THT Lit Log #2

The paragraph I wanted to focus on comes from Chapter 34. On page 219 in the middle, it opens with “We’ve given them more than we’ve taken away, ” said the Commander, “Think of the trouble they had before. Don’t you remember the singles bars, the indignity of the high school blind dates? The meat market. Don’t you remember the terrible gap between the ones who could get a man easily and the ones who couldn’t? Some of them were desperate, they starved themselves thin or pumped their breasts full of silicone, and had their noses cut off. Think of the human Misery.”

There’s a lot to take in from just that small little paragraph, but I think some really key things are “ We’ve given them more than we’ve taken away”. “Some of them we desperate, they starved themselves thin or pumped them full of silicone.” The first line makes me think about all the different real-world aspects like taking natural resources or destroying the climate that we have taken from society. I think these ideas come from the Commander because he feels the need to use his authority to oppress women and be in power. I see these ideas paralleled in our society today through things like plastic surgery and eating disorders. The use of imagery on social media has also influenced it in a huge way as well. To a further extent, the Commander sees it as an opportunity to be a doctor or surgeon in the story, and the women and their bodies are his patients that he can make “perfect” in his vision.

Additionally, another way I specifically said this line was, “Don’t you remember the single bars, the indignity of the high school blind dates”. It makes me think back to “simpler times” or “life before covid” in a way. These ideas come from the Gileadian concept of a patriarchal society and familial structure. The Commander’s role and behaviors have clear parallels to today’s retrenchment of women’s health rights and control of their bodies. Ironically, the same evangelical forces that we see guiding Commander are present today in the positions of many politicians. When I read the entry “We’ve given them more than we’ve taken away”, in the context of the children of Ham and being a person of color this particular passage resonated with me because of the current rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across this country. I find them problematic because I find the character Offred to be nothing more than an indentured concubine. Atwood wrote it this way I believe, because she envisioned how theology would mix and then overtake democratic institutions. This environment is found the perfect breeding ground for many of the ideas that foster the creation of Gilead.

Additionally, I think Atwood writes the text in the way she does to address the issues in society in her own unique way. As we know the author uses the commanders as a symbol of power in the book, and, specifically, how those in power are often able to break the rules they set without repercussions. The character of the Commander also demonstrates how appearances are deceptive: those who advocate for and benefit from the oppression of others are often unassuming. We see many examples in the real world of individuals or groups that act just like the Commanders. We can take politicians and wealthy people. Donald Trump for example who has had 4 indictments has been able to avoid the repercussions of the law. He was directly responsible for what happened on January 6th and had received no offenses from the law. These ideas had the power to create Gilead because I think Atwood either envisioned or already thought something like Gilead become true. Gilead is an authoritarian state that limits freedom, suppresses opposition, and maintains control over information. This reflects how authoritarian regimes have utilized propaganda, censorship, and repression to maintain power throughout history. narrative includes elements of historical oppression and women’s treatment throughout history. It makes references to the Salem witch trials, in which women were systematically demonised, informed on, and violently punished for being ‘different’ to puritanical norms. the suffrage movement, and the status of women in diverse societies. reflection on how historical circumstances can inform and affect current situations. which is another reason I believe Atwood writes her texts the way she does. To close out I found that from this chapter in general was very interesting in terms of the ways that Offred talks about her relationships and how she deals with love. The comparisons we can draw between the book and gender roles, hierarchy, etc are none less.