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:
"Most of the old guys can't make it anymore," he says. "Or they're sterile."
ReplyDeleteThis stood out to me in my reading because it showed that the handmaids are waiting for a futile cause, where they stay up every night and pray to have children for the commanders, and it shows that they may die in a slavery where they are abused each month. What also bothers me is how women are blamed for the infertility, they are the ultimate scapegoat in this novel. In this novel if a woman was killed by a man, the man would get off free of charge. The crime would somehow be blamed on the woman, and not on the man, just as it is the woman's fault that the child is not born, as the narrator says on page 61, "There are only fruitful women and barren women." This also instills the belief of woman blaming - victim blaming really. The dialogue also helps express this, as throughout the novel most of the men do the talking towards the narrator, or woman higher up in the hierarchy. The handmaids and marthas are seen, but not heard, which follows the standard of the dark ages and 1800s. Also society as a whole is a victim in this world, as a country without half of their members contributing ideas is a dead society, one sadly reminiscent of many totalitarian governments that exist today.
"The Commander knocks at the door. The knock is prescribed: the sitting room is supposed to be Serena Joy's territory, he's supposed to ask permission to enter it. She likes to keep him waiting. It's a little thing, but in this household little things mean a lot." (86)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because it gives readers a new perspective on Serena Joy's life, and the hardships she faces. We have talked a lot about the flawed society of Gilead, mostly in reference to the corruption of having handmaids, and the many struggles they face. Handmaid's have no control over their body or life. Serena Joy faces the opposite problem because she envies the handmaid's bodies and their ability to have children. They do share the similar problem that they both have to fight for power and privacy within the Commander's home. I find it interesting when Atwood talks about how much the little things mean in this world. Having the power to make the Commander knock on the door to the sitting room, gives her reassurance of her power and purpose in the home. Offred doesn't feel she has much purpose either, but just having Moira in the same room gives her so much comfort, or being able to secretly read the embroidery on the pillow makes her feel like she has accomplished something. Both wives and handmaids live a pretty uneventful life, so it is important to take notice for every little victory. Within the corruption of Gilead there is a lesson for modern day, to be grateful for everything we have, even the simplest luxuries like privacy, because there are lots of people less fortunate, and we must appreciate everything little victory, because to someone else it could mean the world.
I agree with how the power to make the Commander knock on the door gives her reassurance, because we see repeatedly that the women of this society have no power at all. They are constantly trying to find ways where they can feel powerful again, and not stepped on or overlooked. Controlling the Commander's actions is one of the ways Serena Joy does this. I also feel that since everything is kept so private and unpersonal in this society that the second something doesn't go according to the set plan that was set a long time ago, it means that something big is happening. Instead of being able to flat out say what is wrong, the Commander and his Wife are forced to hide it and exert their frustrations in any way possible, especially since it will affect the entire household.
Delete"Which of us is it worse for, her or me? (95)
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out to me because it makes us, as the readers, to really think about both Offred's and Serena Joy's perspectives. At this point in the book, we get a first look at how the handmaids are used by people of higher authority to have children. Offred is forced to have sexual intercourse with the Commander and his wife yet she wonders, "but isn't this everyone's wet dream, two women at once? Exciting the used to say" (94). However, this quote shows how Offred isn't interested in having sex yet it is part of her job as a handmaid. It portrays that Offred is still seen as a devalued object that is forced to have sex with others just to have children. Serena Joy isn't too fond of Offred yet she still has intercourse, with her because she knows that Offred is the only one that can give her a child. Earlier in the book, Atwood mentions that Serena Joy will "put a hand on Offred's shoulder, to steady herself, as if she's a piece of furniture. She's done it before" (79). This quote relates back to how Offred is seen as an object yet Serena Joy does not value the fact that Offred is helping her bear a child. Looking at Serena Joy's point of view we can see that she most likely envies Offred because she can bear a child and she cannot. This is why Serena only sees Offred as a devalued object because she is the one who gets to have sex with her husband, yet she cannot fulfill her duties has a woman and bear a child. Serena will also feel disheartened by this because she would want to have her own child but she cannot because she is not fertile. It is a true fact when Offred says that everyone envies something about each other because that is what we are seeing in this scene.
Yeah, I definitely agree with you on Offred's perspective. But I think that Serena Joy is jealous of not only Offred's fertility, she's also jealous of the recognition that Offred is getting from her husband. Although most likely Serena doesn't love her husband, she's human and wants to love and be loved, just like Offred talks about. The Commander is physically much closer with Offred than with Serena. The only thing that makes Serena closer is that she's labeled the Wife. So from Serena's view I think it's just that she's longing for love (even though of course she's jealous of being infertile).
DeleteI didn't think of it that way but that is a very good interpretation on Serena Joy's perspective and I see where you're coming from. However, we don't know for sure whether Serena Joy loves her husband or not. We haven't gotten any context based on that but it is a clear and valid assumption to believe that the Commander is much closer to Offred than he is with his Wife since she is just given a label and nothing more.
DeleteI agree with this completely but I also definitely see Maya's point. I think Serena's envy of Offred can be traced to many things. No matter if Serena truly loves her husband or not, she has to watch someone she is told to hate and is positioned against, gain the attention of her husband. Also, in the book we see that fertility is the defining factor of what makes a woman a woman and I think that Serena craves the recognition and title that Offred is entitled to of being a "true woman". Especially since in the old world Serena passionately advocated the idea that a women should stay at home and have kids.
Delete“It’s the usual story…God to Adam, God to Noah. Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Then comes to moldy old Rachel and Leah stuff we had drummed into us at the Center. Give me children or else I die…Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her… We had it read to us every breakfast” (88).
ReplyDeleteI found this quote very interesting because it shows how far Atwood is taking this idea that in Gilead, a woman’s sole purpose is to reproduce. We learn that the Commander – who is the head of the home– reads these passages from the Bible everyday during breakfast. These women are told every morning that they have no value beyond that of birthing children and that the holy word of the Bible proves this. Not only this, but also that a woman should be begging upon her knees to prove her worth and ability to carry the man’s child. In the book, this idea was brought to its farthest conclusion but there are clear parallels in todays’ society. Women who don’t have children are often thought of as unfulfilled, empty, or sad. Although this isn’t a universal belief, it is a present stereotype and standard women who don’t have children are held to. But this misconception degrades all women no matter if they’ve had children or not, because we are perpetuating this idea that a woman’s purpose is to live a domestic lifestyle by having children and being a loyal wife.
I absolutely agree with your interpretation of this quote, Siri. It shows that the Commander is reminding the Handmaids that they are nothing more to the society than women who can bear children and are fertile. When the handmaids hear this everyday, they tend to believe it themselves that they are worthless and powerless. The Commander reading this quote everyday came off to me as a form of brainwashing. He is making the handmaids believe that there is nothing more in life for them than to bear children and fulfill their duties as a woman.
DeleteI completely agree with the both of you. The Handmaids are constantly being reminded that their only purpose is to reproduce. Aunt Lydia, being a prime example, saying that their feet and hands are not essential. Adding on to Varshini's point that hearing this makes them feel powerless, Offred tries to fill this void by stealing. She states, "I would like to steal something from this room...it would make me feel that I have power" (81). Clearly, she doesn't feel in control over anything and stealing gives her a sense of authority over something.
DeleteJenifer Jara
DeleteI agree with this because in Gilead woman are just used for making babies and if they are not able to then they are not useful and have no value. Even Offred relates to the word shatter because her life is destroyed and somehow pointless. She is not able to do what she wants like knit just how the wives do. I think this is why she describes herself as shatter because her only point in life is to reproduce and nothing else. She is not even able to read. In the book Offred says" what I would like to steal is a knife, from the kitchen, but am not ready for that"(97). I think she says this because she sees her life pointless but she also does not feel ready. What I think she might do is wait to have a baby and then kill herself since she has no other point in life other than to reproduce.
I agree with all 3 of you. The women in this society are viewed at machines for the better good of the population , their feelings are not taken into account. And knowing that all of the women someone point think " why am I doing this to myself and my body?" The commanders make sure that they " feel " like they are doing a service for mankind . But I have 2 main questions,
Delete1) Did the government "rewrite" the bible to fit the need of keeping the women " in their place"
2) If the population situation was as bad a they are perceiving it to be then why, did they do what Italy is doing which is paying people a more money (not a whole lot, but more) to have more than 1 child ?It would give women the motivation to have more children while not degrading them .
"I don't answer. He too is illegal, here, with me, he can't give me away. Nor I him; for the moment we're mirrors." (98)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because it shows that both genders are suffering. The analogy to the mirror illustrates that in this moment, both Nick and Offred are equal. Although this novel focuses and criticizes the treatment of women, this scene emphasizes that the fight for feminism deals with gender equality, meaning that both the male and female gender are stereotyped and need to end that inequality. Offred and Nick have both committed a crime, and after this point, they've created a trust that cannot be betrayed, because both sides will suffer. Although Nick is a man, and therefor he is valued more in this society, he still is sub categorized. He is not manly enough to be made a Commander, and therefor becomes a male servant. I think the reference to the mirror is also interesting because in this society, mirrors are illegal (at least for the Handmaids and Marthas). When you hold up two mirrors to each other, it shows an infinitesimal reflection. If Offred and Nick are mirrors, they are reflecting their crime into each other infinitely. When they reflect into each other, they don't only see their crimes. The moment of intimacy they share shows them that they are not alone. It shows them that everyone is suffering and that everyone needs love, and if not love than human contact, or else they die.
I agree with this statement. Society today highlights female discrimination and inequality but does not seem to recognize the challenging roles that men have to follow. Men have to work and contain their emotions, unlike women. If they do not do this, they are looked at critically by their surroundings. I think the point that you brought up about gender inequality was interesting because when we talk about this subject we think of females, when their are men out their struggling to live up to the social contract that has been set for them. Gender equality can't be achieved if society is only focusing on one gender, they need to recognize the rights being challenged for both men and women.
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DeleteI agree with your quote explanation. I think your point about the mirrors being illegal in this society is really interesting, because it perfectly fits this scenario with Nick and Offred being equals, like a mirror of one another. I might also add something about how this relates back to Emma Watson's speech on feminism. Although we usually associate feminism with the mistreatment of women, there are just as many stereotypes and gender inequalities that relate to men. This one scene where both Nick and Offred are breaking many serious rules of Gilead, this shared secret that they were both breaking the rules almost forces them to be equal with one another. In this town, being caught with a man would probably result in death, which we have seen with the hanging men on the walls, while this is harsh, at least they might be receiving an equal punishment.
DeleteYeah, putting it that way made me think of the fact that it seems that the only way that in Gilead's society both genders can reach equality they need to break the rules together. This solves nothing, because it just means that the entire society has to be destroyed in order for equality to truly be reached.
Delete"We are containers, it's only the inside of our bodies that are important. The outside can become hard and wrinkled for all they care...this was a decree of the Wives...they don't want us to look attractive..." (96)
ReplyDeleteThis passage stood out to me because it is one of many representations that show how the Handmaids are debased in their society. Their only purpose is to reproduce and everything else does not matter. Offred compares herself to a container and is aware that only her uterus is of importance in Gilead. This is constantly pointed out throughout the book. For example, Aunt Lydia stated, "For our purposes your feet and your hands are not essential" (91). The last part of the passage clearly shows that the Handmaids are already seen as a threat by the Wives because they are fertile. Furthermore, being able to moisturize their face and being "attractive", would make the Wives even more envious of the Handmaids.
I agree. With Atwood comparing the Handmaids to containers, which are only important for what the hold, shows that the Handmaid's sole purpose is to have babies because their identity is their fertility. This quote also made think of our society today because a woman's look is very important. Women are identified by their "beauty" which could be their hair, thigh gap, or waist size where in Gilead that is of no concern. In Gilead and in our society women are not identified for who they are but for what they have which is truly heartbreaking.
DeleteI agree and I think that Offred is trying to get across that they are no longer women, they have become objectified and their bodies are just tools or a method to sustain a acceptable population. And the fact that she compared Handmaids to containers show how their sole purpose is to hold something or rather a fetus. Regardless of your physical condition, as long as you are fulfilling your only purpose in life, you will survive in this society. It's a horrible mindset to live with but the women begin convincing themselves that this idea is true and this is what's best for them. However, I think that in this context, it is less about appearance or beauty but rather this developed mindset of "What can I get out of a woman"/"What can women be used for."
Delete"Everything will be all right soon. I promise. There will be peace. You must trust. You must go to sleep, like good children. He tells us what we long to believe. He's very convincing. I struggle against him...At the same time I sway towards him, like one hypnotized." (83)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because it shows how controlled everything in this society is. Every time there is the Ceremony, the household sits down to watch the TV. The only thing that they watch is a newscast of the ongoing war. However, this newscast is clearly controlled, as it only shows one thing from only one POV. It makes sure to talk about how "peace is coming" and that "everything will be all right soon", as if the people rebelling are evil and the only things holding this society back from its greatest potential. No matter how hard people such as Offred try to rebel against as what he's saying, there is a combination of it being overwhelming and literally hypnotizing, as well as a need to feel like all the pain and horror will be over soon. Saying "you must go to sleep, like good children" points out how, yet again, the people of this society are treated as children who can't handle the war or the truth of what's happening and should instead ignore it all and sleep. I don't believe that the newscaster himself said this, but it was Offred saying it sarcastically as a way to mock what he is saying and show that everything is babied down for everyone so that the simply nod their heads and go to bed like the hypnotized, obedient society they've become.
I agree and disagree with you.
DeleteI think that after watching TV, Offred was able to better imagine an existing resistance group and began to develop this feeling of hope that Luke was able to make contact with them. And, I think that if she hadn't seem that segment on TV, it wouldn't have seemed like a real enough idea to grasp.
However, I do agree with how easily they've become hypnotized or brainwashed and how they've collectively become like good, obedient children.
I defiantly agree with you on this, I also think that there have been a few instances were terms of endearment have been used to get into these peoples heads, as you mentioned the newscaster would say things like "You must go to sleep like good children" it almost as if this society is always trying to reassure it's people with very small things, maybe the people know that this is wrong, but cant do anything about it. So the people are constantly needed to be reminded that what is happening is "good", and it clearly works.
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ReplyDelete"There will be peace. You must trust. You must go to sleep, like good children."(83)
ReplyDeleteThis passage stood out to me because it shows more of the society in terms of what is shown on television or not. On the news they show what they know people want to see because if not, it will upset the people and they wouldn't want that. Another thing going through my mind is just how creepy it was that Offred compared themselves to children who should just be good and go to sleep. In other words they should just forget about the bad stuff and not worry. Also in this same page Offred talks about how the anchorman would make you want to believe him even if you know he's lying which also shows that Gilead wants to be seen as utopian. Even in today's society parents would tell their kids "Oh it's nothing Jimmy go to sleep" to cover up whatever's wrong and the kid will just forget about it, like a spell.
I agree with the comparison of Offred, and other handmaids, to children. Offred says it herself: "I'm like a child here, there are some things I must not be told. What you don't know won't hurt you..." (53). She agrees to just going with what she's told. The Handmaids are often portrayed as children throughout the book. They're not always informed of things and they're not supposed to know things either. They're also bathed, supervised, and taken care of as if they can't fend for themselves, like children.
DeleteI think it's really interesting you chose to talk about this, because as I was reading, I was thinking it's really crazy how much the Handmaids are guided around like little children. In one scene an aunt has to yell into the bathroom to get Offred to come out. After that, they get the bible read to them, and multiple times throughout the chapter it is referred to as a "bedtime story." There's a very perverse role the Handmaids play in the society.
DeleteLucas I notices this a lot. Hand-maids, throughout the book are treated like children that shouldn't be exposed to the real world. Even during the "Ceremony", when Offred is forced to have sex with the Commander, Serena Joy holds her hand. As if Offred still has something to be protected from. I thought it was very interesting that even though Offred has had her humanity taken away, they still treat here like small child.
DeleteJenifer Jara
ReplyDelete"I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I 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. I want to steal something"(97).
This stood out to me because in Gilead the Handmaids are not respected and valued. What I think Offred and all Handmaids want is to be valued for what they are and not just used for making babies or when they are needed. The only important thing about Handmaids is for them to be able to have babies but nothing else about them is important. Offred also remembers her past and how before she was a different person with freedom. But now she has no freedom and is not able to be who she wants to be because she has a commander and has to follow what he says. It also stood out to me that she says "I feel like the word shatter". She describes herself like this because she feels like her life has been destroyed and she is not able to have power or control of her own life. The only way she could feel power is by stealing something but if she does this she could be caught and punished for it.
“Her feet did not look like feet at all. They looked like drowned feet, swollen and boneless feet, expect the color. They looked like lungs” (91).
ReplyDeleteOffred’s description of Moira’s hurt feet really stood to me. At first I was confused as to why something so lifeless like “drowned feet” were seen as being “lungs”. I then thought of Moira’s character. She's rebellious and even before Gilead she appears to be mock societies view of women through her personality and her “one dangly earring, the gold fingernail”(37). Unlike Offred, she isn't able to let her old self fade leading her to the idea of escaping by pretending to be sick. Even though the Angles find her out and the Aunts hurt her hand and feet to punish her, she still lives. The Aunts believe that they are causing her pain by hurting what is not essential to them, but what is essential for her to be free. However, what she truly need to escape Gilead is her true self, her “lungs”. For a women like Moira, her true self, a person who doesn't easily comply with society, gives hope that Gilead won't be the end for her.
"My 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. 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" (84),
ReplyDeleteThis passage stood out to me because she sets her mind to think that her name has no value since it's now forbidden. Offred's real name represents her and her past. Now that she's a handmaid, she's forced to leave her past behind and believe that she has no value or meaning. The government of Gilead not only restricts the Handmaids to having only one job: to be fertile, but they also strip the Handmaids of their identity. Offred's forced to live a life that isn't hers or who she wants to be but she has no other choice. However, when Offred says that her name is "...some treasure I'll come back to dig up..." she's showing us that although she is no longer who she used to be, she still has hope that one day, she'll be herself again.
I disagree with when you said that her name has no value since its forbidden. I thought that because it is forbidden and the way she described it, as treasure, a jewel, that made me think she thought her real name is valuable. Her current name Offred is the name with no value because not only does it imply that she is owned by a man literally but its also just the name that embodies this suffering that she is going through. However, I do agree with when you said that she has hope that she'll be able to go back to her old life someday. Hope and believing is not only mentioned here but several times throughout the chunk of reading, because if she doesn't have hope, then what does she have? Not much.
DeleteThe name "Offred" may not mean anything to her, but what I was trying to get across in my post is not that her real name has no value to her, but that it has no value to the government of Gilead. Because the government of Gilead decided to forbid her name, it has no meaning or it's not important enough to them. Like I said in my post, her real name represents her past - which is clearly not valued and forbidden in Gilead.
Delete"They only show us victories, never defeats. Who wants bad news?" (83)
ReplyDeleteI found this quote interesting because I questioned the decision of the commanders and the commanders wives showing the handmaid's good news. I would think that showing the Handmaid's the darkness of the outside world and it's flaws would alter their perspective on their position in society. What I mean by this is if the Handmaid's were aware of the bad things happening in the outside world wouldn't that make them happy to be Handmaid's, living in a safe environment. I think that by the commander's and the commander's wives showing the women the joy's of the outside world and the victories taking place that it would increase their desires to be more than just a baby maker. If they continue showing them the victories and goodness of the world outside, wouldn't these desires escalate and spark a rebellion from the Handmaids?
I totally understand what you are saying, but I sort of disagree because its not the commanders and commanders wives showing this news to the handmaids, all of the people are seeing this same thing about the great things happening in the war. It seems like they are trying to lead people to believe that this will all be over soon and thats the reason that they are showing only good stuff. Showing only good stuff will make the people think that they are winning the war and that they only have to stay in this dystopian society until the war is over. The news seems to be trying to trick people into having this hope that soon enough this will all be over and that everything can go back to the way it used to be.
Delete"Several blank channels, then the news. This is what she's been looking for. She leans back, inhales deeply. I on the contrary lean forward. a child being allowed up late with the grown-ups." (82).
ReplyDeleteI didn't really understand why Serena Joy had made watching the news part of the Ceremony/"tradition" but it began to make a little bit of sense to me towards the end when Offred talks about hope and the existence of a resistance. Regardless of whether you are a Commander's wife or a Handmaid, women in this society are trapped. For the most part, they have convinced themselves that this is the best option for them and dismiss the idea of escaping into "freedom." On the news, there is a segment about an underground espionage ring that had been smuggling precious national resources over the border into Canada. Yes, some of the members were caught and shown on TV but in the end, these actions are subtly giving women hope. Towards the end of the chapter, Offred convinces herself that Luke has made contact with the resistant group, perhaps because she wishes that for herself as well. Also, the fact that these members were smuggling goods into Canada means that if you are brave and lucky, there are places in the world where you can escape the Gilead-type society. The fact that Serena Joy constantly chooses to watch the news must mean that she "fantasizes" about life beyond the gates of Gildead where she can be free and be happy.
" My name isn't Offered , I have another name , which nobody uses now because it is forbidden. I tell myself it doesn't matter, your name is like your phone number , useful only to others but what ; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter ...I think of my name as buried.This name has an aura around it, like an amulet , some charm thats survived from an unimaginably distant past “ Pg 84.
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out to me because you can see where the line is draw for “ Offred “ about where the government tells her what to think . She has accepted the fact that the government controls religious freedom womens personally freedom to be with and do whatever they want but she will not accept that her name doesn't matter . The name that is given to them does not express their individuality, the name basically says “ that I am a machine that makes children for this person” because it is “Of___” what ever the mans name is. When she says “ This name has an aura around it, like an amulet , some charm thats survived from an unimaginably distant past “ she talks of her name as something that gives her hope and slight sadness because she remembers that he name was a representation of her and her invalidity but now she knows that it is too far in her passed to ever go back to.
Nayah Ferris
This quote is weird in the way that it could also mean that it is a nameless narrator (since offred isn't really her name), and the sense of identity how these women in this society, no matter their past are now women with no identities and are just doing it for repopulation and yea... Just a different way of looking at it... Like its not only her its everyone.... yea
Delete"What he's telling us, his level smile implies, is for our own good. Everything will be alright soon."
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out to me because the news is only showing the good side and saying that everything is going to be okay, when really no one knows the truth. The commanders, commanders wives, and all the other people in the house are shown the same news and are being fed the same info about this war, which leads me to believe that there is some government or higher power that is hiding the bad stuff or even the truthful stuff from the people. The newscaster says all of this news with a smile on his face, but later on when they show what used to be Detroit, you see artillery and smoke all about. Another reason that it seems as if the government or higher power is shielding the war from these people is how vague the news was, the opening headline of the news, which should briefly summarize what is going on, merely says “the war seems to be going on in many places at once”. Even after that when they talk about the people going to Detroit, the newscaster says he doesn’t know how they are getting there nor what they will do there. The talk of the war in this book reminded me of that in Fahrenheit 451, where the details of the war are also hidden from the people in this dystopian society because they want them to think everything is okay.
The ideas you brought up in this remind me of when we talked in class about Diana Moon Glampers, and how she didn't seem to have any handicaps, which suggested that the system didn't apply to her. Gilead seems to oppress almost everyone, and yet there must be government officials who are somehow above the law, becuase they probably would not make rules that were bad for them. When you say that all of the people in the house are being fed the same news, are you suggesting that even though the commander seems to have more rights, they are all ultimately being deceived? Also I think that the news being so vague suggests that maybe the rebels are winning, because if the government was winning, wouldn't they have no problem giving detail?
Delete" She watches him from within. We're all watching him. It's the one thing we can really do, and it is not for nothing: if he were to falter,fail, or die, what would become of us? No wonder he's like a boot, hard on the outside, giving shape to a pulp of tenderfoot. That's just a wish. I've been watching him for some time and he's given no evidence, of softness (88)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me all the women are looking for someway to find weakness of their household leader which is their commander,nick. It seems like everyone is trying finding a way to one up each other, but nick shows them nothing which makes him a mysterious character to the readers and the women. Also this is a reminder why the women could be against each other. If nick were to die they would be all separated, and if they decided to build a relationship all it would do is hurt them when they would eventually have to move on to another household, role, etc. Nick is also a weird character because he seems to be very mysterious by acting very distant in a way but actually he seems to be very mysterious in the way he finds Offred in the night and other times in the story.
I agree with you Alex because everyone envies each other for the better or worse. Finding a weak point on someone who is higher than you creates a competition and no restriction to the unknown. If Offred was to find a weak point on him she can use it to her advantage and communicate with him. This would break most boundaries in the book and cause characters to think about their actions and about their government. Nick seems like a rebel to me since he doesn't mind being in a room alone with Offred. The way they got close to each other makes it clear that there is sexual tension between both characters. This gives them both motives to speak to each other.
Delete"My 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)
ReplyDeleteI believe that this quote has to do with her conflicting feelings on her wishful thinking and her hopes of the past. Her name was a source of her independence, uniqueness, and identity and it is clear that she feels as though she has taken advantage of her freedom, seen in the dreams or flashbacks before the society became corrupt. Her past is always at the forefront of her mind, and she hopes to one day revisit it. She perceives that hope is a distant topic so she sees hope as a clear way of getting her independence and identity back. When reading this I thought that she believed Hope is something she is unable to control and she is doesn't want to get to attacked to hope because her reality might not be the expectation she wanted including the idea of ever wanting to find her daughter again. Offred loses all hope to not live her life, but yet she still knows she wants some desire. She misses the small moments she is able to share with her family. She misses car rides shared with Luke as well. Her name is one right that is striped away from her as a whole and this signifies that she is now property of a man. She no longer has individuality or substance and her presence is just physical. She treasures the importance of her name because she knows an identity is something that she has lost but she isn't sure how to gain it back.
"Moira would say: don't think like that or it will actually happen" pg. 85.
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because i believe that the author may be using this line to foreshadow future vents in the story. I think this because what the society in this story is doing almost rigorously is brainwashing its people. We can see this in many examples, a recent one being when we got a taste of the news is like in this world, or when we see what the museam is like and how fear is struck into the citizen's heart. Bu one example in particual applies to this quotation very well; when Dolores is being shamed in front t of all the other handmaids and Aunt Lydia is shaming her in front of them, and making them chant what she did wrong and taunt her over and over, our protagonist admits that she should feel bad, but she in reality, she doesn't. This proves that there is not only a lot of brainwashing going on in this society, but its is working very well on our protagonist. I think that the brainwashing and oppression will only get worse as the story goes on, and that it will present some major issues for our protagonist.
"They took her to the room that used to be the Science Lab. It was a room where none of us ever went willingly. Afterwards she could not walk for a week, her feed would not fit into her shoes, they were too swollen. It was the feet they'd do, for a first offense. They used steel cables, frayed at the ends. After that the hands." (91)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me as the handmaids of Gilead as the handmaids are the livestock, a fact brutally beaten into the reader. What this also shows is that the worldview in Gilead on handmaids is that of the dark ages: that all a women needs are to organs that are needed to live and reproduce. A connection I thought of while reading this passage was one to Futerama. In one particular episode, bender (a robot) decides to round up all if his robot pals to save robot livestock, whose sole purpose in life from the day they are created is to make food for the world. They then go around saving them. While Futerama is a comedic show, this is relevant in the Handmaid's Tale. The handmaids are the "robots" of gilead, pumping out babies so the society can go on. However, as this comes to light, I think that in today's world where humane ideas are preached everyday, it seems a bit ridiculous that this could happen in a country as developed as the U.S.
I agree to the fact that handmaids are like livestock and are only there for the purpose to reproduce for the commanders and their wives. I also agree that it is a bit ridiculous, but as Margaret Atwood stated in her interview all this is taken to the extreme to show us what it can become. An example in the book would be when Moira and Offred are joking about rape but little did they know that in a couple years that would be the situation for them.
Delete"I wait, for the household to assemble. Household: that is what we are. The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds. To have and to hold, till death do us part"(81).
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because it shows how powerless the women of Gilead are. Women in this society are brainwashed into thinking that it is okay to give in to a Commander and the needs of the society. Commanders are seen as the "head of the household", this is significant because men are always seen as the most significant symbol in the family. While women are seen as the slaves of the family. This being said, in this society if women got together and stood up for their rights, they could be the ones leading. This is because Handmaids have the power that no one else in the society has: repopulation. If women as a whole, not just Handmaids work together and go against the Commanders and leaders, they will regain the independence and respect that women once had. Women can finally regain hope.
I completely agree with you. That the housemaids really do hold all the power in the society but they represent so much and put down. That has an effect on them and how they think. That if they really wanted to they could overtake the society and control it. But then the question is then why don’t they what is stopping them from doing so? It could be many things from disbelief that they could do anything to just being scared of doing so. I think that it is a combination of both of them, because they have to be scared for what could happen, of the un know of what will happen. But then there's the idea that whatever they do is just going to be a ripple in a river that does not change the flow of the river nonetheless.
Delete"To such devices have we descended." (97)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because i feel like this is something that should happen in the 21st century, Descended means to fall from or make a sudden attack on. Like the book The Circle we should descend from using our phone and the internet. It only causes us to be dumber. In this dystopian society descending from such devices only causes creativity and silence. The Handmaids can only reminisce on their past and not act upon it, whereas today it would be easy to hang on to the past. When lotion was taken away from the Handmaids it caused them to be more creative and use butter. This helped me realize that these women are still women in the sense that they care as much about the inside as the outside.
“I wait, for the household to assemble… The hold of a ship. Hollow.” (81).
ReplyDeleteOffred’s description of the household stood out to me for multiple reasons. One reason is the way she says, “The commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds.” Implying that the house including everything and everyone inside it belongs to him. Throughout the book the handmaid’s and the other women have been referred to as possessions, for example, their names: Ofglen meaning of Glen or belonging to Glen. The society referring to them as possessions not only shows how little power they have, but also it makes them devalue themselves. Offred often relates herself to an object, “as if I’m a piece of furniture” (79). Making the women think that they are only objects makes them feel as if they don’t have the ability to revolt thus helping to secure the society as a whole. When Offred says, “The hold of a ship. Hollow”, she is stating that there is no connection between the objects and the people. No one buys a house because they like the design or a painting because they like the message. The houses aren’t personalized and there is no emotional attachment to anything. Without emotional attachment they are just houses not homes.
I also chose this quote and I agree with what you said. I didn't even think about the meaning behind the word household and not home, but I can definitely see where you're coming from. I also think that the author compares them to objects to show how meaningless they are. This is one of the reasons why I chose to give a different perspective and say that they actually do have power, its just hidden within the household.
DeleteI agree with you there Ralphie, I just wanted to add on that this does in fact show how meaningless women are to men in this society of Gilead, In a way Gilead could be just like the Confederate States during the civil war, they treat the Handmaids as basic SLAVES that serve one purpose which is to reproduce.
DeleteThat is my reply btw...^^^
Delete"As long as we do this, butter our skin to keep it sot, we can believe that we will someday get out, and that we will be touched again, in love or desire. We have ceremonies of our own, private ones." (96-97)
ReplyDeleteThis is an important quote because it shows that the people in this society are being denied love. It may seem that there is love in marriage still, but the government essentially sends mistresses to live with prosperous families. We can see that the depravation of true feeling is taking a toll of the citizens of Gilead. The women, who are being heavily oppressed as a whole, are in no way united, because the system of Gilead is designed to foster hatred and jealousy. When there is internal conflict between the women, they will never be able to band together and overthrow the government. This quote is powerful because it shows that even though the future seems to hold very dim prospects for women, they still retain hope, seemingly against all odds. When the commander reads the bible to the women of the household Offred expresses the idea that they are all reliant on him. This shows that even though the men are not loosing their rights, they are still being hurt by these systems. The Commander was described as very stressed because he must work very hard to support the house full of women. When the commender has sex with Offred on top of his wife, Offred says that this situation may once have been described as a fantasy, and yet all intimacy has been taken away, showing that men and women are both oppressed, and denied intimacy and love, by this system.
I completely agree with you and I also think that this is why Margaret Atwood brings up Luke's character because it goes back to a time in which Offred did feel what love is actually supposed to feel like and in a way it helps her have an understanding that this society deprives them of love, but rather makes them do things automatically like machines with no emotion which connects back to the brainwash from the aunts. Overall I think that love and power ties down to the past and present in this book.
Delete"Rita scowls at me before slipping in to stand behind me. It's my fault, this waste of her time. Not mine, but my body's, if there is a difference. Even the Commander is subject to its whims." (81)
ReplyDeleteThis passage stood out to me because it shows how Offred thinks of herself. She blames Rita's dislike on herself for wasting her time as if it were her idea. Offred speaks about her body as if it were not a part of herself and who she is as a woman. Rather, she describes it as an object that is a waste not only physically but towards others' time as well. The way in which she speaks of the Commander as being "subjected to its whims" shows that she definitely views the Commander as being superior to her and I also understood it as her speaking about how much she devalues her body and finds it as more of a punishment towards the Commander by the use of the word "subjected" and as complications and problems the the use of the word "whims". This made me think about what exactly Gilead is teaching these women. The women are brainwashed into thinking that their bodies are more of a curse because it attracts negative attention from men and it is very unholy, so when the Commander has to have intercourse with Offred, she is mostly thinking of her body in that way rather than thinking of it as a gift that she has control over because she no longer has that choice and this gives men the upperhand.
"They send two guys with you, in the ambulance. Think about it. They must be starved for it, shit, they aren't even allowed to put their hands in their pockets, the possibilities are--" (89)
ReplyDeleteLast night I wrote about how Gilead expects women to act, and what roles women fulfill in Gilead. As I was reading tonight, I was also thinking about the immense pressure placed on men. Throughout the book, men are stoic beings, who stand stiff, and hold no feelings. This isn't fair, because men have feelings just as much as women have feelings, and it's not fair to force men to act as robots. In this excerpt, Offred is almost asking Moira, or trying to make her think, about how men can be deprived of sex for so long, and how they would act in a situation alone with a woman. Would they rape them? She points out men are not even allowed to put their hands in their pants, a reference to the fact that men are in no way aloud to "pleasure" themselves. How can a society like that ever function? How do the men stop themselves from throwing themselves onto the women? Will this be revealed later in the book?
I agree it is important to remember in this book that pressure is placed on both men and women. A lot of this is also true for society today in the sense that men can't really express emotion without it being frowned upon. The men in Gilead have to live without temptation as seen when Nick winks at Offred and she sees it as a risk. No one in this society can have sex for fun, but only for the purpose of reproduction.
Delete"This is supposed to signify that we are one flesh, one being. What it really means is that she is in control, of the process and thus of the product. If any. The rings of her left hand cut into my fingers. It may or may not be revenge"(94).
ReplyDeleteThis quote stands out since it states that during the process of getting a product(child) the commanders wife is also a part of it. The commanders wife has to pin down the Handmaid while the commander gets at it. Many things are shown through this and one of those things is the powerlessness of the women in Gilead. They have no control whatsoever of what is happening to them, it is described as a job, a duty to be exact. This quote also shows us that the commanders wife has no empathy for the Handmaid since she uses this moment to get her revenge. Even if it is something as small as cutting her fingers with her left ring. This also connects with the discussion we had in class about the different social levels not communicating positively with each other, instead they envy each other.
"We are containers, its 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." (96)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stands out to me because it describes how the city of Gilead creates a society in which everyone has limits as to what they can do or be. When the narrator goes inside her room and gets ready to go to sleep, she rubs the butter over her face and onto her skin and hands. She implies that there is no longer any hand lotion or face cream for people like the narrator. But why are they not allowed to use it? People within the society in the book are not allowed to do certain things due to their role as a person and how they are viewed by other people. The narrator uses containers as an example to show that the outside can be edited but the inside is something that is difficult to change. No matter what clothing is worn and what is put on your face, the inside is all that really cunts and the city of Gilead avoids that logic.
“I feel like the word shatter. I want to be with someone.” Pg.103
ReplyDeleteI picked this quote because I thought it was interesting how she compares herself to the word shatter. That the word shatter means something that is in pieces that is not together. And that she would say that she feels like that, would say that she does not feel like this is where she should be that maybe in two place. One in the time before she was a handmaid where she felt free. And another piece of her is stuck in where she is now and not knowing a way out. That she is trying to escape from where she lives now that she is just so unhappy with the place she is in her life. That idea that she compares herself to the word shatter is an interesting idea. She could be saying that she she is split in two place and does not know how to cope with the change from one place to another.
"We are containers, it's only the insides of our bodies that are important."
ReplyDeleteIn this quote, Offred compared herself to a container, an inanimate object. I had to read this quote a few times before I moved on in the book because of how raw it is. Offred has given up on trying to lie to herself about her role in this society. She willingly compares herself to a container because she has lost her humanity. In many ways she is like a container, because the Republic of Gilead has completely hallowed her out. She has no love, no choices, no companionship. Females are taken away everything that makes a human life. They have truly become containers. But then I thought about the Commander; is the Commander any less soulless than the hand-maids. Of course, he has more privileges than the hand-maids, but he still doesn't get to experience humanity necessarily. The society in "The Handmaid's Tale" turns everybody into "containers" of some sort.
I agree with both parts. Gilead creates such an eerie society it is as if no one is human anymore. No one beholds true human characteristics anymore. Everything everyone does merely rotates around the purpose of Gilead, and getting it done. The commander's don't seem to enjoy themselves even when they are living a life of luxury. The whole society is eerie and corrupt.
Delete"There is loathing in her voice, as if the touch of my flesh sickens and contaminates her." (95)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because this is yet another passage in the book where the theme of envy and ignorance is so prevalent. The name Serena Joy creates the perfect irony with her characteristics, so much, that Margaret Atwood probably did it blatantly. She is the definition of a nasty, envious person, but her name bears the word "joy" which is in no way synonymous with her character. She believes in the system and abides by it, but envies the handmaid's that are forced into it. Her attitude towards Offred is vile and vulgar, but she doesn't appreciate what these Handmaids have and are going through. Its as if they look down upon them like scum, but then Serena Joy is envious of the single fact, that Offred is fertile and can bear her husband a child, and she can't. Serena Joy creates the ultimate irony.
"We can be read to from it, by him, but we cannot read" (87)
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stuck with me because something so simple as reading is forbidden. It is like they are taken back to the time of slavery in the US when they weren't allowed to read or write, and could be killed because of it. Just for wanting to learn. Knowledge is power after all, so no wonder they aren't allowed to read because women in this society don't have any power, yet hold some of the most important roles. How ironic.
Its just crazy t me that these women are forced to give birth, and be treated like nothing. Literally and totally just nothing. Imagine just being allowed 2 walks a day. You can't do anything. Just do your stupid "duty." No wonder they take everything that could kill someone out of the womens rooms because quite frankly, if any of us were in that situation, we would probably want to do it to... Not trying to be a bummer or look crazy or anything though...