Friday, April 13, 2007
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Post your comments about what the dystopian setting reveals about modern life and about how characters respond to the corrupt, flawed, inhumane setting. (For more explanation and guiding questions look below or at the hand out I have you on Friday, April 13.) Use the open response form. Your first comments based on the first 100 pages (or more) of the book are due by Wednesday April 25. (You can either post them yourself or email them to jcook@gloucester.k12.ma.us.
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How is the world within the novel flawed, corrupted, fallen? How do its flaws reveal flaws in the modern world?
In the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, a society is falls under flawed leadership . The corrupt government controls the lives of women as well as their bodies. The main character, Offred (her true name is yet to be mentioned) has become a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead against her will. As a result she must follow the strict rules which rob her of any freedoms she once had. Offred's importance in society is merely to give birth. Women in Gilead are only valued or deemed worthy of living if they are capable of reproducing. If not, they are sent to the "colonies," an ominous place where women are forced to do dirty and unhealthy work, suffering from pollutants and chemicals.
In the novel women are treated as objects rather then real people. They must abide by stringent rules, in which they can not read, drink coffee, or eat sugar. Everything they once valued in their lives such as their children or husbands whas been taken away from the women.
The author seems to be concerned with the role of men and women in society. The dandmaids must have sex with the commander, an older married man whom she serves, once a month. She must then hope to become pregnant, the ultimate goal of every handmaid and commander. The relationship between the handmaids and the commanders lack any love or emotion. The commanders wife experiences this monthly ritual vicariously. In the society it is assumed that only the commander is viable and not his wife. It seems that this may not truly be the case. Handmaids seldomly become pregnant and if they do it is assumed an arrangement was made with another man, other than the commander. This suggests that the commander may not be viable himself, which demonstrates another corrupt belief in the republic.
Even if a Handmaid gives birth, the baby is taken away from her by the commanders wife. Unlike the handmaids, the commanders' wives have far more freedom and power. They are exempt from the rules seem to hold nearly as much influence as the commander.
The author seems to exaggerate the idea of corruption within government as well as the people in power, both men and women. The idea that women are only valued for their bodies is expanded in this story. Men seem to dominate the Republic of Gilead, but the society seems to focus on the role of women. The author seems to want to relay the message not take one's rights and freedoms for granted. Details and rituals that are often overlooked in daily lives become a focus in this novel. It seems to warn against women using their bodies in order to gain exceptance and attention. The author also seems to disagree with the mistreatment of women physically and mentally as well as women readily exposing their bodies. The government uses pornography, and sexual and physical abuse of women in order to justify their actions. This may suggest that some women in society are leading themselves into a dark future by not attempting to put an end to this expoitation.
The idea of this novel is far fetched and unrealistic. I do not believe the author gives enough credit to women. I think there is not a chance this would actually occur in our society. I think women are powerful enough currently to not let men dictate their lives. At the same time, I agree with the author in that women should respect and their bodies and control their own lives.
How do characters respond to living in a flawed, corrputed world?
The main character, Offred, does not respond strongly in the novel. Her character is weak. She often imagines herself as brave, but does not do anything to change her current situation. Unlike Offred, her mother and best friend, Moira, are both resilient and rebellious characters. They are not traditional and refuse to conform to the new and corrupt society.
Offred is well aware that the world around her is flawed, but seems to accept it. She often mentions that there is nothing that can be done and that she has gotten used to her new way of living. Offred often has flashbacks of her old life and expresses her grief and emotional turmoil. Despite her unhappiness, she fails to take action.
Offred is the only character whose thoughts are exposed to the reader. It seems as though the rest of the handmaids think the same way she does. They all seem to obey the rules, and even some, the aunts, enforce them.
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