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When reading Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, there are many central themes. One of the themes that I have picked up the most on is escapism, attempting to push down the feelings of wanting to get out and being unhappy with the current state of the world. Offred experiences this a lot, even thought the aunts try to sway her the other way, trying to convince her that she is safe and better off in this world. She finds herself trying to justify her life, and trying to be appreciative but she can’t help but want to get out.

Be Quiet and Drive Far Away- Deftones- Offred slowly starts to notice that the world in which she lives is irregular; therefore, she attempts to adjust to this new normal. The aunts tell her she needs to adjust, like when in the book it says, “Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after some time it will.” This quote shows that in Gilead, they attempt to make the scenario seem normal. After all of this, Offred still longs to get away. This song expresses a longing to escape from one’s current life. Offred also experiences similar feelings. She is having trouble adjusting to this new normalcy and thinks about her life before, and longs to go back similar time to the song.

Exit Music For a Film- Radiohead- This song encapsulates a plan to escape, and, similar to the last one, shows the longing for escape. This theme is central throughout the whole book, wanting to escape the current system. Offred soon starts to acknowledge that she will have to forget her past life and loses all hope in escaping the world in which she lives now. She says, “Time’s a trap and I’m caught in it. I must forget my secret name and all ways back.” This presents a very important plot point in the story, in which she officially gives up her past life, and turns to acceptance in the life in which she lives now, similar to the song.

Back to the Old House- The Smiths- To add onto my previous point, Offred soon moves to accept her current situation and says she cannot go back to the world she once lived in. In the song, it says, “I would rather not go back to the old house. There are too many bad memories, too many memories.” This is very reflective of Offred’s mental state as well, trying to cope by saying her son had died, trying to recall bad memories from the life she lived before, to attempt to comfort herself that she is in a better place right now. She tries to tell herself that she is safer in Gilead than she ever was in the real world, even though she knows it’s not true. She thinks that thinking like this will ease the pain of reality.

Mask Off- Future- In the beginning of the story, Offred says, “In the night is when I can be myself.” This is similar to the lyrics of this song because the artist talks about how he is tired of faking things, and he wants his metaphorical mask to come off. Similar to this, Offred describes how in the night she is unchained by everyone around her, that she can be herself no matter what others want her to do. However she is still restricted to a certain extent, she can be free to think what she wants and to move how she wants during the night time. Therefore her figurative mask comes off and she can rid herself of the appearance she has to uphold with everyone else (commanders, aunts, angels, etc.) Her mask comes off during the night, therefore letting her be herself.

Rosemary-Deftones- “Our minds set free to roam.” This is a good song that can tie all of the story together, because throughout the story we are shown that the only freedom which the handmaids have is mental freedom. Even though the aunts tell them things to try to infiltrate their thinking, the handmaids are all ultimately responsible for what they think. This is why Offred enjoys the night time so much, because she has the freedom to think whatever she wants, without anyone trying to tell her what else to think. Therefore this song, about your mind roaming to other places while your body is in one place, is accurate to describe the situation in which the handmaids are in.

https://youtu.be/dAW8CoH_lN0?si=rEo-pzAzVFvcJQq2 https://youtu.be/Bf01riuiJWA?si=maxzt5zeOkpadOnv https://youtu.be/laXY5e5JaV0?si=pt7M4-gJ4isVEkm7 https://youtu.be/aWb8z-KhZdo?si=zHA3W_Pw53xBdLm7 https://youtu.be/fZcAQ0kuw1s?si=pKK4wNsisyGduE6_

In Chapter 23, Offred sees the Commander outside the ceremony and in his public duty. Offred is instructed by Serena Joy to visit the commander’s office. She is nervous because secret meetings between handmaids and commanders are forbidden, and it could potentially be dangerous. But to her surprise, she isn’t called to be interrogated or punished; the commander asks her to play a game of Scrabble with him.

Offred is confused and a little suspicious because reading is forbidden for women in Gilead. She feels guilty about this meeting. But as she and the commander continue through the game, she feels a mix of excitement and power. “We play two games. Larynx, I spell. Valance. Quince. Zygote”, she feels memories of her old life coming back to her, when playing a simple game of Scrabble was not frowned upon. The commander has one more thing for Offred, an old-fashion magazine. This magazine is from pre-Gilead, but it is also now banned. “This is freedom, an eyeblink of it”, she feels as if this moment is intimate, showing the reality of how starved she has been for a real human connection.

Offred does not let this feeling blind her; she knows this “relationship” is dangerous for her, and she cannot tell anyone. If she and the commander are caught, they would be severely punished. But why does the commander consider Offred? Why does he offer her a game of Scrabble even when he knows reading is forbidden for Handmaids? This meeting isn’t random; it’s connected to what happened to Fred and Serena’s previous handmaid before Offred arrived.

Though we don’t know her name, we know her story. She was the one who wrote words that Offred found; she was the one who took her own life, and she was the one who left both emotional and physical stains on the household. The commander has this meeting with Offred because he wants to prevent the same thing from happening to her. Even though he wants to make her life easier as a handmaid, he still hopes for a genuine human connection. The commander is lonely and bored in the power-obsessed world that they are forced to live in. He wants normalcy and a companion. But this is not fully pure, the commander is still centering his needs. Scrabble becomes his form of rebellion. By inviting Offred to play, he thinks he is being kind, but it’s also a power move. Offering Offred something “illegal” can make her feel indebted to him and give him more control.

For my art piece, I made Scrabble tiles that spell out themes that appear so far in our readings. I chose seven words: autonomy, handmaids, self, men, power, less, and fertility. I feel like all of these words relate to THT completely because we know the struggle of autonomy, fertility, and a sense of self for the handmaids in a world that just discards them. I added the word men because they are at the hierarchy in Gilead. Even though the words power and less are separate, when you look at my art piece, they are connected at the “E” in power and less. This adds an artistic touch and puts a play on words.

Secret Relationships

College English Ms. Pahomov Beau Riviere October 13th, 2025

Reading Chapter 23 of the Handmaid’s Tale I found the scene in the Commander’s Study gave me a whole new view on how the people in power are actually affected by the system they created. When I read the moment where Offred is summoned to the Commander’s forbidden room and plays Scrabble with him and later finds out he wants a kiss from her, I was surprised by this moment. But what really intrigued me was trying to understand why he wanted this type of relationship with Offred at all.

Offred describes her approach to this moment with the Commander with fear and thinking about the ways she could be punished for it. She says “My presence here is illegal. It’s forbidden for us to be alone with the Commander”(136). This detail goes into how women are supposed to be just the things in the society that are able to give birth which makes it clear how restricted her existence is. Although as I continued to read this section I realized that the Commander was also restricted just in a completely different way.

When the Commander reveals he wants to play scrabble with her, I was taken back at first. But then I started thinking about what this really means. Offred describes his nervousness and how “sheepish” he looks, like “the way men used to look once”(138). He’s embarrassed to ask for something so simple. This made me realize that the Commander is starving for something his own regime has taken away from him. He can’t play scrabble with his wife , or have a normal conversation with her, or be a regular person anymore because Gilead has turned him into something else.

I think what surprised me the most was realizing that even those who are in power are trapped by the system they created. The Commander has all the control he could and authority that he could possibly want, but he’s so isolated and lonely that he has to sneak a Handmaid into his study room just to have a conversation with someone who can think for themselves. He is willing to break the rules that he enforces because he needs to feel like a normal human. He has this want and need to be seen as a regular person and not just a Commander.

The way Offred describes the Scrabble game shows how much it means to him to be doing such a simple activity. She says “The feeling is voluptuous. This is freedom, an eyeblink of it”(139). But I realized that Offred isn’t the only one experiencing freedom from this moment. The Commander is too. For him having someone to talk to and play a game with is like finding a crack in the wall that he built around himself. He is so desperate for human connection that he’s willing to risk everything to have it.

What really made me interested in why the Commander wanted this was understanding that his need for Offred isn’t just about romance or attraction in a normal sense. It’s about his need to connect with someone who can understand him and who he can be somewhat of himself around. In Gilead the Commander is surrounded by people who fear him and the power he has, but no one actually knows him on a personal level. He has created a world where he has total control but no real connection and that’s making him miserable.

Another thing that showed me how desperate the Commander is was the way he asked Offred to kiss him like she meant it. He says “Not like that”(140). This moment revealed that what he actually wants isn’t just physical affection. He wants to be wanted by someone else. He wants someone to choose him, not because they have to, but because they actually care and want to. This is something Gilead has made impossible for him with his Wife or anyone else in his position. The rules that kept Offred as just a womb also keep him from ever having a genuine relationship.

By having Offred come to his study in secret the Commander is essentially admitting that the system he represents is broken. He has the power and the control, but he’s completely alone. He needs her to need him back even if that need is complicated and dangerous. He’s looking for someone who understands what freedom and normalcy used to feel like. Someone who remembers that life could be different.

Overall the scene in Chapter 23 where the COmmander and Offred are together alone provided me with a new view on how the system built in Gilead affects and hurts everyone involved. What surprised me the most was understanding that the Commander’s need for Offred isn’t a sign of weakness in him, rather it’s a sign of how suffocating Gilead’s system is. Even those in power are starving for something their regime does not allow, which is genuine human connection and to be truly seen by another human.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E_Xb5mpeNJmfKd9BNSnY5qjXNa-6I5KnVnuebg1gsSo/edit?usp=sharing

The One I Love - REM
“The One I Love” by REM is a simple song with a small variety of lines but there is still a lot of implication in its 3 minutes. The chorus goes, ”This one goes out to the one I love//This one goes out to the one I left behind//Another prop to occupy my time.” The singer sings about how he left behind his love and uses the thoughts of her to pass the time. When thinking of Luke and her daughter, Offred says, “This message, which may never arrive, that keeps me alive. (106)” “The One I Love” portrays how love is what keeps us alive. Additionally, the song and The Handmaid’s Tale demonstrate how even if we know something will most likely never happen, we hold onto it as it keeps us from insanity. Offred repeatedly states how bored she is and recalls times before Gilead when her life was full of love and fun.

Seasons - Future Islands
In the latter chapters of The Handmaid’s Tale, the reader learns how the commander is quite a complex character. He is the oppressor as well as being a supporter of the new laws in Gilead. However he still feels regret for his actions and misses the old world. In Future Islands, “Seasons,” the singer sings, “But the winter will wash what’s left of the taste// As it breaks//the summer will warm//But the winter will crave what has gone//Will crave what has all gone away.” In relation to the song, the commander is the winter who didn’t stop summer from coming but then longed to go back once it had come. The commander did not oppose the new laws but in turn lost his old way of life. The beginning of the second verse goes, “Seasons change//But some people never do,” which can be connected to how the world around him is changing but the commander wants to keep with the old way of doing things.

Fifth of May - Zach Bryan
In “Fifth of May” by Zach Bryan, Bryan sings about leaving home and how he dreams of back home but then ends the chorus with, “So if you need me//know that I’m bleeding//somewhere alone in some coastal town.” Offred is in a similar situation. Most of her time is spent thinking about her old life. The deeper connection is how Offred worries about her daughter and wants to find her, but she can not because she herself is in a horrible situation. Similarly, Bryan sings about how he wants to see his mom but is instead getting wasted and sinking into madness in a place not even he knows. In a similar way to Offred, Bryan uses vividly depicted moments from his past before he left home, as well as the moments leading up to his leaving, as a way to keep himself sane.

Nights - Frank Ocean
Though her life is full of boredom, Offred has a lot going on in her head. The song “Nights” by Frank Ocean is as all over the place with its lyrics as Offred is with her thoughts. For someone who is being cut off from all relations with non-handmaids, her relationships have been what stand out as conflicting in recent chapters. In “Nights,” Ocean sings, “You know I can’t hear none of that spend the night shit//wanna see nirvana but don’t wanna die yet.” This relates to Offred’s difficult relationships with Nick and the commander, as well as her suicidal temptations. She knows that being too close to either of them could get her sent to the Colonies, so she tries to shut out the temptations. Similarly, connecting to the second line, she notices every opportunity to end her life but never does because she believes she can escape.

Temptations - Joey Bada$$
On pages 194 and 195 of The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred depicts a scene from inside the gymnasium, where they are being forced to pray, and she thinks about suicide. Joey Bada$$ starts the chorus of “Temptations” with, “And I really can’t take it no more//I’ve been fighting temptations my lord.” It is interesting how both Offred and the song refer to temptations in accordance with god. The Bible says that temptation is the root of all evil, telling how Eve was tempted by the apple in the Garden of Eden. Offred says, “Don’t worry about forgiving me” for her temptations of suicide, the same way that Joey Bada$$ says that he is struggling with temptations, being unable to live young and reckless because of oppression.

Sounds of Gilead

Sailor Song By Gigi Perez: (https://youtu.be/1lrFsXkT_rM)

Sailor Song by Gigi Perez reflects on queer relationships in a society that isn’t accepting. The lyric, “love me like a sailor,” signifies that love is a commitment and true love endures the highs and lows of life, like a sailor enduring the rough sea. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Gilead bans any real relationships. The government forcefully separated Offred and Luke. Luke’s whereabouts are still unknown, and Offred has become a Handmaid. Her duties aren’t easy; even so, she still loves Luke and chooses to believe that he is waiting for her. While thinking about him, she tries to believe, “they didn’t catch him or catch up with him after all, that he made it, reached the bank… It comforts me to dress him warmly” (105). She remains hopeful that he is free and comfortable, even though she is living in oppression. Her mindset is similar to how mothers love their children and constantly wish the best for them. Offred shows commitment and love towards Luke when Serena suggests she produce a child with Nick. She recalls, “One and one and one and one doesn’t equal four” (192). The mathematical equation makes sense; however, she is referring to how Luke is more valuable to her than Nick or the Commander, thus they aren’t interchangeable. Even as society has forcefully pulled Offred and Luke apart, her love for him is enduring.

Friend By Benson Boone: (https://youtu.be/GF7_KGSJjTM)

Friend by Benson Boone expresses loneliness and longing for friendship. The narrator of the song has been running alone in the world, desperately craving emotional connections and support. Boone writes, “I’ve been on my own, tryin’ to carry this alone. Only so much weight my back could take, I’m sinking like a stone.” This shows that loneliness is exhausting, and over time, it emotionally and physically erodes people down. Friendship is a support system that helps you when you feel lost or stressed. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred feels alone. She often talks to Ofglen and sometimes the Commander, but she feels empty. She is constantly asking people about her friend Moira, who ran away from the Red Center. While they were both still in the center, she says, “It makes me feel safer, that Moira is here” (71). Moira was someone who understood Offred because they were friends, and that made Offred feel safe to see a familiar face. But after so much time alone, away from Moira, she began to crave an emotional bond, but she says, “There’s nobody here I can love” (103). Everyone around Offred seemed like coworkers. The Marthas made her food, and the other Handmaids were just like her. No one understood her like Moira did. Finally, when she reunited with Moira at the hotel, her response was, “I touch her arm again. Then I begin to cry” (242). This shows that Offred was broken from being alone for so long; she cried when she saw Moira again. But it also shows the depth of the bond between the two friends because crying in front of someone is a sign of vulnerability and trust. Like the narrator in the song, Offred really needed a friend, and Moira was that friend.

Simple Joys By Yanti Niels: (https://youtu.be/f2JPXjCj0Fs)

Simple Joys by Yanti Niels reflects on all the little things in life that make life better. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, there isn’t much joy in Gilead. Women are banned from reading and playing games. The most that Offred can do is go on walks and speak quietly with Ofglen. When the Commander secretly asked Offred to play Scrabble, the readers can see her light up with happiness like a child. She states, “The feeling is voluptuous. This is freedom, an eyeblink of it… What a luxury. The counters are like candies, made of peppermint, cool like that” (139). This moment shows that Offred was having fun playing Scrabble. The words “voluptuous,” “freedom,” “luxury,” and “candies” have very positive and happy connotations. Similarly, these are all things that aren’t present in Gilead, showing that she is enjoying Scrabble a lot, but also that when society oppresses and restricts certain freedoms, the small things we never batted an eye at before turn into joys. While the song reminds us to appreciate the small things in life, the novel warns us of a future where the things we take for granted become forbidden.

Numb By Linkin Park: (https://youtu.be/kXYiU_JCYtU)

In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Janine was turned into a common hatred by the other women in the Red Center. While in the Red Center, she testified, “she was gang-raped at fourteen and had an abortion… She seemed almost proud of it” (71). Janine recounts the horrors of her past life, which should be taken with sympathy. However, in Gilead, abortion is illegalized and having an abortion became one of the worst crimes a woman could commit. In her moment of vulnerability, rather than receiving caring words, the other women chanted, “Her fault, her fault, her fault” (72). Janine initially believed that she had done the right thing, but now feels ashamed of her actions. Similarly, the song Numb by Linkin Park refers to the feeling of being constantly reminded of your mistakes, that you become numb. You start to accept the negativity. That was the whole point of the testifying activity: to emotionally break women down and rebuild them according to Gilead’s laws and values, such as anti-abortion. Like Janine, the other women in the Red Center were also constantly judged by each other and had grown to accept the judgment as reality. They’ve grown numb.

I’m Gonna Be an Engineer By Peggy Seeger: (https://youtu.be/m1gf7JENZHI)

I’m Gonna Be an Engineer, by Peggy Seeger, released in 1979, represents the stereotypical role of women in society and the massive pay gap between men and women. In the song, the narrator wanted to be an engineer, but everyone around her pushed her towards stereotypically feminine roles, such as obeying her husband, managing the house, and having kids. On the other hand, her husband went to school and became an engineer. Later in her life, she does become an engineer, but her boss refuses to pay her equally. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Gilead is much worse than 1979 America. The expectation for women in society is to be vessels for babies. Offred explains, “I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object” (73-74). Women aren’t seen as people in Gilead. They are a “national resource” (65). They are nothing more than their reproductive organs, the “central object.” Women aren’t just discouraged from education. They are entirely banned from reading and writing. They are forced into stereotypical feminine duties by the government, while men are allowed greater freedom and knowledge, similar to how the narrator’s husband from the song was able to pursue an education in engineering. But she was told to stay home and be a wife. Both the song and the novel show the societal oppression of women in different time periods.

What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish
(https://youtu.be/cW8VLC9nnTo?si=G_s9hHk9vsN-npZd)

Lyric: “I used to float, now I just fall down”

Quote: “I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure,… Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed… I see despair coming towards me like famine.” (page 74)

The song expresses a sense of emptiness about identity, and this quote reflects this idea of a loss of recognition. Offred reflects on how she lost control of her body and how she no longer exists for herself, but for her reproductive system. Both the song and this quote shows the feeling of being disconnected from her true self. Offred’s sense of self has been replaced by her societal role, just like the lyrics she’s questioning her worth beyond what others expect from her. There is an emotional pain that comes from being defined by external forces.

Freedom by Beyoncé (https://youtu.be/7FWF9375hUA?si=BoR7MafCvkoszkMa)

Lyric: “Imma keep running, cause a winner don’t quit on themselves”

Quote: “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. (Don’t let the bastards grind you down.)” (page 52)

This quote is a latin phrase carved into Offred’s room and this becomes a source of strength for her. The lyric and the quote express determination to keep fighting despite being trapped in oppression. For Offred the carving represents hope and the strength to resist Gilead’s control over her body, similarly to Beyonce’s lyric emphasizing the empowerment of fighting through the struggle. Both show that to get freedom, you can’t give up hope and spirit, even if you’re not physically free yet.

Bad Religion by Frank Ocean
(https://youtu.be/JMpypbtrcCg?si=5JF5lAlPrJhCORAx)

Lyric: “Its a bad religion to be in love with someone who could never love you”

Quote: “I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance.” (page 39)

Frank Ocean sings about needing hope or faith to survive heartbreak. Offred is very similar in the way that she relies on belief as a survival mechanism. She tries to convince herself that her suffering is just a story, to try and hold on to the little hope she has left. Frank Ocean turns to religion for comfort to cope with unreturned love and emotional pain. Between both, faith becomes a form of hope, it offers them temporary relief, but also reveals how powerless and lonely they are.

TV by Billie Eilish (https://youtu.be/_JGGLJMpVks?si=-cIEleova_dyB95g)

Lyric: “The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial, while they’re overturning Roe v. Wade”

Quote: “We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print.” (page 57)

This lyric shows how society loses focus on women’s struggles and rights, but instead pays attention to celebrity drama. In Gilead women have no control over their own body and have been completely erased in a sense. Both highlight how choosing not to pay attention allows oppression to happen and to continue to grow. The book and the song emphasize the primary idea that silence can be just as harmful as the system of control.

Pretty Hurts by Beyoncé
(https://youtu.be/LXXQLa-5n5w?si=yqNaAu2w7B28l-eS)

Lyric: “Perfection is the disease of a nation”

Quote: “My nakedness is strange to me already. My body seems outdated… I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it’s shameful or immodest but because I don’t want to see it.” (page 63)

Women are stripped of their individuality and identity and forced to reach unattainable standards of appearance or roles, and defined by how well they “perform”. Just like the lyrics reveal about the world we live in, Gilead reduces women to objects of appearance and function rather than humans with feelings or freedom. The women in the book are important solely for their fertility, Gilead enforces control over women’s bodies similarly to how society takes control over women’s beauty. Both emphasize the idea the patriarchal power wants to define a woman’s worth through their physical appearance or function.

Tiles on the table

In front of me

CMSEIR and a blank.

Command.

Motherhood.

Sex.

Elation.

Illegal.

Real.

And future possibilities.

I command. I am a commander.

I know all the rules.

A commander is me.

I think not.

The world drifts from my grip like the sands of time

Why grip harder?

Mothers are to be cherished.

We value struggle.

Whose struggle?

Sex is our tool.

Use it for good.

For whose good?

I can’t be so generous for long.

Elation requires its equal.

Nothing is comparable to the call of the world beyond

Who receives?

Care was for the poor.

This doesn’t pay.

I mustn’t contemplate it

Who pays its cost?

Why are we still here?

Not for love or hate

This world can’t accept either.

I just put the tiles down.

What is a tile?

To hold on.

Their struggle, our gain.

I wish I knew. Who does?

Not I. She.

Wooden. Solid. Easily lost. Easily forgotten.

Rarely found.

Now there are crimes on this table.

Only the future remains.

Artist’s Statement:

This poem contains many references to the themes of The Handmaid’s Tale. A few things to point out if the reader hasn’t yet noticed them: Readers will note that each of the middle stanzas is an exploration of one of the commander’s thoughts as he plays his opening move of scrabble against Offred. The last stanza refers to scrabble only in part. Don’t read too much into it. You might find something if you do.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT STATEMENT:

There was nothing to find. Unless, of course, you wanted there to be.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT STATEMENT STATEMENT:

The thing with art is that people see what they need to see. “‘I’m significant’, screamed the dust speck.” “Questions I know the answer to, I don’t need to ask, right?” -Jesus, Pat Buchanan, Kublai Khan, and/or King Joseph I of Spain.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT STATEMENT STATEMENT STATEMENT:

You don’t need this one. Nor the next. You already understand this poem as much as you’re going to, and you’re unhappy about it.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT STATEMENT STATEMENT STATEMENT STATEMENT:

Why are you like this?

REAL ARTIST’S STATEMENT BECAUSE THE OTHER ONES WEREN’T ACTUALLY ARTIST STATEMENTS THEY WERE JUST EXTENSIONS OF THE POEM, IN A SENSE: ALSO IF YOU’VE SEEN THREE IDENTICAL CATS LINGERING BY YOUR DOORWAY PLEASE CONTACT THEM AND TELL THEM YOU DON’T CONSENT TO BEING WATCHED.

Yeah, sorry about that. Those were not four random historical figures all the way back in “ARTIST’S STATEMENT STATEMENT STATEMENT”. They each have something to do with creation, sex, reproduction, and birth, in that order. PS. This website completely messed up the formatting

Women can’t add, he once said, jokingly. When I asked him what he meant, he said, For them, one and one and one and one don’t make four. What do they make? I said, expecting five or three. Just one and one and one and one, he said.

He is the Commander, Fred, in his office with Offred, but in Offred’s mind on page 186 of The Handmaid’s Tale. The two chatted after their regular game of Scrabble, the tensions between them diminishing with each secret rendez-vous. After Offred asks about the Commander about the phrase in faux Latin, she offers to write it down. The Commander hesitates, considering whether to allow this forbidden usage of a pen or pencil, which is what pushes Offred to remember what he said about women and simple arithmetic.

Adding is the first math operation that is taught to young children, so it is statistically untrue that women cannot add. Plus, to assume that women would fail to perform at a task that is expected of small children is to diminish the skillset and value of an entire group of people. This is the first step to objectifying women. To determine (falsely) that they are simply incapable of doing certain tasks, rather than trying and being wrong. This way, they are prevented from doing anything other than whatever they assign to them, which in the case of The Handmaid’s Tale, is being silent and carrying children.

What’s more with the Commander’s statement is the implication that women are not allowed to add. They are not allowed to prove his misconception wrong. This means two things. First, the Commander and whoever else “believes” in the sentiment that women are incapable know that they are wrong. They know that their statements fail to be backed up by any scientific evidence or research, but they don’t need to care about scientific evidence as long as they maintain a faux image of power. As long as the Commanders and men keep the women oppressed, stripped of any opportunity to prove themselves and refute the Commanders’ facade of superiority. If women are given a chance, the Commanders know that they will actually thrive and excel, which means there is nothing that makes men superior, and their power becomes useless.

This phenomenon is not exclusive to The Handmaid’s Tale unfortunately. I was immediately reminded of the horror, infantilization, and verbal abuse experienced by women in the gaming community. I have personal ties to this, as my family tried to prevent me from playing video games entirely, always treating the satement, “Girls don’t play video games” as a rule. All of the girls and women in the gaming scope are treated as though they were clueless, needing a man to mansplain and guide them through the game. All of the stereotypes of girls who have cutesy, pink gaming setups who are not treated or respected as “real” gamers, and at the same time, they are reduced to being a sexually favorable woman, being subjected to all types of sexual harrassment. My friends who play combat or RPG games that are male-dominated have expressed hiding their voices or deepening it to avoid being perceived as a woman.

Further examples are in STEM fields, politics, and any argument against women in leadership. Women engineers, for example, are scarce, because of the harassment and undermining they receive. For example, when I interviewed Ms. Serenity Baruzzini last year about her experience as a woman studying engineering, she recalled a story where a male professor said the best students he’s ever had were students who said they were engineers who happened to be women, and that her identities as a woman and engineer should be completely independent of each other. Again, this shows how women being in the STEM field is so unexpected that the entire image of an engineer aligns with a man. This image excludes women and discourages them from pursuing a pathway where they could really thrive.

The last example is the argument that women are too emotional to be leaders. I’ve heard it all the time. In politics, STEM, everywhere. However, research literally suggests that women are more effective leaders. Back to the point of the Commander, it is so much easier to shut women out from these fields and claim that they are incapable, than try to justify their falseties when women are more effective than men. It’s interesting that the Commanders in The Handmaid’s Tale have to continuously oppress and reframe the ethics of their society to prove that they are right. To prove that they are superior. Even though it works in Gilead, it’s no doubt there are flaws in their logic. Especially now when the state of our nation is fragile and uncertain, it is important to remember to poke holes in arguments until they are sound. No one should be reduced, objectified, and infantlized. Oppression will not win.

In the Handmaid’s Tale, Offred and Nick both share a romantic interest in each other. Throughout the book, they exchange glances and give each other looks that say what words can’t. They’re forbidden to speak to each other, and the type of relationship they want is one that would certainly not be allowed. Despite Offred’s growing interest in Nick and him reciprocating the same, their interactions make it obvious to the reader that Offred doesn’t actually like Nick, she just craves the human connection that has been lacking in her life by being a Handmaid and seeks the rebellion that comes with it. Offred has no control over her life or her decisions. She’s forced to have intercourse with someone she doesn’t know and her husband was taken away from her. Offred’s infatuation with Nick revolved around this; she only wants him in her life for the excitement of it. In Chapter 17 when Offred goes to see the Commander, while waiting in his sitting room, she runs into Nick, who both are not supposed to be there. They suddenly embrace each other and share a kiss, something they both had been waiting for. Offred says, “Both of us shaking, how I’d like to.” (p. 98). Offred is “shaking” from the rebellious nature of it all. The excitement of being with a man for the first time since Luke is making her want to do more. She’d like to take things further and explore. This is the first time she’s been connected with a man since Luke, which is what she has been craving during her time of being a handmaid. The Commander doesn’t fulfill her any emotional needs so she’s left wanting more, extremely unhappy with her life. She hasn’t mentioned anything about what she likes about Nick or anything good about his personality. Offred is just in it for the thrill of it, understandably, since she’s been deprived of a real connection with a man. Additionally, Offred’s want to rebel is displayed even more in the next sentence. She proceeds to say, “In Serena’s parlor, with the dried flowers, on the Chinese carpet, on his thin body.” (p. 98) It shows the nature of this situation, and how dangerous it is for them to be doing this. “In Serena’s parlor” implies that Offred is proud of her actions. Serena will never know what’s happening under her nose and that gives Offred power over her. Also, “on his thin body” demonstrates her need for a physical connection and her focus on the scandalous situation going on. Again, she says nothing about what she actually likes about Nick. She barely knows him and they’ve only really exchanged looks before and they jump straight to kissing. Offred just wants to feel like she has some sort of control over her life and this is her way of doing it. Lastly, during this forbidden interaction between the two lovers, Offred says “A man entirely unknown. It would be like shouting, it would be like shooting someone.” (p.98) Offred is admitting that she doesn’t know the man before her. She doesn’t know him like she knew Luke and she feels guilty for what she’s doing. Yet, her craving to do something, to have some sort of sense of control over her life, is too strong. She knows what the worst case scenario is. For this, they could be executed, put on the Wall. She thinks she won’t mind the consequences in the moment. Offred is attracted to Nick but not for the right reasons. The shallow nature of their relationship reflects the control society had over them. They had no will of their own; people aren’t supposed to mingle like that. “It would be like shouting” means that Nick and Offred in that living room was them asking to be caught. It was such an obviously stupid thing they were doing that Offred knew she was lucky that they weren’t executed on the spot. Essentially, Nick and Offred’s relationship reflects the rebellious nature of Offred and her desires. What she truly wanted wasn’t a relationship with Nick; she doesn’t even know him, and she still misses Luke. Yet, she’s deprived of all human connection in her oppressive society, so she’ll take what she can get and get into a romantic relationship with Nick so that she can have some sort of sense of control over her life. This demonstrates the importance of relationships in our day to day lives; human connection is an important thing, and it’s crucial that we maintain those relationships in our lives in order to truly be free and happy.

In the Handmaid’s Tale, Offred and Nick both share a romantic interest in each other. Throughout the book, they exchange glances and give each other looks that say what words can’t. They’re forbidden to speak to each other, and the type of relationship they want is one that would certainly not be allowed. Despite Offred’s growing interest in Nick and him reciprocating the same, their interactions make it obvious to the reader that Offred doesn’t actually like Nick, she just craves the human connection that has been lacking in her life by being a Handmaid and seeks the rebellion that comes with it. Offred has no control over her life or her decisions. She’s forced to have intercourse with someone she doesn’t know and her husband was taken away from her. Offred’s infatuation with Nick revolved around this; she only wants him in her life for the excitement of it. In Chapter 17 when Offred goes to see the Commander, while waiting in his sitting room, she runs into Nick, who both are not supposed to be there. They suddenly embrace each other and share a kiss, something they both had been waiting for. Offred says, “Both of us shaking, how I’d like to.” (p. 98). Offred is “shaking” from the rebellious nature of it all. The excitement of being with a man for the first time since Luke is making her want to do more. She’d like to take things further and explore. This is the first time she’s been connected with a man since Luke, which is what she has been craving during her time of being a handmaid. The Commander doesn’t fulfill her any emotional needs so she’s left wanting more, extremely unhappy with her life. She hasn’t mentioned anything about what she likes about Nick or anything good about his personality. Offred is just in it for the thrill of it, understandably, since she’s been deprived of a real connection with a man. Additionally, Offred’s want to rebel is displayed even more in the next sentence. She proceeds to say, “In Serena’s parlor, with the dried flowers, on the Chinese carpet, on his thin body.” (p. 98) It shows the nature of this situation, and how dangerous it is for them to be doing this. “In Serena’s parlor” implies that Offred is proud of her actions. Serena will never know what’s happening under her nose and that gives Offred power over her. Also, “on his thin body” demonstrates her need for a physical connection and her focus on the scandalous situation going on. Again, she says nothing about what she actually likes about Nick. She barely knows him and they’ve only really exchanged looks before and they jump straight to kissing. Offred just wants to feel like she has some sort of control over her life and this is her way of doing it. Lastly, during this forbidden interaction between the two lovers, Offred says “A man entirely unknown. It would be like shouting, it would be like shooting someone.” (p.98) Offred is admitting that she doesn’t know the man before her. She doesn’t know him like she knew Luke and she feels guilty for what she’s doing. Yet, her craving to do something, to have some sort of sense of control over her life, is too strong. She knows what the worst case scenario is. For this, they could be executed, put on the Wall. She thinks she won’t mind the consequences in the moment. Offred is attracted to Nick but not for the right reasons. The shallow nature of their relationship reflects the control society had over them. They had no will of their own; people aren’t supposed to mingle like that. “It would be like shouting” means that Nick and Offred in that living room was them asking to be caught. It was such an obviously stupid thing they were doing that Offred knew she was lucky that they weren’t executed on the spot. Essentially, Nick and Offred’s relationship reflects the rebellious nature of Offred and her desires. What she truly wanted wasn’t a relationship with Nick; she doesn’t even know him, and she still misses Luke. Yet, she’s deprived of all human connection in her oppressive society, so she’ll take what she can get and get into a romantic relationship with Nick so that she can have some sort of sense of control over her life. This demonstrates the importance of relationships in our day to day lives; human connection is an important thing, and it’s crucial that we maintain those relationships in our lives in order to truly be free and happy.

Though this scene Offred is at the doctors office. The doctor checks her out and then offers her a deal to get her pregnant. In the beginning of the close read, Offred describe the process of getting undressed and the moment for the doctor enters the room. She uses phrases such as, “ When I’m naked I lie down on the examining table, on the sheet of the chilly crackling disposable paper.” [60] This gives me a connotation of being closed off and cold towards the moment. It’s clear Offred doesn’t entirely feel comfortable about the doctors office. Another phase like, “At neck level there’s another sheet, suspended from the ceiling. It intersects me so that the doctor will never see my face.” [60] This further shows the connotation of being closed off and uncomfortable. This one adds another connotation of being cut in half, that could be used as a metaphor of the lower half of her body being the only useful part of her. Since the handmaid’s only job is to get pregnant and produce a baby without defects it doesn’t matter what they look like or sounds like it only matters of they have good enough equipment. When the doctor starts his exam, there are some “ground rules” Offred explains to the reader, “He deals with the torso only” [60] This goes back to the idea of only the lower half being useful. So we learn he only exams her midbody, front the neck to the upper upper thigh. She also tells us, “He isn’t supposed to speak to me except when it’s absolutely necessary.” So this means no interactions beside part of the body or getting pregnant. I also had a side thought of “Didn’t they kill a bunch of doctors? So why didn’t they kill this one?” I was just a little confused but my question never got answered. Towards the middle of the close read, Offred and the doctor start interacting. Some red flag went off in my head especially around the words, “honey”. Something about it felt wrong even though that’s a very innocent word. I guess it comes from her being so exposed to him and him calling her something endearing. But what was more concerning is her immediate reaction to him offering her help. Her reaction was, “Does he know something, has he seen Luke, has he found, can he bring back?” [60] My first reaction to that was exactly what he was actually asking her, I knew that he was offering himself to help her and my reaction was that was disgustingly and really gross, not to mention I also think it’s illegal. He says, “It’s time. Today or tomorrow would do it, why waste it? It’d only take a minute honey.” [61] He uses the word honey again but everytime he uses it it become more and more creepy. It adds on to the connotation of the doctor being mega creepy and perverted. Offred’s next reaction after figuring out what he was actually saying was, “I hesitate. He’s offering himself to me, his services, at some risk to himself.” [61] I was proud to see that she hesitated but I was disappointed that she was thinking about the risk to the doctor before thinking about the risk to herself. He says, “It’s genuine, genuine sympathy; and yet he’s enjoying this, sympathy and all. His eyes are moist with compassion, his hand is moving on me, nervously and with impatience.” [61] ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! He is not offering this to help her, he is offering it for his own pleasure. He is using his power over women to get off on having sex, not to help them. He is saying, that it will help them but that’s not the true intentions behind his actions. But the best part is she said, “It’s too dangerous, I say, No. I can’t.” [61] YESSS OFFRED! I was so proud that she shit that idea down. Part of me actually thought for a second that she was going to go through with it, but I’m mega glad she didn’t. After reading this close reading, I learned the following things; Offred is an empath and care more about other people’s safety and feelings over her own. In short terms, She is a people pleaser. Doctors have the power to commit disgusting acts over their patients because they are behind close doors and that they can convince them it’s better for their health. Overall, I was very disgusted with this chapter more so because I know this stuff actually happens in real life. I’m always so surprised about how good The Handmaid’s Tale is about certain societal issues.

Reading The Handmaid’s Tale has been an interesting experience where I see many comparisons to the current state of the world and our country. Most notable is how our current government chooses to only show us the victories and successes of our nation, when, in actuality, there are many shortcomings of the United States, especially during the last few years. The Handmaid’s Tale presents one possible scenario of what could happen if we continue down this path. Our country is heading down a path of oppressing people for speaking out and having opinions that differ from the government. The censorship that the current administration is taking to silence the voices of people like Jimmy Kimmel and other late-night comedians goes to show that if we don’t stand up for our freedom of speech, we too could end up like Gilead. More specifically, in one of the early chapters of the book, we are still in a world-building phase and learning about what this new world looks like and how it operates. We learn that the government has taken over control of the news. Margot Atwood writes, “They show us only victories, never defeats. Who wants bad news?” -83 showing just how far the government has gone to control the media. Offred also asks the reader, “Who wants bad news?” This can be read as a satirical statement showing that even in these dark times, she’s trying to find humor in unlikely positions. This shows us how there is still humanity in these people who, before, were described as more one-toned people Earlier in the book, they hint at this fact of media control when they introduce the “Eyes,” who are portrayed as spies planted throughout Gilead, making people like Offred second-guess whom to trust with their inner monologues. The way margott atwood describes it makes it sound as if most people are considered “Eyes” and that they have to be careful about it. At one point in the book, Offred is talked to by an interpreter, and in her inner monologue, she says, “I know better than to look the interpreter in the face. Most of the interpreters are Eyes, or so it’s said.” (26) The ending of her saying “or so it’s said.” goes to show that even though she doesnt have any physical proof enough people believe it to be true that they listen. This, in conjunction with her fear of looking the interpreter in the face, also suggests that even though the tourist with the interpreter is unaware of the rules, the interpreter is aware of them, and if she refuses to follow them, she will be punished. This theme of not knowing who may report them continues throughout the book and resurfaces during the first Birthday, when Offred is standing next to another handmaid. They are exchanging small words about looking for other handmaids they once knew. The other handmaid asks Offred if she knows somebody whom Offred was at the learning center with, and Offred responds. “I want to tell her there was an Alma with me at the Center. I want to tell her my name, but Aunt Elizabeth raises her head, staring around the room.” (107) The reader is also then left wondering if they were in earshot of the Aunts because directly before this, Offred was asking about Moria. Now they are silent as if the Aunt had heard them and their conversation and is attempting to warn them. It’s interactions like those which make Offred and the other handmaids watch what they say and who they talk to. We never learn if Offred tells the other handmaid that she knows of Alma or that they were at the Center together. This type of world-building and questioning allows the reader to build their own story within the larger narrative of The Handmaid’s Tale. Thought these first few chapters of The Handmaid’s Tale. The reader is exposed to various types of world-building and character introductions that help establish a foundation for what we might continue to see throughout the book. Specifically, we are shown how conflicted Offred is on who to trust and who may be a spy; it’s that style of writing that keeps the reader interested in how this plot may progress. Additionally, we continue to see that if the United States continues to limit free speech and the will of the people, this book may become less far-fetched.

Title about nothing By Rafael Torok

I’ve had an interesting experience within this class. I wanted to care about this book, and I wanted to care about the class. But I soon realized that it didn’t matter whether I got an A or a B. It didn’t matter if I really cared about the book. So why try? It seemed like a fool’s errand. I don’t feel this way anymore. I realized that to look at it that way is foolish and cowardly. You can’t live a life if your philosophy is designed to remove you completely from any sort of meaningful connection to this world. This has become clearer than ever in my reading of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

There have been times in my life when I have felt similar to Moira, a character in the book. Specifically, I am referring to how she feels and acts during the section in which she plans an escape from the compound they were being housed in. Of course, it was not nearly to the same extent as she. However, the base desires were similar. I have been in a situation where I needed to do something disastrous for the long term in order to fulfill my needs in the short term. Sometimes, though, the thing I do, which is beneficial in the short term, is actually beneficial in the long term as well. It’s just bad in the medium term. For example, writing an essay at one in the morning. It’s good for my grade in the class, but it leaves me as an empty shell, unable to do anything useful the next day. What does it actually mean? Best case, I get an A in the class instead of a B. Whoop-dee-doo. What does that get me? A fraction of a percent higher chance of getting into any particular college. After that, nothing. I am reminded of the discussion Offred has with Moira on pages 89 and 90. When Moira first mentions that she’s got to escape, Offred immediately feels panic. She believes it will result in negative consequences. Moira doesn’t. She doesn’t really think it matters. Like Moira, I was tempted into thinking that this class doesn’t matter. I thought it was a boring waste of time. Similarly, it seems to me that Nihilism is an appropriate philosophy to look at the book through. Do the events of the book matter? Many would be drawn to answering no. Humans are leaky blobs of chemicals that are not conscious. Our brains are a collection of neurons tricking each other into doing math. Either everything with a brain is conscious, or nothing is. If you can’t tell, I’m on the latter side for the purposes of this paragraph. If no one on earth is conscious, then there is no reason to do anything. There is no suffering; suffering is an illusion made up by evolution to stop you from killing yourself. There is no pain; pain is a hoax made by your brain to stop you from getting yourself killed. I’ve always seen the appeal of nihilism. If embraced fully, it is the freest one can get. No responsibility, no morals, and no hope burdening you. However, I believe that it is a foolish way to look at the world. Its main philosophy rests upon a non-falsifiable axiom. We cannot prove whether or not human beings are conscious. If we assume they are not, nihilism becomes almost the default. If they are, then all of the other philosophies are still on the table. I know this is a logical fallacy, but I think we should choose the world where good people can exist. We should choose the world in which there is a reason to care.

Lagunas-Peso Pluma Throughout the book, Offred is constantly being haunted by her past. Her memories are now just constant reminders of what she could’ve had and of the things she wishes were still real. She craves the connection she once had with her loved ones, “I want her back, I want everything back, the way it was. But there is no point to it, this wanting.” (122) But she is aware that the likelihood of even getting to see them is low. But perhaps in another life, or another galaxy, she could’ve lived out her life the way she had planned/wanted to. Lagunas, though its main focus is on romantic heartbreak and not systemic oppression, it is similar in the way the artist reflects back on past relations. Ideas of what could have been, just like our character, Offred, float around in his mind, hence the name “Lakes” or “Lagoons.” These two situations are connected in the sense that they both use memories as ways that continue to develop. They both reflect on the possibilities of what could’ve been if things had turned out the way they had planned, but maybe for them, it’s in another galaxy.

Let Down- Radiohead Another song that could resonate with the situations and characters of Margaret Atwood’s novel is Let Down, released in 1997. Both of these pieces of media capture the silent despair of being contained in a world that tends to strip away any sense of individuality or identity. Offred frequently feels helpless throughout the book to the point where she detaches herself from her body and identity, “I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am…” (73,74). And, in Gilead, her every move is constantly being monitored and controlled by others, causing her to feel powerless and disappointed, much like how the songs describe the overwhelming heaviness of having to endure the constant routines that often lead to disappointment. But, similarly to the previous song, she not only uses her memories and beliefs to keep herself sane but also to give herself hope, “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. There must be a resistance…” (105). Though she might feel “hysterical and useless,” at the moment, she still has the desire and hope to be free, much like how the artist does as well; “One day, I am gonna grow wings…”

Good Looking- Suki Waterhouse Both of these pieces of media explore themes of intimacy and tension between relationships that are constructed by circumstances. Offred is often reflecting on her memories of love and affection and compares them to how her situation is today, where any close and genuine relationship is forbidden under Gilead. As she reflects back on her relationship with Luke, she thinks about the possibilities of his current situation and what he could be feeling, “I believe Luke is… I also believe that Luke… Any day now there may be a message from him…The message will say that I must have patience: sooner or later he will get me out…, that keeps me alive, I believe in this message…. Does Luke hope?” (106). Likewise, Good Looking transmits the bittersweet feeling of closeness and detachment in relationships. And the lyrics, “You’re not who you are to anyone/to anyone/you’re not who you are to anyone/to anyone, these days, I’m not who I am to anyone/no, not me at all/I’m not who I am to anyone these days/not at all,” mirror how Offred is feeling in this moment. She knows she isn’t considered a person anymore, and she suspects that Luke isn’t considered one either.

Amor Eterno- Rocio Dúrcal This song, released in 1984, is about grieving, about what could’ve been done to prevent misfortunes. Offred is unaware of the state that her daughter is in, and given the circumstances, she assumes the worst. She often thinks about her loss, and it is something that haunts her constantly. “I can see her, going away from me, through the trees which are already turning, red and yellow, holding out her arms to me, being carried away… Of all the dreams this is the worst” (75). Similarly, the artist thinks about her current situation and talks about how she wishes she could’ve done something to prevent the tragedies she faced, “Cómo quisiera, ay/ Que tú vivieras/ Que tus ojitos jamás se hubieran/Cerrado nunca y estar mirándolos/ Amor eterno/ E inolvidable/ Tarde o temprano estaré contigo/ Para seguir amándonos.” Similarly to the artist, she and Offred want to return to her loved ones. Offred makes it clear that even though her daughter was taken away, there is still some part of her that knows or believes that she will be reunited with her and things will go back to how they were; “ She’ll remember…and we will be all three of us together.” (106).

Homesick- Wave to Earth The song Homesick is not just about wanting to return home, but about how certain events led the artist to feel held back and disappointed about his situation, even though the artist just wanted to chase his dreams. Offred is also feeling her own sense of homesickness. She mentions how she yearns for freedom, for identity, to be valued as a person, and to be free from the restrictions set in Gilead, “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). The song acknowledges a similar feeling through the lyrics, “Erase me from here and set me free/All I wanted was to fly high/I can’t believe my wings are broken/And fell against the sky”. Both the artist and Offred express a great desire to be able to escape their circumstances, but because of things beyond their control, they’re forced to be confined and are met with disappointment. Offred, as much as she wants to be erased from Gilead, can’t be, her “broken wings” symbolizing her denied freedom.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkxNzs9013DN-Llx3NYKAHPOEI-ehrW1sUuZVC6CUJc/edit?usp=sharing

In chapter five of The Handmaid’s Tale, there is a long list of rules and restrictions governing the women in Gilead, especially the Handmaids. These rules shape the mind of the women, altering the perception of their own freedom. The clothes they wear make them walking signifiers of their “status”, as well as removing their individuality and controlling their visibility. One way this society makes sure to maintain women’s compliance is by banning reading and writing. These rules are so decided that even small acts of disobedience turn into what everyone else sees as a major defiance. All of this sums up to the manipulation of freedom. The rules are justified to the Handmaids as if they’re made so that they have a “choice”, when in reality they do not.

Handmaids are always dressed in red and white, which marks their fertility and their role. This way of dressing, Offred refers to as a habit, making this seem like an ingrained custom. “Some people call them habits, a good word for them. Habits are hard to break.”(24) This quote suggests that the clothing is not just uniform, but a way to force a habit onto the women. The white wings are a restriction of sight, which can be seen as both physical and intellectual limitations, preventing them from seeing the outside world as well as not allowing them to think freely. The rules governing their interactions on the street are strict. They always have to stay in pairs, not speak unless absolutely necessary, and keep their heads down. This instills isolation from each other, forcing them into a state of surveillance and distrust.

Having the ability to read and write is a powerful tool in maintaining ignorance. The store signs in the town are now pictograms. This visual prohibition is a constant reminder of the control over women’s access to information. They treat women as illiterate and incapable of making independent decisions or thoughts. The goal behind this is to make them seem or feel incompetent of making choices, with this it allows the higher ups to further keep them brain washed. Offred often talks about the loss of control, something as simple as handling or earning your own money gets taken away. “We use tokens for food, not money, money has been deregulated.” She reminisces on her past, thinking about the laundromats, where she had “my own soap, my own money, money I had earned myself.”(24) These simple acts have been stripped away due to Gilead’s rules.

The handmaids try to maintain an independence, because the opportunity for it is so slim already, they take the risk of or think of taking the risk of breaking the rules. A very big rule the handmaids have is no contact in any way with anyone, and Offred eventually breaks this rule. This society suppresses and prohibits all forms of a woman’s personal relationship, it makes it seem as if something as small as eye contact is an act of resistance. Gilead seeks to control the handmaids’ bodies as a function. They dehumanize these women so much and act as if they are machines made solely for the purpose of reproducing. Gilead doesn’t want to control the handmaids’ bodies, they also want the power to control their thoughts and memories. This is the rule we see Offred constantly breaking, she often has a constant flow or memories reminiscing on her past life. This is a strong example of how Gilead has the ability to restrict the body, but they have not been able to master the mind.

Before all these rules Aunt Lydia described Gilead as “freedom to”, but now it is “freedom from.” The idea of freedom is now twisted in a way to make the handmaids believe they have been saved from all the bad things in society, but what it really does is take away their ability to choose. “There is more than one kind of freedom. Freedom to and freedom from. In days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom. Don’t underrate it.”(25) “Freedom to” would be when women had the freedom to choose their clothes, jobs, and partners. While they had this freedom they were still exposed to sexual harassment and violence. “Freedom from” would be the positive benefits, women have freedom from fear, unwanted attention, and the pressure of objectification. Gilead stretched the dangers of before so much so that they can make it seem like all of this is for the protection of the women, when really it instills power, control, and tricking the handmaids into accepting oppression in exchange for a false sense of security.

I feel a lot of sympathy for the women in this story, I can’t imagine what it would be like everyday to live under the control of someone else. Having the right of choice taken away is insane to me or being forced to forget your old life is something I never want to imagine. When the author writes scenes of her having memories with her child and husband, having her freedom, and the pain of losing her family and basically her whole life taken away, I can feel the impact and emotion brought up with it.

In Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks, the character, Lord Rufus Crabmiser, says a line that heavily reminds me of the current position of women of Gilead: “ The only thing a crab is good for is holding back other crabs. A crab doesn't want to see another crab make it.” Margaret Atwood’s depiction of Gilead is only possible with the acceptance and collaboration of other women to oppress each other. This is most prominent in a chapter of the book, in which Offred is forced to participate in the ritualistic shaming of Jasmine, another handmaiden in training. It's one of the most outright depictions of the ways that the women in Gilead are trained to blame each other

” Her fault, her fault, her fault, we chant in unison. Who led them on? Aunt Helena beams, pleased with us. She did. She did. She did. … Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson”(72)
The handmaids, including Offred, all shamed Janine for events that she was clearly a victim of; it was obviously not Janine’s fault for being raped, but in the new culture of Gilead, she is at fault. The Aunts who are indoctrinators for the Handmaids are paramount to constructing his style of culture within Gilead. Their main goals are to create an environment in which handmaids have no trust between each other and do not have the solidarity to stage any disruptive activity, as well as to normalize the degradation of their bodies into vessels for men to impregnate. This undoubtedly uncomfortable scene is so spot on when it comes to the discourse that surrounds women whenever they come out as victims of rape. Atwood is practically bashing you over the head with the comparisons of Janine and female victims in real life.

Janine, finally broken from the constant derision of her most traumatic experience, broke down and admitted that it was her fault. Even the clear victim in this case eventually became brainwashed into thinking that it was her own fault. In a lot of ways, it's deeply realistic as many people are brainwashed to admit that the traumatic experience that they where subjected to was their fault. 

“That was last week. This week, Janine doesn’t wait for us to jeer at her. It was my fault, she says. It was my own fault. I led them on. I deserved the pain. Very good, Janine, says Aunt Lydia. You are an example.” Atwood’s depiction of Gilead is so radical that it has set up a system of industrialized victim-blaming, in which the handmaids give in to the reactionary demons inside their own heads. Demons that have their roots in the ugliest parts of American culture and its destructive ideas on women’s rights. They were taught that Janine’s pain and, subsequently, all of the pain that she would feel at the hands of men was justified.

Throughout the flashback, it’s very apparent how women are pitted against each other; however, what stands out even more than that is the way Atwood portrays them. Up until this point, Offred had been discussing the red centers in very neutral terms, as she rarely questioned the authority of the Aunts or the guards outside. Offred primarily blames herself for partaking in the group shaming. This feeling of learned helplessness permeates the pages of The Handmaid’s Tale as all of the women are forced to live in conditions that were made against their freedom. Now the only “freedom to” is the freedom to survive, and survival is just a synonym for submission.

In just this short section, there’s a booming microcosm of what America has eroded into. a fascist state in which sister is turned against sister, Aunt against niece. a state that shames women for being promiscuous when they get raped, yet simultaneously forces women to give birth as slaves, a contradiction that reinforces female bodily autonomy. By far the darkest part of Gilead is that it isn’t a detached science fiction Empire, or a piece of ancient history, but it is America. Atwood’s depiction of America takes place in the 1980s. coming out of a decade of police brutality, crackdowns of anti-war protests, and COINTELPRO. She barely even had to exaggerate when it came to the top-down complete domination of the government that we see throughout the book, something that also reflects in the culture. The Handmaid’s chant of “her fault” Is echoed throughout American Halls of power.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-r-jE_QOFmL6P5GGWpseBseNNlqE2x8lzIaUVsjAJ4c/edit?usp=sharing

God´s Plan - Drake

Book Quote ¨Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. ¨

Song Lyric: ¨Might go down a G.O.D. I go hard on Southside G¨ Drake

Drake’s God plan reflects the tension between fate and resistance that runs through The Handmaid’s Tale. The Latin phrase carved into Offred’s closet Don’t let the bastards grind you down ‘becomes her Mantra or survival. Similarly, Drake frames his entire path as both guided and personally defiant, pushing through obstacles with faith and persistence. His lyric about God’s plan resonates with Gilead’s obsession with religion and Destiny, but it takes it to another level through its perspective. The regime claims authority; however, her survival is on her own quiet resistance. While Drake’s Anthem celebrates success and blessings in the novel, it becomes ironic that God’s supposed plan is twisted into control. This mirrors Red’s resilience on memory solidarity and hope that can carry her forward, and a system that was made to break her down.

Wicked Games- The Weeknd

Book Quote: ¨When we think of the past, it’s the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that.¨ Chapter 23

Song Lyric: ¨Bring your love, baby, I could bring my shame.¨ Offred’s longing for her past her husband, her child, and her freedom contrasts with the shame that is imposed on her body by Gilead. The Weeknd’s confession of brokenness and using love as an escape aligns with Offrend’s moments of passion with Nick. It is love as rebellion, sex as survival, and memory as the only anchor. Atwood’s quote about remembering only the “beautiful things” mirrors how Offred clings to past intimacy with Luke, yet uses Nick as a present refuge. Like the song, her sexuality becomes both freedom and burden, a wicked game she cannot fully win but cannot abandon either.

Bad Religion- Frank Ocean

Book Quote: ¨Better never means better for everyone… it always means worse for some.

Song Lyric: ¨if it brings me to my knees, it’s a bad religion.¨

Frank Ocena’s song about unrequited love directly connects to Gilead’s corrupted theology. Religion has become the justification for oppression. Frank’s refrain about kneeling to ¨bad religion¨ becomes a beautiful metaphor for the forced prayers, ceremonies, and rituals that strip women of power. It’s a cry but also a critique of faith warped into oppression. Offred recognizes the lie in the Commander’s claim that their new world is “better.” For the women, this faith is not salvation but oppression. The song’s aching tone reflects Offred’s inner conflict: faith should uplift, but in Gilead it becomes a prison disguised as holiness.

Haunted- Beyonce

Book quote: ¨we were the people who were not in the paper.¨ Chapter 10

Song Lyric: ¨ I know if I’m haunting you, you must be haunting me¨

This track captures Offred’s constant feeling of being watched by the eyes of the commander and other handmaids. However, it also speaks to how the past haunts her. Her husband, Luke, and her daughter are like ghosts in her mind, haunting her daily existence. Beyoncé’s eerie delivery captures the tension between desire and fear that rules life under Gilead. Also, Beyoncé’s lyric about mutual haunting reflects the way Offrend and the system are locked in an unbreakable relationship. She resists silently, but Gilead itself haunts her every thought. The eerie tones of the song mirror the suffocating atmosphere of the novel, where silence, whispers, and the wretched eyes define existence.

Freedom Beyonce: Book Quote: “Better never means better for everyone… It always means worse for some.”

Song Lyric: “I’ma keep runnin’ Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves.”

Beyoncé’s Freedom embodies the resilience buried within The Handmaid’s Tale. The commander justifies Gilead as a better society, yet Offred realizes that this so-called progress is built on suffering. Beyonce’s lyric, ¨Imma keep runnin’ cause a winner dont quit on themselves, ¨ resonates as a rallying cry for the handmaids who endure oppression while holding onto fragmenst og hope. Though stripped of names, voices, and rights, they resist destruction by surviving. The rhythm of the song mirrors the suppressed march of women forced into silence. Offred’s daily acts of remembering her daughter, narrating her story, and finding moments of love echo Beyoncé’s refusal to surrender. Lines like ¨im telling these tears, go and fall away¨ capture the determination to endure the pain without letting it define identity. In Gilead, grief is constant, yet persistence is a form of rebellion. Kendrick Lamar’s verse about breaking chains directly parallels the Handmaid’s reality. Though trapped in ritual and law, they dream about freedom, cutting themselves loose. Beyoncé’s repeated cry ¨freedom Freedom I can’t move cut me loose!¨ becomes an anthem of all women in Gilead, always being silenced, controlled, but not broken. It is the sound of endurance that turns into resistance.

The loud, almost alarming energy of “Sirens” by Black Panther instantly makes me think of the Red Center, where Offred and the other women are brainwashed at the start. In Chapter 13, there’s the scene where Janine is forced to confess her gang-rape was her own fault. Offred describes, “Her fault, we chant in unison. Who led them on? She did. Who was bad? She was” (p. 72). That chanting is terrifying, and the song’s beat feels the same way like a constant alarm that doesn’t stop. Just like real sirens warn us of danger but also freeze us in fear the women’s voices drown out Janine’s individual voice until she has no choice but to agree. This track captures how Gilead uses fear and noise to control people, making it hard for anyone to think for themselves or break away.

“New Kind of Love” – Imogen Heap

This soft, almost dreamlike song connects to Offred’s flashbacks of Luke, her husband from before Gilead. She tries to hold onto the memory of their closeness, but it feels fragile, like something fading away. In Chapter 11, she remembers her body differently than she once did I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation… Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object” (p. 73). Imogen Heap’s ghostly voice mirrors how Offred clings to the idea of real love, but in Gilead, love doesn’t exist like it used to. Instead, there’s only survival, power, and forced reproduction. The title itself, “New Kind of Love,” is almost ironic because Offred’s new reality is about anything but love. Heap’s song underlines the difference between the warm, messy memories of before and the cold, controlled version of relationships in Gilead.

“Same Script, Different Cast” – Whitney Houston

Whitney’s song could be Serena Joy’s personal anthem in the early chapters. The lyrics are about a woman warning another woman about a man who hasn’t really changed, even if he has a new partner. Serena’s whole life reflects that bitterness because her marriage to the Commander is hollow. In Chapter 8, Offred remembers Serena’s past as a televangelist: “She doesn’t make speeches anymore. She has become speechless. She stays in her home, but it doesn’t seem to agree with her. How furious she must be, now that she’s been taken at her word” (p. 45). Serena used to argue that women should stay in the home, and now she’s stuck in the same cage she built. The song title “Same Script, Different Cast” perfectly shows how men like the Commander keep running the same pattern—using women, then replacing them. Serena knows it, but she can’t change it, which makes her resentment grow even more.

“The Other Woman” – Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey’s vocals match Offred’s role as the Commander’s secret partner. In Chapter 16, during the Ceremony, Offred describes, “My arms are raised; she holds my hands, each of mine in each of hers. This is supposed to signify that we are one flesh, one being. What it really means is that she is in control” (p. 94). Offred is caught between being the Commander’s mistress and being completely powerless. She’s literally “the other woman,” but not by choice. Later, when he sneaks her into his study to play Scrabble (Chapter 23), it feels like the song fits again. Even when she admits, “I want to be here, with him, here, so badly. I want to be held and told my name” (p. 112), she knows she’s being used. Lana Del Rey’s song captures that confusing mix of guilt, desire, and hopelessness that Offred feels in her double role.

“The Girl with the Tattoo” – Miguel

Miguel’s song is the perfect match for Moira. Confident, bold, and unforgettable, she is the “girl with the tattoo” who keeps fighting back against Gilead’s control. In Chapter 22, Offred remembers Moira’s daring escape from the Red Center: “Moira had power now, she’d been set loose, she’d set herself loose. She was now a loose woman” (p. 133). Miguel sings about a girl who leaves her mark, and that’s exactly what Moira does for Offred. She becomes a living reminder that resistance is still possible, even in a world designed to crush it. Just like the song admires the girl’s strength and mystery, Offred admires Moira for being the one who refuses to disappear.

Closing Thoughts

These five songs echo beneath the surface of Atwood’s world. Black Panther’s “Sirens” captures the terror of indoctrination. Imogen Heap’s “New Kind of Love” mourns how intimacy has been twisted. Whitney Houston’s “Same Script, Different Cast” channels Serena’s bitterness. Lana Del Rey’s “The Other Woman” mirrors Offred’s role as the Commander’s hidden partner. Miguel’s “The Girl with the Tattoo” celebrates Moira’s courage. Music might not exist in Gilead, but thinking about these songs proves something important no matter how strict the silence, voices still find ways to break through.

Living in Gilead and following its strict societal rules will definitely take a toll on anyone living there. We don’t see a lot of talk about mental health throughout the book, and I think this is because they were being brainwashed and don’t want to let ideas of health get into anyone’s head. We do get some insight into how Offred copes with her world. Chapter 23 starts with Offred lying in her bed, contemplating. “This is a reconstruction. All of it is a reconstruction. “ (134) I interpreted this as her talking about the society as a whole, and how the Martha’s influence the girls to think in a certain way. They show them things from the world outside of Gilead to push them into thinking that they are in a better place, doing things the right way. They’ve been trained to believe that intimacy is a crime and that their only purpose as women is to have children. I found it interesting how she cuts herself off in her thoughts and redirects herself. It’s like she’s snapping out of her thoughts. “If I ever get out of here- Let’s stop there. I intend to get out of here.” (134) This quote stuck out to me in this chapter because it reminds me of a phenomenon that we discussed in class, Meta-narration. This is when, in a book or a song, they break the fourth wall, or call their life a story, or sing a song. It’s interesting because she starts on a topic, then interrupts and corrects herself, exactly like how someone would think in the moment. This shocked me because the rest of the book has been her thoughts, but she hasn’t slipped up or had a moment like this before. I also see a little character growth or reflection from her in a sense, she explains an idea that happened earlier in the book. “But if you happen to be a man, sometime in the future, and you’ve made it this far, please remember: you will never be subjected to the temptation or feeling you must forgive, a man, as a woman.” (134) This made me think of when the handmaids listened to Janine’s story about her experience with sexual assault, and they shamed her for it and said it was her fault. She had to apologize for existing in a way, for ‘tempting’ the men. They yell at her and say it’s her fault. But I don’t think this is her feeling sorry; I think it’s her noticing patterns and reflecting on where she is in this society.

“But remember that forgiveness too is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest.” (135) Upon reading this, I first wondered if this is her way of being positive about her situation, or just her honest view of things. She’s referencing herself and the handmaids as the ones withholding the power, the power being fertility and birth. Offred mentioned this powerful idea earlier in the book, too; she is trying to find some sense of control in her situation by acknowledging that this society does need her. On the other hand, when she mentions bestowing that power, she’s referring to the commanders and how they have the ultimate power. But also, in general, there is a power struggle that shows up in different ways. I do wonder what specifically she’s referring to when she says that to beg for forgiveness is a power, maybe the ability to reach someone after wronging them, or it’s something about hope. “Maybe none of this is about control.” “Maybe it’s about who can do what to whom and be forgiven for it.” (135) I notice her talking a lot about forgiveness in this chapter, which confuses me. I wonder if she feels like she can forgive the people who put her through all of this, or if she’s talking about forgiving the commanders and the wives. I believe she sees that no one else really wants to conform to the rules they have set up for them, which we saw during the ceremony. I wonder if there’s a specific person she wants to forgive, or if this isn’t about forgiveness, and it’s just her thinking about her place in society. I also think part of her really wants to find hope for herself and is actively looking for a way out.

Chapter 23 of The Handmaid’s Tale is an interesting scene, with lots of complicated dynamics and emotions at play. There are a lot of things that can be drawn or deduced from this chapter, which is why I chose it to write a reader response to. The first thing that grabbed my attention from this chapter was the complex power dynamic in this story. There are tons of examples of this throughout this book, but almost none are as clearly defined as when Offred herself gives a quote that says that the word of The Commander could be taken above the word of the law. Another thing that I noticed was that this chapter did good at highlighting the extreme manipulation that goes on during this chapter. This obviously was clear throughout the entire book, but there were a few quotes in this chapter that described it very well for analysis.

The complicated hierarchy of this story came into play a lot in this chapter, and that was the main thing that I would say made the events of this chapter especially conflicting for Offred. One example of this is the game of Scrabble that her and The Commander play together. There are multiple rules that would have technically forbade her from participating, like the fact that women are not supposed to read - and this was not only an issue that would have fallen on her, but also The Commander, as he invited and encouraged her to play with him. Offred knew these rules, and she noted when he invited her that she shouldn’t accept, but the reason she decided to anyways was because “to refuse to see him could be worse. There’s no doubt who holds the real power.” Even though there was legislation in place, The Commander’s word is scary enough to Offred to convince her to do as he said. For me, this raises some questions about corruption within this already corrupt system. The commanders, or people with more power than them, could potentially use this power to further their own personal interests, or to help the women in the system. Although I honestly don’t expect any of the commanders or other officials to turn against the government, it would be a very interesting plot twist and is something that this situation makes me think about.

The power dynamic in this book isn’t just complicated in its layers, but it’s also extremely manipulative. This is obvious at almost every point in the book from start to end, but it’s also made clear in this chapter, and there are a few quotes that are especially clear about it. “But if you happen to be a man, sometime in the future, and you’ve made it this far, please remember: you will never be subject to the temptation or feeling you must forgive, a man, as a woman. It’s difficult to resist, believe me. But remember that forgiveness too is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest control.” This quote from earlier in the same chapter is a great example of this intense emotional manipulation that the women in the Gilead society face. Offred is reflecting at the start of this chapter before the scene where The Commander asks her to kiss him. She talks about how sometimes, the women in this novel are tempted to feel bad for or forgive the men, as hard as she tries to resist. The use of the line “you will never be subject to the temptation or feeling you must forgive, a man, as a woman,” helps to further her point, making it clear that this is an issue that women specifically face, and one that a man couldn’t comprehend. This is a pressure that her and all of the other women who are forced to be handmaids, wives, or other subordinate roles tot he men feel, and in the end even though it is a trauma that they are going through, they are left feeling like they should feel guilty or regretful, as if they are at fault.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14HaPEnaxf3PrdqhjwEmBZnpqJ40kpuWvnvrydWiW13o/edit?usp=sharing

Creep by Radiohead was the first thing I thought of when I was introduced to this assignment. Creep is a song about people not being in their right bodies for themself and feeling alienated or foreign, the lyric to the song is, “I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here, I don’t belong here.” In the Handmaid’s Tale, page 61, it says, “My nakedness is strange to me already, my body seems outdated.” This tells the reader that not only does Offred feel that type of way but others might too. These handmaids are put here against their own will, making them feel like this couldn’t be real to them and feeling like they have failed. Offred doesn’t seem like she liked the position she is in and making women have babies against their will just because of this dystopian society. This makes me think of how someone can not be able to feel their body, like they don’t belong in the world but stuff like this helps the reader understand why sometimes it feels like this because, in this case, she’s alone. The next song on my list is Human by Christina Perri. She sings about how we are only human meaning nothing like this should ever have to happen to someone or anyone shouldn’t have to experience anything that makes them feel not right with their own bodies. She makes the song feel like we should all be helping each other and not working against each other because humans are the only living species that can talk to each other, learn, help others ,and we all have flaws. The lyric says, “But I’m only human, and I bleed when I fall down.” In the Handmaid’s Tale, page 94, Offred is having the ceremony and says, “Close your eyes and think of England but this is not England, I wish he would hurry up.” This just shows that this will and maybe break her later. The next song is The Night We Met by Lord Huron. He sings a song about someone in his past who we felt deeply connected to and I can infer that they fell apart and he would love to meet again the way they did. While reading the Handmaid’s Tale, she keeps having dreams and flashbacks of Luke and herself. “Luke was there, behind me, I turned to see him, he won’t look at me… the bell awakes me, and then Cora, knocking on my door… wipe my face with my sleeve. Of all the dreams this is the worst,” page 75. Offred wishes she can know if Luke is still alive and if she can see him again. The lyrics to the song says, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Haunted by the ghost of you, take me back to the night we met.” I think this part of the song resonates with her and Luke’s relationship well because Offred was his mistress and she really felt like he was the one for her. The next song is You Don’t Own Me by Lesley Gore. This one is self explanatory. The song just means that they are allowed to do whatever they desire and no one shall tell them not to. In the Handmaid’s Tale once again I said this but they are being held there against their will and not being able to do stuff freely. In this song it says, “You don’t own me, I’m not just one of many toys, You don’t own me, Don’t say I can’t go with other boys.” This one connects with the third song and the second song in this essay because the people who run this dystopian society don’t get to tell them what they should do or who they should be with. Once again the reader understands the circumstances for the handmaids but the commander has to have intercourse with the handmaids so they can have a baby but she does want a baby just not with the commander. The last song is IDon’tWannaBeYouAnymore by Billie Eilish. This one is also self explanatory and also resonates with the first song. The meaning behind this song is that she is unhappy with the current state she is in and sees other people doing the things she wants to do but she doesn’t feel like she is made to do those things. Offred knows she wasn’t made to be put in a society where they are forcibly taking action on women to have kids. The lyric says, “If tear drops could be bottled, their be swimming pools filled by models, told the tight dress is what make you a whore, If I love you was a promise, would you break it if your honest, tell the mirror what she knows she heard before, I don’t want to be you anymore.” This is about gender and how people talk about women and that people are insecure and by looking in the mirror people see their insecurities. This also relates to the first song about not being in your body.