This week we move on to “A Handmaid’s Tale”. It’s a book about a dystopia, which I found out today was the opposite of a utopia lol. When interviewed about her book, Margaret Atwood says quote:
"This is a book about what happens when certain casually held attitudes about women are taken to their logical conclusions. For example, I explore a number of conservative opinions still held by many--such as a woman's place is in the home. And also certain feminist pronouncements--women prefer the company of other women, for example. Take these beliefs to their logical ends and see what happens."
From what I have read so far, I can definitely see how the quote relates. It takes those beliefs about a woman’s place and other things and puts it into this other world where it is just like that. The women of this novel have no rights. Even their names are their “Commander’s” name, such as Offred (Of Fred…). The handmaid’s purpose is to have offspring for elite couples (their commander and his wife) because the reproduction rate is low. These are their “roles” in this world. They have no basic freedoms. Atwood really brings to perspective these stereotypes and puts it in a whole new view. Everything women have been working toward as far as rights and freedom are just gone, and it’s back at square one.
Our class title – Between Shadow and Light – would work well with this book. Everything is hidden in the shadows. The things like the women in the house and other stereotypes are hidden in these shadows. The light is what reveals these things. It’s like when Atwood brings these ideas to life. In this novel it is focusing on the shadows. Women are in those shadows are stuck there with no place to go. It is the opposite to whats really happening now. With women getting more and more rights. Even possibilities for women presidents, and vice presidents. The novel really brings out the darker side of the shadow, with women not being able to step out into the light.
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Good blog! I'm so glad you figured it out! I was confused about what the blog was supposed to be about, at first. It took me a minute or two to think about it,hahah. But I really like what you said about the story being the light of how things would be if women weren't allowed to come out of the darkness. I wish to think that women are never subject to this, whether it be to increase the population during war time, or due to a violent religious upheavel. In the book, it mentions how the children birthed by the new members of this society will know nothing else but how to behave in that society. Do you think it's possible for this to happen with today's loosening values on modesty and gender roles? Are they gender roles still an existent undercurrent of today's society?
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