“Snowmen” - a visual representation

For this Lit Log, I created a visual representation of Chapter 6 from The Handmaid’s Tale. More specifically, I drew the scene regarding the wall of Gilead. The main details here are the two handmaids, Offred and Ofglen, along with the wall and its six hanging bodies.

A goal of mine with this drawing was differentiating the two handmaids without trailing too far from what happens in the actual scene. One key moment I took inspiration from was Ofglen’s tremor, along with Offred suggesting that she was crying:

“I feel a tremor in the woman beside me. Is she crying? In what way could it make her look good? I can’t afford to know. [p.33]”

Due to how Ofglen is described here, I gave her dress a more frantic pattern. This is opposed to the smoother and more vibrant dress worn by Offred, who reveals that she feels a mix of blankness and relief to the hanging bodies. Relief in particular, because she knows that none of these men are Luke.

Since the handmaids’ headgear are often referred to as “wings,” I also decided to give them literal wings behind their heads. Ofglen’s wings are sharp and alert, while Offred’s wings are more relaxed.

In case the differences with the dresses and wings were too insignificant, I also drew the handmaids’ faces next to them. Ofglen is almost squinting, soft tears running down her face, and Offred has a blank stare.

The wall is said by Offred to be at least one-hundred years old. Because of this, I tried to make it look as antique as possible with the different paint splashes, vibrant warm colors, and the messy brick textures in some areas. I wasn’t sure where the gates would fit in this image, but I did draw flood-lights along the wall instead. There are also seven hooks on the wall instead of six, because it’s noted in the story that not all of the hooks are occupied.

Regarding the hanging bodies, the primary quote I took note of was this one:

“A child’s idea of a smile. This smile of blood is what fixes the attention, finally. These are not snowmen after all. [p.32]”

Offred’s description about the bodies being like snowmen inspired multiple things for this drawing. To start, the title of this piece and the writing on the wall behind the men. I also decided to give the bodies a cold bluish-gray color, considering that they’re lifeless. They are compared to snowmen even earlier in the scene when Offred notices the outlines of the faces through the bagged heads, and suggests that they’re like snowmen without the coal eyes or carrot noses. I drew shadows in place of the eyes because of this.

Back to the main quote from before, one of the bags had blood seeping through it in the shape of a smile, “like the mouths painted with thick brushes by kindergarten children. [p.32]” This detail stood out enough for me to put the smiling body in the center, even though that would mean the other five bodies would have to be off-centered. I also made the smile glow a bit, since it’s being seen from far away.

In short, what’s portrayed in the scene are the two handmaids with opposing emotions, the eerie wall in front of them, the lifeless doctors and scientists, and the bleeding smile on one of the bags. I made sure to re-read the chapter before drawing this representation so I could include as many details and perceptions as I could. I believe this chapter in general is significant to emphasize the cruelty of Gilead, and the individuality of the two handmaids. Since it’s pretty early in the story, Chapter 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale serves as part of a well-done exposition.