them think that their world is perfect, knowing its citizens would not question it.
"In the hall the night-light's one, the long space glows gently pink; I walk, one foot set carefully down, then the other without creaking along the runner, as if on a forest floor, sneaking, my heart was quick, throughout the night house. I am out of place. This is entirely illegal."(page 97).
ReplyDeleteThis is when Offred wants to steal the daffodils. I feel like because of the influence of nick Offred is becoming a rebellious character. After nick first winked at her was when she was first influenced that you can have feelings and not be restricted and all you have to do is break the system and move away from whats expected. Like in the part of the quote when shes talking about how shes out of place and how shes scared and I like that was one of the only part of the book when she has felt feelings. She is attempting to get a taste of freedom by defying what she feels is normal. I also now feel like that daffodils will symbolic in the book now because it might resemble the theme of rebellion now.
From the beginning, Nick seemed like a main player in Offreds life after that wink, so I totally agree. But I also think her spark of rebellion coincides with the discovery of the latin sentences that probably was scratched in by Moira, who, from Offred's flashbacks, seems like more of a rebel than the narrator was beforehand. Moira is like the ideal woman/represents the freedom that every women desires to have again, and finding the inscription (Which i'm pretty sure means 'don't let the bastards get you down") gave Offred a new light.
DeleteI strongly agree with you. Nick is influencing her to rebel by giving her an unconscious desire to steal daffodils. This her initial act of rebellion because she wants break away from society's norms and resist the government to seek freedom. The reason why seeking freedom is truly essential for her is because she wants to be in control of her own life and be independent.
Delete"The Commander, as if reluctantly, begins to read. He isn't very good at it. Maybe he's merely bored. It's the usual story, the usual stories." (88)
ReplyDeleteThe same stories are read so many times that it's becoming boring to everyone. I think they're read as a reminder to them of what a woman's job is. One of the passages was "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (88). This passage lets women know that their job is to produce babies. The government doesn't want them to think they're useful for anything else. It's important to them that the handmaids know what they need to do in this world.
“The sitting room door is wide open. I go in: so far no one else is here. I don’t sit, but take my place, kneeling, near the chair with the footstool where Serena Joy will shortly enthrone herself, leaning on her cane while she lowers herself down. Possibly she’ll put a hand on my shoulder, to steady herself, as if I’m a piece of furniture. She’s done it before”(79).
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because this quote shows how the women in the society cannot express their emotions and opinions. The Handmaids are also seen as objects from higher social status men and women. In the Gilead, women are brainwashed enough to let others take complete control of them. The Handmaids are kept as the lower class because they have fear inside each of them. The fear controls the Handmaids so that they do not over throw the Commander and the Commander’s Wife. The Handmaids know their role in the society so well that they know that each of their actions are being monitored and going against their social status will lead them to a serious punishment. Offred does not want to die, so she is forced to obey the rules in the Gilead.
"It's the scent of pre-pubescent girls, of the gifts young children used to give their mothers, for Mother's Day; the smell of white cotton socks and white cotton petticoats, of dusting powder, of the innocence of female flesh not yet given over to hairiness and blood." (80) (of Serena Joy's perfume)
ReplyDeleteIt's very fitting that Serena Joy would were this type of perfume, given what it represents. In "Handmaid's Tale" as well as in our own society, the youth of women is glorified and any mention of what a woman's body naturally looks like is shameful. Serena Joy is the demure wife, she doesn't have sex with the Commander, she's pure, she's what everyone aspires to be. She wears the perfume to enforce her purity and the stereotype of the young girl that everyone so desperately wants to fit. This culture of glorifying young girls' bodies is sick yet it's so present in our lives as well as in Gilead. People aspire to look pre-pubescent to mask what they find to be shameful in their own bodies which in reality is natural. Women alter their bodies to please those who find the body of a ten year old attractive. Since youth and fertility are so important in Gilead, Serena Joy is compensating for her infertility by masking herself to appear to be younger and more appealing than she really is.
I definitely agree Fiona, and was also struck by the imagery Atwood used when she described the perfume of Serena. Adding onto what you noted about the glorification of youth in this passage and knowing that Atwood based the book off of previous societies such as those of the Puritans, the book begins to give me a very nostalgia obsessed feeling. The people of Gilead seem obsessed with untouched perfection and keeping things the way they were, all highlighted by their focus on youth, God, childbearing, and the "demure lady" stereotype.
Delete
ReplyDelete“Even his singing worries me. We’ve been warned not to look too happy.” (Pg. 85)
There so many references to this higher power but it’s never taken on directly. It’s like they’re being watched without knowing who’s watching them. It takes away an accountability our leaders should have to oblige to. On a more personal level, you have to look at what this could mean for Offred. She’s been taught to oppress happiness. That isn’t natural. I truly do believe that people are supposed to be happy. Offered should draw joy from her memories of the past, not be purely tormented by them. Happiness also relates to what we were talking about in class relating to sisterhood. When people are happy, they get along much better then when they have to suppress joy.
"I feel: white, flat, thing. I feel transparent. Surely they will be able to see through me. Worse, how will I be able to hold on to Luke, to her, when I'm so flat, so white? I feel ask if there's not much left on me they will slip through my arms, as if I'm made of smoke, as if I'm a mirage, fading before their eyes." Pg. 85
ReplyDeleteHere Offred feels vulnerable and insignificant. She categorizes her self as a mirage, nothing more than a mere hallucination. These flashbacks that Offred has with her relationship with Luke seems something the Gilead society would frown upon. Even her having these thoughts show signs of rebellion as we move more in depth into the novel. She mentions feeling transparent, or see through. She mentions it in the sense that showing mass affection and or feelings can be a bad thing. It can signify your vulnerability and no woman wants that. Offred uses this excuse as her incapability and or fear, that the people she is close with will leave her because of this. This goes in the underlining topics of feminism as women seem powerless and incapable to show strengths yet are stereotyped to show weaknesses and insecurities. I think Atwood purposely makes Offred have an insecure demeanor in order to represent exaggerated scenarios that come in society.
"The only show us victories, never defeats. Why wants bad news?...He tells us what we long to believe...If only it were true. If only I could believe" (82)
ReplyDeleteSince The Handmaid's Tale has started, we hear about this war that has been going on with Gilead. With who else? We don't know and for what reason? We haven't figured out yet. It makes me wonder if a war is actually going on. We hear about it on the news, however, we don't see real signs of war except at the wall and that's with Gilead's own people and the news can be complete propaganda. My main concern is what if the government is convincing Gilead there is a war going on so they can abide by their rules?If there is actually a war going on then it suggests that Gilead does not rule the whole world, the possibility of escape exists. The fact that rebels exist also gives hope; even if many are arrested, the fact that anyone still resists the government is encouraging. What is the war that is actually going on is the fight between Gilead and their persistence on making history repeat itself? People are suppose to be safe in Gilead. However, if the war you're fighting is against yourself, and you are at peace, what is solution is there to make and if there is, what?
I definitely agree that Gilead is using this war as a way to brainwash its society into following the rules. Offred even said that one of the rebels might be an actor, which is very probably if they only show victories. Also, wars are two sided. I believe that there are people against Gilead but none of them are big enough to take significant action. Perhaps Gilead is using this "war" to scare its people or in preparation for when rebel groups gain the strength to attempt to take them down.
Delete"I have another name, which nobody uses now because it's forbidden. I tell myself it doesn't matter, useful only to others; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter"(84)
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out for me because this really shows a little rebellion like how she doesn't think that that name suits her. It also mentions how she was wondering what her old name was as a child because she thought that that name suited more than the name Gilead gave her. And she can't stop thinking about it because she feels this "need" to have her name changed.
Ethan Burda
I agree with you and think she is not a useless little girl. She wants to have a meaning and the worst is when people don't know your name. She knows she has meaning and she knows it. She is scared, but slowly will gain confidence and power, relating also to Nick. I just would like to know if there is a rebellion, how all the woman will join as one
DeleteI agree with you. She wants to rebel and does not want her voice to be silenced by the government. Like Lucas stated she is very significant because she wants to uncover the mystery behind her name and she is shown to be rebellious when she steals the daffodils. The name does not suit her because Gilead gave it her and it proves how she is already being restricted from both her identity and her body. She feels this need to have her name changed because she does have any freedom.
DeleteI agree with everyone that she wants to rebel and she wants her voice to be clear. I love the fact that she has finally realized its not okay to hide or to be quiet, especially in a society like this. I'm glad she admits it does matter, even though its forbidden. It matters cause it was apart of her past and it identified her.
Delete"They only show us victories, never defeats. Who wants bad news?"(83).
ReplyDeleteFrom Kung Fu panda I remember the old turtle saying there is only news never good or bad. And I thought he was saying, the bad news could always be changed into something positive with the right nurture and care. Relating to the Handmaids Tale, they watch the news to see the positive things, shrouding the horrible society they are actually living in. They believe watching the news could bring back their old life, but for what? The narrator keeps thinking back to her life, but its gone. The characters should fight and ask questions like is good news really good? Or what is happening to my body? Its easier said than done, but would you rather have a life of if's or a life of at least I did.
I agree with you Lucas. I think this society is very denial and ignorant towards reality. Their visions of women and life in general are completely obscured. These people believe what they want to believe for their own convenience. Instead of actually changing things in their society, they try to filter out what they hear and see on t.v to make it seem like things aren't how they actually are. My question is what are these people so afraid of that is making them shield themselves from reality so much?
Delete"There's a male choir, with greenish-yellow skin, the color needs adjustment; they're singing "Come to the Church in the Wildwood." Come, come, come, come, sing the basses... Then there's a preacher, earnest, with shining dark eyes, leaning toward us across a desk. These days they look a lot like business men. Serena gives him a few seconds, then clicks onward... I wish she'd fix the color" (82).
ReplyDeleteThe passage reflects the detachment and distaste Offred has with the religion of Gilead. Offred immediately associates the religious choir with a classic element of something sickly, and this paired with the repetition of "come", chant-like, the choir members are seen as diseased, brainwashed peoples. After Serena Joy changes the channel, Offred describes the preacher as a businessman, someone leaning across the desk as though trying to sell you something, in this case, a misled misogynistic government. Furthermore, as well Offred is clearly displeased by the religion, Serena Joy, a former choir singer and promoter of the new way of Gilead life, does not seem particularly interested by the religious programs either, simply flipping through them. Yet, unbelievably, both Serena and Offred feel some sort of dedication to Gilead's religion, which has clearly had negative personal effects all the members Offred's household. Rather than trying to right this, Gilead sits idly by, flipping through the changes in their world, sitting in the stiff, nostalgic sitting room, waiting, as Offred puts it, "subdued and symmetrical... one of the shapes money takes when it freezes" (79).
This brings me to the second part of this quote which interested me when I read it. Margaret Atwood uses repetition multiple times on this page, the second time emphasizing Offred's dislike of the coloring of the TV. Offred wishes that Serena Joy would change it, yet does nothing to suggest a solution. Perhaps Offred is scared of the consequences, or insubordination, and either way I believe this reflects in a larger sense on how women in Gilead function. Not only, as I mentioned above, do the people of Gilead simply wait for someone else to make a change for them, the women begin to blame the one another for the pitfalls of the their society- they are set to be pit against each other by the strict class system in Gilead.
"There must be a resistance, government in exile. Someone must be out there, taking care of things. I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light. (105)
ReplyDeleteResistance is the only solution to overthrow the Republic of Gilead and bring back their freedom. The idea of having a resistance must come from having an established sisterhood powerful enough to overtake the government the extreme. However, there is no sisterhood of any kind because since the society has already been divided into subcategories to determine their social/economic status. It has made them turn against each other instead of standing together to fight this issue. Government has brainwashed and manipulated the women enough to make Offred forget her own identity or ashamed of her name wants to uncover the identity, that has been shrouded. Due to her gift of being abundantly being fertile of having babies with the commanders, Serena Joy has a deep hatred and envy hers because of her insignificance to society. The society lives in a world, that is in complete "darkness" because the government is corrupt, the girls are divided and constantly hate each other enough to resent each other because of their individual obligations. They have no freedom to express their emotions and control themselves. The "light" will only come if there is a resistance of a sisterhood to overthrow the government once for all. How can we have a sisterhood if the members are opposed to each other and have no freedom? The reason why we don't have sisterhood is because the women are constantly afraid to ask questions and have opinions, that are strong enough to challenge authority. The ''government in exile'' is the secret resistance group, which has been hidden from the women to make them feel curious and want to rebel. Offred believes there will be light because she wants to rebel and has hope to fight her freedom. She starts to develop into rebellious character when she has an instinct to steal daffodil and says, "This is an entirely illegal" because she is been influenced by other people to fight for what is right, even though to other people think it is wrong. This act will foreshadow her ability to fight for freedom, therefore seeking justice to make sisterhood more powerful force against the government.
"Don't think that way, Moira would say. Think that way and you'll make it happen"(85).
ReplyDeleteVery short quote, but has a lot of depth. I really liked this quote because it is saying that if you believe/think about certain things, it will eventually happen. In Offred's case i understand why she felt the way she did. She was frightened, worried, and nervous. She states," Worse, how will i be able to hold on to Luke, to her, when im so flat, so white?". If she had kept thinking that way, i believe something would have happen, but if she would have calmed down and took a breather, everything would have worked out fine.
This quote shows Moira's optimistic attitude toward the quagmire they face, while Ofred is thinking of all the negative things that could occur. I think the author uses foils to emphasized the dramatic change that is occurring through society, from a society of less restrictions and more freedom, to a society that has become full male dominated and restricted. The author also tries to convey that negative thoughts bring in the negative events to oneself, which I think is rather true.
Delete"We are containers, it's only the insides if our bodies that are important. The outside can become hard and wrinkled, for all they care, like the shale of a nut." (96)
ReplyDeleteIn this statement the author uses figurative language such as metaphors and similes to emphasize the insignificance of women in the Gilead society. The housemaids, like Offred are like the chickens who lay golden eggs, treasured and prized but are seen as the inferior class with no emotions, power, or say over their own bodies or lives.The housemaids are valuable because they are the only ones who can bear children, which has become very difficult to do, they are tentatively being cared of
making sure they are physical healthy in order to bear the next generation of life. However, no one cares if they are emotionally and spiritually healthy, they could be extremely depressed, humiliated, trapped and feel robbed of their freedom, and no one would care not even the other women who are constantly hating each other and living in great jealousy. Despite them sharing the common grievances, the society is so well organized so no sisterhood bond is created, that could potentially be a risk to this male dominating society.
A quote that really stuck out to me was: "Which of us is it worse for, her or me" (95).
ReplyDeleteThis stood out to me a lot because I couldn't really decide. In my eyes, both women were being robbed. Both women lacked something essential. The commanders wife lacked affection from her husband because of her inability to conceive. She lacked being able to love her husband like she would want to because of the unchangeable fact that she could not have a baby. The handmaids were robbed of their bodies and their abilities to make choices about them. They lacked the privilege to say no and be with people they wanted to be with. Both women in these situations had no choice. The commanders wife could not leave the commander so she was stuck. And the handmaid is a handmaid, so she is stuck for life. These women are very different but also quite similar in how they lack choices and lack real respect from the men in their lives. I could not decide who it was worse for because I would hate being in either position. If it were to really come down to the last details, I would say it is worse for handmaids because they are also maids and don't receive respect. But at the same time, I can't imagine how irrelevant the commanders wives may feel, and the overwhelming jealousy that may come over them. In the end tho, I cannot imagine how vacant both women in each role might feel.