1:

“Dark Age” - MGMT

I chose this song for a number of reasons one of them being because it says “Forgiving who you are”. Forgiving could mean to give up the resentment you have toward yourself, wether it be resent for your past or even just the person you are. We see Offred do a lot of or try to forgive herself especially in the context of her mother and her past relationship with luke involving her daughter. This reminds me of chapter 24 after her first meeting with the commander when she decides to forget her past self in order to focus on the present, trying to escape. Is forgiving and forgetting the same thing? (I also chose this song because it feels very dystopian)

2:

“Gallowdance” - Lebanon Hanover

I chose this song because it says “Dance with me the gallowdance” “As long as we’re not hanging”. This reminds me of Offred and her shopping partner as they always observe the wall were the authorities hang those who resist or break rules. I feel like this quote from the song fits perfectly because they “Dance the gallowdance” (break the rules) but “As long as were not hanging” (as long as they dont get caught) they don’t care and are unphased by seeing the body’s instead have a sense if curiosity.

3:

“Downswing” - Superheaven

I chose this song because it says “I’ve been there before, i never want to go back i try to forget, what it feels like to be unattached”. I chose this quote because it symbolizes the forgetting of memories. We see a lot of this as its used in order to gain better control over the female and male populations in gilead, controlled people are easy to manipulate especially if they have not former memory. They even turn or use these memories against them as we saw most recently when someone made a bribe using Offred’s daughter.

4:

“Orbitron” - Duster

I chose this song because it says “You know the clock is ticking down and no ones in control”. I feel Offred would resonate to this alot because she often thinks about and sometimes talks about prayer, but she isn’t convinced that her prayers are heard or who shes praying to. In such a hopeless situation were she really lacks any sort of freedom it would be easy to see each day as nothing more than time passed “The clock ticking down”. In with this state of hopelessness / loneliness it would also be easy to say “no ones in control”. (no ones hearing or looking after me)

5:

“Your Face” - Wisp

I chose this song because it says “You look at me the same but i cant reciprocate”. This quote for me defines a lot of Offred’s male interactions especially with the commander and nick. Throughout the book she has various interactions with Nick a lot of which describe a sense of shared interest in each other. There is one or two scenes were a sexual tension is described “but i cant reciprocate” even if Offred has them same desire she cannot indulge out of consideration for her wellbeing. A similar situation is depicted with the commander as from the first meeting they had he held a agenda, asking Offred to act as if she “meant it” or to “fake it”. The commander desires a romantic relationship so he is using this relationship to simulate his ideal image of one. He “Looks at her the same but she cant reciprocate”.