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The Commander in the Handmaid’s Tale has evolved and has become a bigger character as the story has progressed. When we first got introduced to his character, it seemed like he wouldn’t ever be present in Offred’s life other than the days of the Ceremony and an occasional encounter. He was made to appear unreachable to Offred because he’s at the top of the social hierarchy in Gilead. He then asked Offred to meet him 1-on-1, and it quickly made him seem less powerful and intimidating than he was before. However, this made me question what his motives were. Before their actual meeting, I thought he had harmful intentions, maybe something sexual or some sort of bad news. Instead, he asked Offred to play Scrabble. “I’d like you to play a game of Scrabble with me,” he says. I hold myself absolutely rigid”. From this moment I was convinced that the commander simply missed normal interactions instead of the controlled conversations people have in Gilead. I thought that maybe he missed some sort of romance when he asked Offred to kiss him. We explored various thoughts in class about what his true intentions could’ve been. In the discussion of chapters 21-26, some said the Commander found pleasure in showing off his power to Offred, others said he wanted to give Offred a little bit of power and normalcy. I thought he simply felt lonely and wanted to escape the boundaries and rules of Gilead.

My opinions on the Commander didn’t change until the day he took Offred to the club. All of their meetings before this had seemed harmless, even though they were dangerous for both since they were breaking the rules. Despite this, the Commander’s true intentions weren’t clear. But at this point, I felt like if he had any bad intentions, they would’ve been shown already. All he had done so far with these meetings was give Offred a form of escape from her strict routine and entertainment by letting her read books, and magazines, and play Scrabble.

When the Commander explained what the Latin saying was to Offred, and she found out that the girl from before had also been in this situation with the Commander, I then thought that he had this whole thing planned just so that the handmaids wouldn’t try and find a way out such as killing themselves. “If my life is bearable, maybe what they’re doing is all right after all.”(187). While this seemed like it was completely for the benefit of the Commander, I still found that it was a good thing for the Handmaid’s as well.

It wasn’t until chapters 36 and 37 when the Commander took Offred out to the club that his character took a complete turn and some of his thoughts were revealed. “Nature demands variety, for men. It stands to reason, it’s part of the procreational strategy, It’s Nature’s plan.”(237) When I read this I was surprised to see that what seemed to be like a character in Gilead that didn’t believe in the beliefs of Gilead, only didn’t believe them for his own messed up sexist ideas. He showed his admiration for the club and suggested working there as an alternative. “You might even prefer it yourself, to what you’ve got.”(238). What really made an impact on me while reading this was that I believed he thought the complete opposite of this, and he ended up being the embodiment of everything Gilead stood for. Gilead tries to make it seem like this way is better than what they had before. Women are “safer” and more respected but men are the only ones who actually benefit from Gilead. Even after seeing all this, Offred ignored it. “I remind myself that he is not an unkind man; that, under other circumstances, I even like him.” (254). I think the Commander’s role in this book and how he’s perceived by the readers really says a lot about our society. What the Commander believes can be seen a lot in what men in real life believe. As a woman, I feel mad that I didn’t think anything necessarily bad of him until he made it completely clear what his beliefs were. How Offred reacted to this also shows just how much women are susceptible to these things.

“Is there joy in this? There could be, but have they chosen it? You can’t tell by looking.” Thought by Offred in chapter 37 page 235, this topic of thinking is something I think about often. I assume I question other people’s thought processes a lot because of the amount of time I’ve spent with psychiatrists/therapists throughout my life. Thoughts on what causes someone to have feelings about something and someone’s true feelings are common for me to think about. Like Offred, I question the grand unknown of other’s interests and experiences. Is the joy that things grant someone able to truly be understood by others? The way you answer this question depends on how your joys have come to be. There are things that bring joy to multiple people. One of the many examples of this is how many people enjoy a sport like soccer. Although they all feel joy from soccer, the joy that various people feel from soccer is still different from one another due to their individual experiences. These experiences that a human goes through are the deciding factors in what the human enjoys. These experiences are also tied to the development of what a human values. Someone like me who grew up with the lessons of how to treat others correctly is going to have different values than someone who was taught that others have no value. Although people are able to learn more and change their values through more experiences, the base values that someone is taught determine the start of the human’s journey. The empathy that I was taught has helped me go through anger issues and depression by allowing me to understand the value of life. This has allowed me to find joy in helping others but someone with a different start can lead to them finding joy in hurting others. I think that the “joy” someone feels can be forced upon them by being manipulated. Someone close to me was manipulated into moving back to the United States of America and they don’t have the means to leave after finding out they were tricked. They didn’t want to come back here but they were able to find enjoyment while here. Although it might be genuine joy, they were still manipulated into coming back here. This person really affects my life and yet I still can’t tell if their joy was a result of a choice they were willing to make. Having someone close to me who has some of their enjoyments in life as a result of something they were forced to do makes me question if other people’s joy is the result of something similar. This is especially the case for people who find enjoyment in something that I doubt I would find enjoyment in. Do the murderers and people who like Pepsi enjoy what they do because they were forced to? I don’t have the desire to kill people because I have empathy as a result of my experiences. I don’t like Pepsi because my taste buds are correct. Pepsi tastes as if carbonated liquid sugar was rotten. The thought process of deducing the reason people enjoy things and if I can enjoy something is continually affecting me today. I want to try new things that I think could bring me joy but looking at other people’s hobbies can make me concerned if the hobbies are extremely harmful to others. I feel like acknowledging this thought process can help me find more enjoyment in my life but I still worry about people who are forced to find joy in the situations they are forced into. I want people to be able to find true joy in what they seek as long as it doesn’t harm others. I don’t want anyone else to feel like they are restricted due to what situation they were forced into. I don’t want anyone else to feel as though someone close to them isn’t experiencing the joy they truly wish for. My life so far has allowed me to value my experiences. I am including all of my experiences no matter how good or bad I felt at the time. These experiences have still resulted in me being able to experience true joy. Those who have never had this privilege are those who I wish to be able to gain this privilege. I feel that no one else should bear the feeling of not discovering what it truly means to feel joy. I wish for everyone to discover their true essence.

The chapters containing the secret club left me very confused, particularly chapter 38 where Moira was talking about her escape attempt. The only thing I could think about when reading this section was the eyes’ involvement with it. There is no way they dont know the club exists. Let’s establish that first. Throughout the book various characters are scared the rooms in the houses are bugged, if the eyes have a reach like that, there is a very small chance they don’t know about the club. During chapter 38 on page 243, when Moira and Offred are talking in the bathroom they say, “I look up at the ceiling. ‘Is it bugged?’ …. ‘Probably,’ says Moira.” The people working there assume the eyes know everything about everything all the time.

Why don’t the eyes shut it down? They seem to spend more time and energy busting smaller crimes in the gilead like a single x-handmade Moira escaping. They go through all that energy for a single person and yet there is a club with countless people breaking the rules and they don’t shut it down. This is one of those situations where the eyes could shut it down but then their whole system falls apart. all the commanders are protected because of their numbers. Maybe the eyes can afford to replace that many commanders at once. If they busted all the commanders word would spread and the act of rebellion the club symbolized might give people in the Red Center hope.

Another possibility is that the eyes let it exist so that all the trouble making and rule breaking happens in a more confined hidden away place. If the club is abolished all the rule breaking might spread to other places less hidden from the general public. Later in the chapter when Moira is talking about how she was captured something just seemed off. She said “I won’t go into what happened after that. I’d rather not talk about it. All I can say is that they didn’t leave any marks.” (248) This just doesn’t seem like Moira’s character at all. In the beginning of the book she is portrayed to be the brave reckless one, escaping, threatening to kill one of the Aunts. And now all a sudden she doesn’t want to talk about what the eyes did to her after she got caught. It seems like there wasn’t physical pain, but maybe more of a psychological torture or conditioning. Something that would alter her character into not wanting to speak on it. Possibly this is related to the earlier quote about the room being bugged.

My running theory is she told Offred too much and the eyes came back and took her. The chapter ends with a very ominous “I never saw her again.”(250) so possibly that was connected. But why did the eyes let her come back to gilead in the first place? They caught her trying to escape and they just let her come back to the club. And she seemed content at the club. Like she was done running. That doesn’t seem like her. The eyes sent her back to work at the club, so it’s confirmed that they knew about it, they just didn’t want her at the red center. The eyes seem to be weirdly human. They gave Moira a choice of what she wanted to do after she directly broke the law. Overall the chapter was very confusing to me, there’s so much mystery around the eyes and what their intent is.

Chain Gang - Sam Cooke

This song would be in the opening showing the Handmaid’s and Martha’s. The scene would go back and forth between the Martha’s doing their various tasks like cleaning, cooking, and doing various tasks and the Handmaid’s having sex with the commanders during the ceremony. The continuous background “huh, hah, huh, hah” sound will represent the labor they are doing throughout the day. In the chorus Cooke repeats “That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang”. That line is essential to why I chose it because the irony highlights the fact that this labor is being done by women. The “chain gang” represents that they are trapped in their “reduced circumstances” and not doing this labor by choice.

Freedom (feat. Kendrick Lamar) - Beyonce

This song is all about Moira. But it isn’t just Moira’s experience, it is what she represents for the other Handmaids. The chorus makes a very noticeable connection to Moira as she escaped her post in an attempt to get out of Gilead to start a new life, or maybe return to some sense of her old life. This scene can start with Offred dreaming. Dreaming of Moira tying up Aunt Elizabeth and walking out of the center. This scene would be before Moira tells Offred what actually happened. Instead of the scene being what actually happened to Moira, it would be Offred dreaming of Moira pulling off this great escape that she hopes he can mimic. The main part that separates this song from moira’s true story is the “Ima keep on runnin’ ‘cause a winner don’t quit on themselves”. Moira quit. Or maybe not. She realized her circumstances and chose the best, realistic option.

“”Moira” I say. “You don’t mean that.” She is frightening me now, because what I hear in her voice is indifference, a lack of volition” pg. 249

This is why it’s a dream. Deep down Offred likely can’t even imagine what it would really be like to escape. So her mind keeps running away. Away from becoming content.

That’s What I Want - Lil Nas X

When becoming a Handmaid, Offred lost a lot of things from her old life, including love. Offred often remembers her husband fondly, rarely mentioning the rough parts of their relationship. Song lyrics: “These days are way too lonely” This scene will be another night scene where Offred is wanting to be held. Wanting to feel like someone valued her and her body, not just her womb.

“I want Luke here so badly. I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I am not” pg. 97

Those feelings are the essence of this song. The opening line “Need a boy who can cuddle with me all night” is exactly what Offred wanted when thinking of Luke before Nick walked in the room. Those feelings of being wanted were so strong to Offred that she almost took a huge risk and had sex with Nick. Song lyrics” I want someone to love me”

Enjoy Yourself (feat. KAROL G) - Pop Smoke

In this scene, the Commander takes Offred to Jezebel’s for the first time. This scene starts off very intimate with the two of them in the Commander’s room back at the house. We watch Offred change clothes into her costume and metaphorically, subtly hints at Offred letting some of the Gilead principles that have plagued her for so long leave her body with her clothes. She puts on makeup, which she hasn’t done in a while.

“For a moment I think I won’t be able to do any of this, and my first time with the eyeliner leaves me with a smudged black lid” pg. 231

This song serves both as a love song from the Commander to Offred, but also a moment where Offred can be free. Song lyrics: “They say, fly girls have more fun, So what? So you should enjoy yourself”. The lyrics represent the Commander bringing Offred out and showing her off, and even though Offred knows this is what she’s doing, she doesn’t take this time for granted and has a drink before ducking off to meet Moira. Song lyrics: “You don’t gotta put your cup down, drink freely, and holla at me if you need me, baby you should enjoy yourself”

UUHH - Teezo Touchdown

For this scene there isn’t much to it. We know how long the sexual tension between Nick and Offred has been building. We also know how much Offred has been longing for passionate, intimate sex. Holding nothing back, Teezo Touchdown’s vocals on “UUHH” perfectly capture these emotions during what would be Nick and Offred’s sex scene. I’m not going to describe a made up sex scene in details but here are some of the lyrics: “You know what’s on my mind, I know what’s on your mind”, “I know that you’re nervous, I’m kinda nervous too”, “First I’m gonna Uh, then I’m gonna uh-uh, uh-uh, and that’s gon’ make you uh-uh-uh”. You get the gist.

In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred and other handmaids express their need for love, hoping for love to come to fruition in their lives as a way of escaping their current role and situation in Gilead. “Falling in love, we said: I fell for him. We were falling women. We believed in it, this downward motion…”. This excerpt from the story captures Offred’s desire to love. What she considers love to be is love from god sharing how god loves his people showing the prominent religion that Offred ties close to.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood says how important love is, especially for Offred and the other women in Gilead. They talk about “falling in love,” which shows how much they want love in their lives. Offred thinks about love in a religious way, like how God loves people. This connects to her strong religious beliefs. When I read this part of the story, I could see similarities between Offred’s beliefs about love and my own ideas about what love means.

Love is a big word with lots of meanings. It’s not just about romance. It can be about family, friends, or even things we really care about. When I think about love, the most important kind for me is the love I have for my family. This love is so strong and unbreakable because I know my family will always be there for me no matter what.

The book shows that Offred’s idea of love is linked to her religious beliefs. She thinks about love like the way God cares for people. In the society she lives in, Gilead, religion is a huge part of everyone’s life. Offred hopes for a love that’s like the love of God – something strong, pure, and everywhere. It’s not just about romantic love for her. It’s about a deeper connection, a spiritual kind of love.

My own understanding of love is more tied to my family. The love I have for them gives me a feeling of safety and happiness. I know they’ll support me no matter what happens. It’s not about religion for me, but about this special bond that family brings. In the story, love is not just romantic. It’s about different kinds of relationships. Offred and the other handmaids have a deep need for love, connection, and freedom. They talk about “falling in love” as a kind of belief, a hope for something better. This shows that love is not just about being in a relationship with someone. It’s about the feeling of closeness and care that you share with people around you.

For me, love isn’t just about romance either. It’s also about the strong bond I share with my friends. We support each other, have fun together, and help each other through tough times. This kind of love isn’t romantic, but it’s so important in my life. The book made me think that love changes over time. As life goes on and we meet new people and experience new things, our feelings of love can also change. The love for something or someone might grow or become different. It’s like a flower that keeps on blooming, changing its colors and shape as time goes by.

The most important thing about love, according to the book and in my life, is that it’s always there, even if it changes. Offred’s hope for love, in a society where it’s restricted, is like a light in the darkness. It shows that love is a powerful force that can help us get through tough times, even if it’s just hope. Thinking about the similarities between Offred’s ideas about love and my own, I can see that love is a big part of everyone’s life. It’s not just about romance, but about the different connections we have with family, friends, or things we care deeply about. “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a reminder that love is a huge, complex thing. It’s not just one feeling, but a mix of feelings and connections. It’s about finding closeness and care with the people around us. Whether it’s the hope for something better, the bond with family, the connection with friends, or the passion for something we love, it all shows the different sides of love and how it affects our lives in many ways.

In “The Handmaid’s Tale” brainwashing is a topic brought up multiple times and it affects the characters’ choices, the things they do, and the big events that happen. One example that came up is on page 174 where they explain how the big newspapers would censor certain things from the public also in previous pages it would talk about people being told to burn books and magazines. The reason why, is because the government doesn’t want them to learn and get new ideas which could harm the government. The government in Gilead would also do things like forcing people to burn their clothes and dress according to their role in this society.

This situation has been seen worldwide throughout history and everyone has experienced propaganda and what it can do to the way you think. My parents are a perfect example of growing up to think a certain way because they grew up in Communist Albania where they were taught to think the way the government wanted them. Going to school for them was very different because most of what they were learning was to make the communist ideologies seem like it was the best for everyone. They would have classes specifically about Marxism where they were being fed information about the ideology and how great it was, they were also taught that going to the military was a good thing and that it was the right thing to do even though it was mandatory to join. The people that believed in the propaganda the most were the older people, around my grandparent’s age, and still, some younger people now who support socialist parties in Albania. But some people hate communism with a passion because of what they went through as a child, growing up with nothing.

When you compare the two you see a lot of similarities because they both were manipulated by a government that wanted people to think like them also they both had to live the way the government thought was best. One thing that would happen in this book is rigged elections brought up on page 174 which shows how they wanted a way to trick the people into thinking everything was fair but it was not. You would see things like this in countries like Russia where they say they are democratic countries but when there are elections the people who come up against Putin mysteriously pass away. Also at this point of the story it seems like whoever is in control is a dictator and no one can do anything about it, just like in Albania when the dictator Enver Hoxha was in power until he passed away. One thing you could say is seen in both situations is people’s connections with the government because there are people in “The Handmaid’s Tale” who fully believe in the government like the aunts while you have people in the book who hate the government and do things which if they were caught doing they would have to face heavy consequences, just like people in Albania who hate communism and the other people who were crying like they lost their child when the dictator Enver Hoxha passed away. People in Albania have tried to escape by going to Greece or other nearby countries to leave the oppression and live a normal life where they could be free to do whatever, the people in Gilead think the same, and even in chapter 35 Offred and Luke try to escape and while they are they are thinking about their past lives and what it was like to be free.

While reading this book you can see that Margaret had many inspirations from the past by taking things done by dictators to see how to make the world seem as dystopian as possible. The author has done this many times by making different connections to the real world and it is all through the point of view of someone a lot of people can relate to (not me). Looking back to all that I have read made me think how much I take things for granted because of the conditions my parents grew up in and what they had to go through under communism things can still change like in the book because the world was normal not too long ago and things can change fast.

Track your own intellectual and emotional experience through a close reading of a particular section. You are encouraged to tackle sections that you have found confusing, uncomfortable, or intriguing. You can write this in first person, citing specific examples from this selection as well as other parts of the novel that connect these ideas. Your selected text can be as short as one sentence or paragraph, and should not be from one of the sections we’ve used as an all-class close reading.

Chapter 33 page 217: “I just want to go home, Janine said. She began to cry. Jesus God, Moria said. Thats enough. She’ll be here in one minute, I promise you. So put your goddamn clothes on and shut up. Janine kept whimping but she also stood up and started to dress. She does that agains and i’m not here, Moria said to me, you just have to slap her like that. You cant let her go slipping over the edge. That stuff is catching. She must have already been planning,then, how she was going to get out.”

While reading this whole part of chapter 33, I started to get disturbed towards the end of it. I think I picked this part of the passage becuase it made me feel the most uncomfortable. This really goes into deep of the fear the women in this world must have for the men. Also it reveals a new way of thinking and intereperating the book. How the women have to treat eachother to keep going. To try to keep each other safe. This is just one of many times that you can see this cleary in this part of the book. The part where the author says, “She’ll be here in one minute, I promise you. So put your goddamn clothes on and shut up,” gives a chilling but well advised directivie. Its strict but with purpose. Theres a clear reason why Moria said this. Not to be mean but to help out. Unfortunately, moria lets janine get hit anyway. In this world however the women dont have much say. I also want to focus on how much abuse and tramua you would have to go throughin order to be okay with all the oppresion to your own gender. Towards the end of this, Moria sees it as you didnt do what you should have done now you need to face your consequences. A twisted vision on how women are treated. This makes me also think that maybe a situation or situations like this have happened similar to maria, and that is why she is more okay with it. Moria’s comment, “She does that again, and I’m not here, you just have to slap her like that,” showcases the brutal measures taken to stifle emotions in this dystopian world. Physical violence is employed to suppress any outward signs of sadness, further emphasizing the society’s cruelty and the inescapable sorrow that engulfs its inhabitants.

Even going back a little bit in the paragraph before that made me feel uncomfortable, a feeling that this book has made me feel many times throughout my reading. Page 216 reads, “They wont send you to the infirmary, so dont even think about it. Moria said, They wont mess around with trying to cure you.s They wont even bother to ship you to the colnies.” Moria’s statement, “They won’t send you to the infirmary, so don’t even think about it,” immediately introduces an air of hopelessness. In the world of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the government’s primary concern is maintaining control and enforcing strict gender roles. The welfare of the individual, especially of a Handmaid, is of little consequence. This complete disregard for the physical and emotional well-being of the Handmaids is a source of profound sadness. It reflects a society where suffering is normalized, and the value of human life has been diminished to the point where any attempts at “curing” or helping the afflicted are futile. The amount of human degrading in this part was crazy to me when I first read as well. She says wont even bother shipping you to the colonies like she isnt enough. Moria acts like she is so damage that she isnt even good enough to a place where the dehumane women every single day. A place where the treat women like they are not humans and usual are sent there to die.

In our last reading, the ¨underground club¨ like scene stood out to me more than anything else has so far. It was action packed, and arguably the most significant part of the book.

The craziness of this scene started off before the party with Offred and the commander alone. The commander ¨gifted¨ what sounded like a lingerie costume type of piece to Offred. Of course, as if getting this piece wasn’t already a big enough shock with it´s illegality in Gilead, Offred noted that this piece also appeared to be used.

Once Offred and the Commander were ready, Nick would chauffeur them past ¨checkpoints¨ to the location of the party, and Offred would need to duck down along the way. Offred noted that Nick seemed familiar with the route to take and the time to return. Her suspicion of this being a routine event for the Commander, with other women who potentially even wore her same outfit, was clear.

Once at the hotel lobby, Offred and the commander walked into a fancy party, cautious of not drawing attention. For Offred, this should have been an all time highlight! The first taste of fun since she lived outside of Guilead! But it wasn’t ; her already uncomfortable night was somehow worsened.

Offred described sitting down on a couch for the first part of the party. Around her, similarly dressed party goers in costumes lingered. But who were they? At first this seemed unclear to Offred. But soon later, the commander would go up to a group of men to, as Offred described, both show off to the men by pointing her out and show off to her by showing his many friends.

With this, the people at the party became more clear: they seemed to be women, and other powerful figures of Guilead. It seemed like Offred immediately understood what this meant. She had been living in this awful society for so long, valued solely for her reproductive use and literally named after the commander (Of-fred). Yet with all of this, the people of power in Gilead were hypocrites?! Blatantly breaking many of Guilead´s rules together in a party setting?! As I read this, I couldn’t imagine many things that would have been more demeaning to Offred. As if things weren’t already bad enough. Because of the obvious significance, choosing this to create an art piece was a no brainer. For my piece, I used a platform called ¨Dall-e¨ to make an AI generated image. In generating the image, I described ¨a hotel lobby party with fancy women and commanders lingering, with a couch at the front where a woman and man sit¨. I was pleased with how the image included everything, but what I like most is the blurriness. In Offred’s description of the scene, it seemed crazy, secretive and mysterious. The level of the blurriness did a perfect job of portraying all the knowns (Offred gave us) of the scene like the fancy outfits, couch and lobby - yet making it unclear: open to interpretation.

This scene in the handmaid's tale is when Offred and Serena Joy have an unlikely interaction where Serena who has been more known to be a rule follower, takes a photo of Offred's child from the old world and shows it to Offred in an act of kindness. But really It’s just to push her own agenda. She now is the holder of information that Offred wants, but during this interaction, Offred has feelings and thoughts about learning this information. She reflects on the meaning of being a mother. She says “But she exists in her white dress. She grows and lives. Isn’t that a good thing? A blessing? Still, I can’t bear it, to have been erased like that. Bette she’d brought me nothing”(228). This is contradictory to before in the book when she asked for knowledge from the commander. But now she is regretting gaining this knowledge. So that begs the question, What is knowledge? A blessing or a curse? Does it depend on the situation? And why does this pain her more than help her. Before this, she thought that asking for knowledge was getting answers and also power. And as humans it makes sense because curiosity is a very human trait. But what does knowledge bring with it? Darkness? Offred seems to think that knowing too much can kill you. 
The longer the book goes on, her view of knowledge grows and changes according to how it makes her feel. In many ways knowledge is useful and brings a lot of benefits the majority of the time. But in contrast to that, information can hurt people mentally. Like Offred, people will want to know things (especially when it relates to them directly), and sometimes it will hurt, but really it’s dependent on multiple factors. Like who the person is, how they take the information (like interpret it), and what the information is to them. 
Knowledge makes it so you can’t imagine as much information. For example in the picture above, she learns that her daughter is still alive and thriving, but the catch is that she’s experiencing life without Offred who wished to be a part of it. Now that Offred knows this she can’t imagine that her daughter escaped, or died. It doesn’t give her the closure she so wanted from the photo. Now her imagination is more limited and she can’t indulge in those same fantasies. 

In chapter thirty-six of The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred is taken on a “date” to an underground club called “Jezebel’s” with the Commander. Throughout this scene, the reader is made to feel uncomfortable.

From the beginning of the situation, we sense something strange about the Commander that night. “‘Tonight I have a little surprise for you,’ he says. He laughs;” (pg 229) Offred describes it as a “snigger.” We as readers, like Offred, aren’t yet sure what he finds funny or why he emphasized little in his proposal. Offred also says he wishes to diminish things, like her, when talking about something. By definition, “diminish” means to make someone or something seem less valuable. The Commander wants to continue to feel powerful and the only way to do that is to make others seem less. To get ready for the club, the Commander does Offred’s makeup with old products and makes her wear a big cloak that we are led to believe belongs to Serena Joy. Offred decides to do it herself and finds it difficult to do so. “For a moment I think I won’t remember how to do any of this,” The entire scene focuses on Offred getting back into the habit of something she did before it was forbidden for her.

“He slips around my waist a tag, purple on an elastic band, like the tags for airport luggage. ‘If anyone asks you, say you’re an evening rental,’ he says.” (pg 233) We as readers are able to understand, without context, that women of Gilead can be rented for the night for whatever the men so please.

When they get to Jezebel’s, Offred sees women and men lounging around. As stated, the women are dressed in “festive gear”, “olden-days lingerie”, bikinis, and cheerleader uniforms while the men are in work clothes. From the description of the extravagant clothes and make-up the women wear, which contrasts the average clothes the men wear, we know Jezebel’s is a risque club. The dissimilarity between the women working at the club and Offred could symbolize the two truths to Gilead. On one hand, it prides their women on modesty and tradition. It also oppresses women; as seen with Offred wearing a bulky cloak that doesn’t belong to her. On the other hand, men are lusting after women in little clothing; wanting something that is not seen as “Holy.”

The Commander shows off Offred. “The Commander does the talking for me, to this man and to the others who follow him. He doesn’t say much about me, he doesn’t need to. He says I’m new, and they look at me and dismiss me and confer together about other things. My disguise performs its function.” (pg 236) We see the men not care much about the women who are evening rentals. This tells us that Jezebel’s is a club meant for relaxing without the rules of Gilead applying to women so they may objectify them however they want.

Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” resonated with me, particularly when Offred expressed, “We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of the print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.” Offred’s words stood out within me, reflecting the challenges I face in my quest for employment. In the job market, I often feel like one of those nameless souls residing within the margins of a resume, struggling to emerge into the spotlight. Offred’s sentiment captures the essence of the job seeker’s experience: the constant battle to break free from being unknown or not heard of, to transform from an overlooked applicant that applies to multiple jobs seeking the light at the end of the tunnel into a valued contributor that avoids the tunnel by never entering it in the first place.

The connections between Offred’s existence in Gilead and my own job search journey are kind of unordinary. Much like the fixed societal structures of Gilead, the professional world imposes its own set of rules and expectations on people in order to get a certain status, like in the book. I’ve sent out countless applications, tailored my resume, and made out personalized cover letters, only to face a train at the end of the tunnel.This train was filled with automated rejection emails or deafening silence, and I did not want to keep applying and not get a chance to stand out from the rest. It’s disheartening to feel like I’m trapped within the confines of employability, struggling to find my place in a highly competitive job market. Similar to Offred’s fight for recognition, I find myself waging a battle to be noticed and trying to escape the stigma of unemployment and establish myself within the professional atmosphere

Offred’s narrative mirrors my own frustration and disappointment when faced with rejection after rejection. Each rejection letter feels like another train passing by, or you could say a door slamming shut, leaving me on the outside, yearning for an opportunity to showcase my skills and contribute meaningfully. The uncertainty of job hunting and the constant questioning of my worth and abilities echo Offred’s internal struggles, as she even struggles with her identity and purpose in Gilead. Like her, I find myself questioning my place in a world that often seems indifferent to my hopes and dreams of getting a job not only for the money but for experience in the real world.

Offred’s spirit in the face of oppression serves as a source of inspiration. Her quiet defiance, her refusal to be reduced to a mere statistic, fuels my determination to persist. I empathize deeply with her longing to be acknowledged, to transcend the limitations imposed by societal norms. This empathy transforms into a steely resolve, urging me to continue my search, to keep refining my skills, and to remain undeterred by the challenges that come my way.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” serves as a reminder that the pursuit of recognition and freedom is not confined to the realm of Gilead. It’s a struggle that countless job seekers face daily in the pursuit of meaningful employment. Offred’s story reminds me that resilience and tenacity are vital companions on this journey. Like her, I am determined to emerge from the blank spaces, to be seen and acknowledged for the unique talents and experiences I bring to the table. Through her quiet strength, I find the courage to continue my quest, knowing that, just like Offred, I too can defy the odds and carve out my own place in the professional landscape that has created limits for me before.

Overall, after reading Offred’s struggle for freedom in an oppressive society, it serves as a powerful metaphor for various forms of societal oppression, including the challenges faced by job seekers. Her resilience and determination have become a source of inspiration, reminding me of the importance of persistence and self-belief—the kind of stuff job seekers are looking for. The book has heightened my awareness of social structures, encouraged me to question the status quo, and given me a sense of social norm. Reading about Offred’s fight has given me a broader perspective on my own struggles. It has reinforced my belief in the power of individuality and encouraged me to confront challenges head-on. This newfound awareness has become a driving force, shaping my determination to overcome obstacles and advocate for a world where everyone’s worth is recognized, regardless of the challenges they face, and there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel after all. (I got a job now; dont worry about me :} )

The novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” shuffles a lot with the idea of religion and what that looks like for the main character. In close reading #4, it was brought to my attention that Offred deeply struggles with her religious identity. On page 195, chapter 30, Offred states, “I feel as if I’m talking to a wall. I wish you’d answer. I feel so alone”. To the readers, this reveals that, on the one hand, Offred does acknowledge that she is talking to God. Still, then, on the other hand, Offred is struggling with having faith in the fact that God is listening to her, but because she’s not getting answers to her prayers, her faith is fading. Furthermore, Even though Offred struggles with how strong her faith is, she doesn’t deny that God is a creator because, On page 195, chapter 30, Offred states, “You might even provide a heaven for them. We need you for that. Hell we can make for ourselves.” to the readers this shows that Offred is saying that Heaven is the peace that God created. Hell is what people create hence Gilead and its creation. In her eyes, Gilead is almost the representation of “hell.” The society is very dystopian, and the individual’s freedom and rights have been stripped away from them, which causes them to experience a lot of brainwashing and manipulation. This further proves that Gilead is similar to hell metaphorically, and this pushes characters such as Offred to focus on religion to cope with the loss of identity.

This piece of artwork that I created represents the moment when Offred was praying/talking to God in her room, sitting at the window. This moment is significant because I felt that the author intended to show not only Offred’s struggle but also how people in the real world may battle with having faith. The struggle of talking to God through prayer, asking him questions for guidance and clarity, and being unable to get a direct answer. I choose to create this sense in this way because not only do I believe that this is a vulnerable moment for Offred, but I also believe that this is a vulnerable moment for all people struggling with faith. This scene, among many others, indicates that religion is a significant symbol throughout the novel, and the characters experience it in many ways. The artwork represents her journey and struggles to live in this new society, and she views religion as a safety net to fall back on when there are tough times. Before this scene, the readers didn’t consider Offred a religious believer. This signifies character development and explicitly represents Gilead and how it changes people. What is being portrayed in my scene is God up in the clouds looking down at Offred while she’s praying. We don’t see God’s appearance, so he is just the clouds. Offred is sitting in her room, sitting on the window, getting a full view of her room in a gaze, asking god why she can’t see him or at least get a direct answer from her prayers.

We look over the men who watch the women when we walk by. We either have two emotions, Fear or Fancy. Most women are caught by fear when men creep upon girls who look and act a certain way for their personal gain, others fancy when men even breathe in their perimeter liking the attention that they bring. In the book “The Handmaids Tale” the women are like helpless swimming fish in the water needing to find its mate before they die. These ladies are forced to reproduce and have very strict rules in the land of Gilead.

The men uses the women for sex. Sex is important to the men to repopulate for a “better” lifestyle than what was becoming of the world. Women are seen as just to make babies and help out with house work, If you can’t repopulate that means you are less than a woman, therefore the only thing that makes you a woman is you have a vagina. One quote I found interesting was, “I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely.” meaning to me, women are supposed to not step out of their comfort zone and to obey the man. Men are the leaders and they control the women so they are supposed to follow and not be determined in a sense of not being free and taking control. It goes into sex too because the handmaid doesn’t seem to be enjoying sexual benefits from the men in the book more so rather just doing what they are told to do..having babies.

But whose fault was it? Aunt Helena says, holding up one plump finger. 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. Why did God allow such a terrible thing to happen? Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson.” This quote was very self hatred, For years women and men have blamed other women for getting SA or raped on how they look or acted towards men, Its never the man fault for making the woman uncomfortable or touching on her. The blame when women do it tells that they self hate on women and take sides with the man which is very misogynistic .How men pray on women as if their objects are sick and they like to play victim into making girls feel like its their fault that they should be blamed on facing sexual abuse problems.

When I was little I faced those similar problems too, relating this into the real world issues, Growing up as a young black girl sexual abuse and sexualizing is common. The older generation tells me that red lipstick is “too grown” for us when in reality you should be sexualizing young black girls and we just wanted to explore makeup. “There’s hardly any point in my thinking, is there? I say. What I think doesn’t matter. Which is the only reason he can tell me things.” Is a quote from the book which tells what a woman should and shouldn’t do. How we it’s no point of thinking because we have no right to think because we are simply just “women”. A man should only tell us what to do because they are superior to us and we have no right to believe what we believe. Relating that back to me, the men in the family would always say, “always listen to your husband when he’s talking to you” so I could be a better wife but in reality its only to keep men in power and to make women feel weak-minded when they are facing issues.

“There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it.” Spoke to me because as ladies we tend to be hushed down when having freedom. For years when women wanted to work the same jobs as men do, or have a different opinion than men. It was never what the women wanted more so what could benefit what the man wanted. This book had a lot of feminist beliefs and it took a good understanding of what the world would become if men controlled it and we would be used as pawns in their game of pleasure and resource. We should stand up for what we want to do, and speak on it.

The artwork I drew above illustrates the relationship between Offred’s real world and the various universes in which she could exist in. As this is the current reality of Offred’s life story, she is currently positioned in the center of the page. Since her current life is that of a handmaid, her only responsibility is to maintain her health in order to bear children, and healthy ones at that and that is her only duty. The work of what it means to be a handmaid is given to us in several portions of the book, piece by piece, each time disclosing a new aspect of their function.“ Hair must long but covered.” You can get a brief overview of the various requirements connected to the image above. Their hair is certainly tucked away, concealed from view, as you can see in the drawing. They must wear red shoes and dresses, and their gowns must be long and sleeved. Because they are so valuable and practically considered a treasured asset in this new civilization, this is done to protect them from other people and the outside world. The quote, which comes from Chapter 6, states, “We learn to see the world in gasp.” They are kept hidden behind Gilead’s walls and the wings that are essentially there to cover up their faces are used to hide their faces indicating that they had little to no Freedom and an extremely sheltered.

As you can see, there are four distinct looks that correspond to the various personas of the novel’s key characters. Offred’s surroundings are arranged to represent the different potential outcomes that might take place in her reality, or simply the various results she has encountered during the narrative. The Jezebel’s specific outfit is described as “the women on the other hand are tropical, they are dressed in all kinds of bright festive gear.” This is stated in Chapter 37 when Offred is introduced to The Club scene, this is very unfamiliar to her and it is a culture shock because she is so used to being covered up and modest. She also even refers to the girls in the club as looking ‘clownish’ because they are free to wear almost anything they want. Her past life as a College student is another persona, it was her past life, where she was able to live as she liked, not under the Gilead rule with no freedom. She didn’t have any stipulations tied to her name and she definitely didn’t have to worry about what she wore. She was a college student, doing college things living her best life as a Free woman.

Finally, the Wives and the Un-Women are the final two characters I drew. Gilead gives a lot of Power to the title of Wives. Every woman in its society aspires to be like them and especially to hold the title of being a Wife. In fact, the wives aren’t really presented in Gilead unless one of their handmaids bears them a child. This happens because their age or their infertility stops them from being able to conceive their own children, and wives are usually of old age. The birth of the child gives the wife some attention. In chapter 21 this quote states; “the wives are here to bear witness the naming.” Meaning once the handmaid gives birth all the responsibility is then transferred over the the wife to name the child and raise it as their own. In the novel we aren’t informed a lot about the Un-women, we know only little bits and pieces about who they are, where they are, and what they do. In chapter 20 we learn that the Un-women are “feminists from the days before Gilead.” This gives us a little bit of insight that the Unwomen are just feminists who are not going to conform to the Men’s rule and in the community of Gilead that is seen as forbidden, and breaking the rules. Therefore you never see them inside the gates of Gilead and we barely hear about them unless they are mentioned on the TV which is forbidden to watch.

Offred while saying her prayers uses The Lord’s Prayer but has her own insights through the prayer. The Aunts would teach the girls a prayer of supplication requesting to be fertile and bear children. Even after all of their time at the Center, both Ofglen and Offred admitted to each other that they are not true believers. “She lets out her breath, in a long sigh of relief. We have crossed the invisible line together. ‘Neither do I,’ she says.” (168.) Even though they don’t think that God really hears their prayers and can save them from this society, Offred continues to pray as she was taught. She both asks things of God while giving the reader information about her emotions. “You might even provide a Heaven for them. We need You for that. Hell we can make for ourselves.” (195.) She humbly prays for the protection of those she knows. Possibly Luke, her daughter, her mother, and others she cares about that are suffering.

Offred prays as though it is simply a habit but elaborates on how these main ideas are affected and shown in her life. “Now we come to forgiveness…Temptation comes next…Then there’s Kingdom, power, and glory.” (195.) She seems to list them as though she does this very often but gives it a spin with her emotions. She is reminded of the lessons the Aunts taught them about being tempted in this new world where there are so many rules. The Aunts convinced them that the less they knew the better off they would be. Offred has learned so much through gossip and now her time with the Commander and states, “The Fall was a fall from innocence to knowledge.” (195.) When sin came into the world, it was Adam and Eve wanting to be in the same position as God in their power. Offred is learning more about the ongoings, gaining knowledge and with that comes power.

Offred’s suicidal thoughts and confusion about life are also introduced more in depth during her prayer. “All you’d have to do, after attaching yourself, would be to lean your weight forward and not fight.” (195.) She has thought about this and acknowledged it before believing that she would be better off dead than here knowing that suicide is something very frowned upon yet somewhat common for the handmaid’s. Offred does not seem to believe the words that are in the prayer and is countering them with the struggles she is faced with in this society. “Oh God. It’s no joke. Oh God oh God. How can I keep on living?” (195.) She specifies how the society is living in has brought her to believe death would be a better option.

Offred’s difficulty with faith is brought to light and the reader is faced with considering the two sides. “I feel very unreal, talking to You like this. I feel as if I’m talking to a wall. I wish You’d answer. I feel so alone.” (195.) Offred talks about the doubts and questions that follow being a believer of a certain faith. Especially when there are so many problems in the world she is in it makes it harder to believe in something you can not see. People today are continuously struggling with believing God is real due to so many things. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says “we walk by faith, not by sight.” This is always a hard thing to accept because it sounds easy but in reality learning to follow a religion where you are only able to rely on that faith is challenging.

Despite Offred’s challenges with her faith and the Aunts religious teachings, she seems to believe in some higher power and that there truly is a God. “I don’t believe for an instant that what’s going on out there is what You meant.” (194.) The reader is not given a background on Offred’s religious beliefs before changes to the society were made, but saying this implies she knows God is good and has a plan. “If I were You I’d be fed up. I’d really be sick of it. I guess that’s the difference between us.” (195.) She acknowledges God’s higher power and the difference between a sinner and God. Offred also prays, “You must feel pretty ripped off. I guess it’s not the first time.” (195.) The reader could relate this to a myriad of things that are going on in Gilead. She is being almost apathetic towards God about the conflicts found in Gilead. Romans 5:12 says “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Offred believes that the sinful actions have happened before because she knows that she is in a sinful world. Compiling so much into one prayer that was already incredibly intricate, Offred gives the reader more insight on her true beliefs.

✰ Link to Artwork: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SGbmsxTV2rwwQ2eSfuQli3PlVRxAG7qq/view?usp=sharing

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood puts an interesting view on love and relationships. The stereotypical man and woman relationship we have become accustomed to is contested in Gilead, a dystopian society the book is centered on. Atwood paints a unique motive by placing sexual beings into a civilization prohibiting their very urges. Characters begin to view touching as a crime and labeling it as “commiting the act of touch.” However, this is not the only thing put into contention throughout the novel.

Starting on Chapter 37, Commander Fred takes our main character Offered out of the confinements of their home. The location that Offered is brought to is a hotel that once was home to the frequent debaucheries that were indulged on by her and her, at the time, paramour. However, the location has gone through a major change. No longer sleek and luxurious, the setting was now dark with lust in the air, along with stray feathers from women’s skimpy costumes floating about, too small to be considered clothes. Too revealing to cover any skin.

In chapter 38, page 245, Offred and her master, holder of her leash, walk into the now brothel, “‘It’s like walking into the past,’ says the Commander. His voice sounds pleased, delighted even.” This was found on Chapter 38, page 245. This quote in particular striked me as fascinating because hotels already appear to have a negative connotation for providing a place for individuals to cheat on their spouses, and in this brothel specifically, it almost seems the women who work at the Jezebels have more freedom than the handmaids. They are free to walk around, converse with their friends as they please, even smoke cigarettes, acts which all are banned for the handmaids. Another quote referring to the presence of the room of the hotel is from chapter 39 page 251, “He unlocks the door of the room. Everything is the same, the very same as it was, once upon a time. The drapes are the same, the heavy flowered ones that match the bedspread, orange poppies on royal blue…All is the same” In this scene, Offered enters the room and immediately, she is rendered speechless from memories of her and Luke, which he can’t, or won’t let herself, move on from.

For my artwork, I wanted to present something that captured the transition between hotel and brothel, and bring in the question which setting serves a better purpose not only in Gilead, but before Gilead. I did this by acquiring two photos and putting them into a slider so you can see the differences between each photo and setting. I deliberately attempted to keep the camera angle the same, to show that while the location is different, they both share negative connotations when it comes to their viewpoint on relationships, both in Gilead and before it. Overall, The Handmaid’s Tale is an extremely compelling novel and readers could spend months absorbing and deciphering all the blood, sweat, and tears that was put into his literature piece, and that is one of the many reason why this novel has such an influence and is still attempted to be decrypted today.

In chapter six of The Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead is still being introduced to us as readers, and so is Offred. I first noticed Offred’s word choice on the first page while beginning this chapter. “We walk, sedately” (30) is how she describes her and Ofglen’s stroll into town for groceries. This line stood out to me just because it’s strange. I had never heard this word before, but I used my best judgment to assume what it meant as I read. It’s a curious word to choose, although using it in this context makes sense. While it means to do something “in a quiet, relaxed, or slow way without excitement or risk,” that’s not how I first thought about it. I imagined Offred and Ofglen walking like they were under sedation (obviously, since that’s where the word comes from), dazed or unconcerned with their surroundings. I doubt this was a careless choice by Atwood, so there is meaning to be uncovered. Using this specific word means something to the world-building. Offred and Ofglen’s movements, described as “sedately,” insinuate a slowness to their walking. I think this is because of their lack of enthusiasm and their medical/incapacitated state.

The line directly after that one also struck me as peculiar; “The sun is out, in the sky there are white fluffy clouds, the kind that look like headless sheep.” (30). I feel like the average person wouldn’t have noticed that darker shape in clouds. Like, wouldn’t cotton balls have made more sense? So I got the feeling that she only made this observation because of the current situation she is in, being a Handmaid. This glum and wicked world is becoming normal to her, so maybe she just naturally thought about headless sheep. I took this quote as Atwood trying to portray that Offred’s perspective is changing (in minute ways like this) as she spends more time in Gilead.

As I continued to read, other quotes stuck out to me. Ofglen and Offred continue their walk and pass by the football stadium. She points out that Men’s Salvagings are held there, “As well as the football games. They still have those” (31). I thought this was such a curious note to make. She’s referring to (what I’ve gathered are public) executions and then quickly switches to the fact that they still hold football games. It’s a stark contrast, referring to the continuation of certain traditions from “before” in a world that differs from what Offred was born into. This book often forces the reader to consider what life would be like if you were in Gilead, and how you would react to the abrupt changes. To think of holding public executions, that you were forced to go to, is kind of crazy. Offred has been in Gilead for a few years, and as I put myself into her shoes, I can’t imagine getting used to seeing that. Again, Atwood is doing this on purpose; she wants the readers to grapple with the new “normal” of this world and how it seems like people transitioned quite easily.

The scene that I really wanted to focus on was when the commander and Offred is playing scrabble together. But it’s just not any regular scene, it’s the one when Offred ask the commander to translate the latin phrase in her room. That’s why in the drawing the phrase to

My drawing really emphasizes an important scene from the book. I wanted to go into more depth about the scene where the commander and Offred were playing scrabble. In the background of my drawing there’s a bookshelf filled with books. Right on the table, you can see a locked Bible, which is symbolizing the religious control that is enforced by the government of Gilead. The presence of the locked bible suggest that knowledge is restricted and kept away from the handmaids.

The main focus of my artwork is on offred and the commander seated together playing an illegal game of Scrabble. Despite having no way to come up with anything, I wanted to include something in the board game. However, when I turned back to the book, I realized that they had said the lines that they had written. The Scrabble board, shows the words “Valance,” “larynx,” and “Quince”, just as they appear in the book. These words actually have deeper meaning than I thought of. Valance represents hidden meanings in Gilead, showing that things are not as they seem. Larynx refers to the silence of women voices and point out control over communication. Quince shows resilience and space for expansion, indicating a potential of transformation.

On the wall behind them, there’s a Latin phrase, “nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” The scene focuses around this phrase, which Offred asks the Commander to translate for her during their game. It basically gives advice on how to resist the system’s enslavement while also acting as a message of hope. This sentence sums up the main idea of the book, which is the value of resilience and overcoming a corrupt system without allowing one’s spirit to be crushed.

The interaction between Offred and the Commander during their game is important in the story. In this scene Offred takes a risk by asking the Commander to translate the latin phrase which allows them to connect on a deeper level and shows that they are both resistant to the limits enforced by the government. Also Offred learns the outcome of the previous handmaid that live in her room, which highlights what happens when you go against Gilead rules. She realizes that she can possibly manipulate the Commander´s guilt for her advantage, emphasizing the complicated connections of power in their society.

I chose to illustrate this scene because it marks an important point in the book when Offred starts to recognize her own power and her capacity to rebel against the cruel government. The Scrabble board, the locked Bible, the words on the board, and the Latin phrase all serve as symbols for the themes of resistance, information that is hidden, and deep connections between the characters in Gilead.

The feelings of resistance, secret, and an unsure bond between Offred and the Commander are all portrayed in my drawings. The scene’s items illustrate the book’s many themes by demonstrating the idea that resistance and hope can flourish even in the most dangerous situations.

“You don’t know what it’s like” (179). In The Handmaid’s Tale, through Offred’s thoughts, it is revealed how the world before Gilead started to change into what it is today which in the least is unjust. When I first began reading this book, I didn’t expect to be so confused and trying to find the meaning behind multiple phrases, actions, and events enacted by characters in this novel, but Margaret Atwood has made that impossible. Further, in The Handmaid’s Tale, there are particular sections I could grasp and have strong emotions towards.

In chapter 28, Atwood reveals through the narration of Offred, how before Gilead, the government began to change by stripping women of holding something of value they can depend on to live. I want to specifically concentrate on the event when Offred and the other women at her job were dismissed from their positions, and then when Offred talks to Luke about what was happening. Atwood writes, “I’m sorry, he said, but it’s the law. I really am sorry…I have to let you go, he said. It’s the law, I have to. I have to let you all go. He said this almost gently, as if we were wild animals, frogs he’d caught, in a jar, as if he were being humane…Not fired, ” he said. Let go. You can’t work here anymore, it’s the law. He ran his hands through his hair and I thought, He’s gone crazy. The strain has been too much for him and he’s blown his wiring” (176). In this quote, Offred describes how the director of where she worked came into the women’s workspace to announce that they had to leave because the law demanded it, followed by how Offred describes his tone and what she believes might have been the reason for him saying this.

After reading this section, I felt confused and angry. I couldn’t comprehend why the women were being stripped away from their jobs without an explanation just because the law demanded it, and I knew Offred felt the same. I must admit, I’ve never had a job. Even so, I can comprehend how unfair and frustrating it can be to be demanded, as a woman, to leave a duty where we come to earn an income that helps maintain our lives, and at the same time be treated like we don’t deserve it, but still have to respond to such judgment, made by someone else’s demands, implied to be from the government: a law. Furthermore, I’ve seen first-hand how hard my mother works to provide for me and my other two younger brothers, a well-living home due to her hard efforts to keep working, even though every time I see her, she looks exhausted trying to keep up. Moreover, I can positively say it would be a frustrating and complicated time for her if she were to lose her job like those women did.

Additionally, after going home, Offred talks with Moira and Luke about the situation at hand. Moira informed, “Women can’t hold property anymore…it’s a new law” (178). Offred continues to narrate, “…We’ll get through it, he said, hugging me. You don’t know what it’s like, I said. I feel as if somebody cut off my feet. I wasn’t crying. Also, I couldn’t put my arms around him…Hush, he said. He was still kneeling on the floor. You know I’ll always take care of you. I thought, already he’s starting to patronize me. Then I thought, already you’re starting to get paranoid” (179). In these quotes, the reader is made aware of what the law is demanding; how Luke attempts to comfort Offred with words but proves to be useless while seeing how she feels misunderstood, defeated by how her body refuses to show affection, degrading herself for how she is feeling and what she’s thinking about. I empathize with Offred’s reaction. If I were in her place, talking about something I have strong emotions towards with a person close to me, and felt that they were trying to comfort me instead of attempting to understand and listen to what’s at stake, I would feel as if they didn’t care about what I was telling them and that they just wanted to get rid of me. Like Offred, I, too, wouldn’t have been able to hug someone after they indirectly showed me they were in denial of my concerns. From how Atwood shaped each character’s response and their reactions, it made me feel as if I were experiencing the moment. How she uses words and their meanings, the tone of her writing, and how she shapes each conversation make me curious and immersed in her writing.

There are multiple chapters in The Handmaid’s Tale where Atwood wrote moments that trigger one’s emotions towards the novel and raise questions about moments, persuading the reader to continue reading, even if they deem the story a lost cause. In a way, this is how I feel. Yet, for that sole reason, I want to see the end of this novel and see what will be of Offred and those around her that continue to alter her life. What’s more, as far as I’ve reached in the novel, Atwood has shown a mixture of vocabulary, integration of invented words, dialogue, character development in odd ways but understandable on multiple occasions, and the integration of how life takes its course in a corrupted society, led by grim regimes. Taking into account these factors, it raises specific emotions and connections that we see in our world, showing us how power can control those without it; the reason why I choose this option for my second lit log.

Ever since the commander sneaked Offred out to the hotel room, we’ve encountered a variety of what I would like to call “Gilead Math”. Similar to the trend TikTok has been going around— we got the girl math, boy math, etc. Gilead Math is a system and systems can not be created by itself. Behind the scenes, there will always be an influencer. I call them the Math-stermind. Welcome to Gilead Math as I slowly uncover the Math-stermind behind it all!

Gilead revolves around a system with circumstances and status. Take away your status and you’re left with nothing. And what happens to people who are useless? “They can go rot in the Colonies.” Gilead Math! From precious chapters, you already know the unwomen’s go to Colonies but you don’t exactly know what happens to them when they are in the Colonies. In chapter 33, you get a sense of what the Colonies were like during Moira’s conversation with Janine. Flashback to when they were at the Red Center— Janine still in her white cotton nightgown, talks to herself like a madman out in the open where the aunt might see her. This is her way to rebel. Compared to Moira’s form of rebellion, Janine’s was more emotional than active. Because Janine stuck out like a sore thumb, Moira had to slap her back to her senses. This was when she revealed a hint of the system of Gilead and the Colonies. “They won’t even bother to ship you to the Colonies. You go too far away and they just take you up to the Chemistry Lab and shoot you. Then they burn you up with the garbage, like an Unwoman.” (pg 216) From here, you get a sense of what the Colonies are like. “You won’t die in the Colonies, but you might as well be dead if you get yourself in there,” is what Moira meant. Going into the Colonies means you are “garbage”. Something that is disposable. “Like an Unwomen.” Moira compares the Chemistry Lab to the Colonies— “They burn you up with the garbage.”

Commander Fred likes playing his part in the play behind the scenes. He’ll do things and you would wonder why he did what he did. He treats everyone like animals— “The Commander likes it when I distinguish myself, show precocity, like an attentive pet, prick-eared and eager to perform.” (pg 183-184) Their roles are designed solely to fulfill his hunger for entertainment. Like a director of a play or a scriptwriter— the pen he withholds has the power of creation. Like the mastermind behind the scene. Status plays a big role in Gilead Math. In chapter 37, we see Commander Fred utilizing his status to its full potential! Commander Fred likes to break the rules as a way to numb his boredom. He decided to bring Offred to the hotel room where he states it’s like “walking into the past.” (pg 235) This was a place with strict surveillance to prevent people from going in and out as they pleased. Knowing that someone like Offred is strictly forbidden there, the commander chooses to do so for the sake of his own excitement. When Commander Fred introduced her to “The Club” Offred replied with “I thought this sort of thing was strictly forbidden,” he responded with “But everyone’s human, after all. It means you can’t cheat Nature. Nature demands variety, for men. It stands to reason, it’s part of the procreational strategy. It’s Nature’s plan. Women know that instinctively. Why did they buy so many different clothes in the old days? To trick the men into thinking they were several different women. A new one each day.” (pg 237) Long story short, different clothes mean a different woman each day. Boom! Gilead Math.

“Commander Fred isn’t a terrible person,” is what he wants us to see him as. Throughout the book he conveys himself as a “decent guy”. He didn’t do anything specifically bad but nothing good either. He cheated on his wife, brought Offred and potentially many other housemaids like Offred out to The Club to “show her off,” but at the same time, he showed them the other side of Gilead— the reality. Offred even thought of the commander as “positively daddyish” (pg 184) while playing Scrabble. Surprisingly, Offred wasn’t using words to describe something sexually (maybe a little). When she said “positively daddyish,” she referred to Luke and how compared to Luke, he’s not “saying bitch in his head.” Then again, he was probably just bored and wanted to get another housemaid in trouble, or even worse, dead.

A Handmaid’s Playlist

What a Wonderful World- Joey Ramone

Offred often has flashbacks about her best friend, Moira, whose free spirit and resilience against Gilead make her a recurring symbol of the “before times”. In one of these flashbacks, Moira and Offred are studying together for an assignment for college. Everything about this scene goes against the rules of the Republic of Gilead. Offred observes Moira as wearing, “one dangly earring, the gold fingernail she wore to be eccentric, a cigarette between her stubby yellow-ended fingers.” (37) The two women are reading, smoking, talking freely, and Moira’s even writing a paper on date rape. I chose Joey Ramone’s version of “What a Wonderful World” because its energetic rock style matches the lively and unrestrained spirit in the two friends, and this genre of music is probably the last thing that would be allowed in the Republic of Gilead. This being said, the lyrics are “What a Wonderful World” and describe everything beautiful and good about the “before times”. This song choice shows how Offred misses her old life, and thinks of the world where she had freedom and individuality, as wonderful.

Have a Cigar- Pink Floyd

During the story, we often see cigarettes being used as a symbol for freedom and hope. In the “before times”, the last day women are allowed their rights is the last day Offred is able to buy a pack of cigarettes, and throughout the book we see people in power, like the Commander’s Wife, smoking frequently. During her first interaction with Serena Joy, Offred notes the cigarette in her hand and thinks, “I looked at the cigarette with longing. For me, like liquor and coffee, they are forbidden.” (14). So when Serena Joy gives Offred a cigarette, it’s like she’s offering her hope. This is especially so, because the two women have been hostile towards each other the entire book, after all, they live in a society where women are pitted against each other. Serena Joy’s offering the cigarette, and Offred taking it, shows a budding mutual respect between the two. I chose “Have a Cigar” for this moment because its title closely resembles the events of the scene, with Serena Joy telling Offred to have a cigarette. But also, the song has a dramatic tune that matches the surreal circumstance Offred finds herself in, in this moment.

99 Luftballons- Nena

This song will be played during the scene where Offred and the Commander argue about the meaning of love. Offred talks about the freedom of falling in and out of love as being part of human nature while the Commander sees love as failure and success, something that can be calculated, saying, “look at the stats, my dear. Was it really worth it, falling in love? Arranged marriages have always worked out just as well, if not better”. In the song 99 Luftballons, two kids innocently release balloons into the air, which are mistaken by international governments as a threat, and ultimately trigger a nuclear war. The song is basically about people in power turning something pure and childlike into something ugly. The Republic of Gilead similarly takes children, family and love, disregards their true meaning, and turns them into a gross process that dehumanizes women.

The Dog Days are Over- Florence and The Machine

“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” or “don’t let the bastards get you down” is scrawled in the cupboard in Offred’s bedroom, scratched there by the previous handmaid. It is right next to the row of hooks that Offred thinks about using when she’s at her lowest point. When I read this, I thought that the previous handmaid wrote it there on purpose to sort of act as a guardian angel for Offred. Whenever Offred would look to the hooks, she would have to see “don’t let the bastards get you down” or, “don’t let them do to you what they did to me”. The writing is there to tell her to hold on to hope, to stay resilient, and to not give up. I chose “The Dog Days are Over” because it sends a similar message, with the lyrics telling a story of perseverance during dark times. When Offred is feeling hopeless, she refers back to the hooks, remarking, “You could use a hook in the closet. I’ve considered the possibilities. All you’d have to do, after attaching yourself, would be to lean your weight forward and not fight.”(195) The previous handmaid’s message is telling her instead, to fight and keep going. Similarly to “What a Wonderful World”, the upbeat and lively energy of “The Dog Days are Over” serve to make the song a perfect theme of protest against the Republic of Gilead.

Gnossienne No. 1- Erik Satie

Offred often talks about the tediousness of her life as a handmaid, reflecting on how much empty time she has, especially compared to the Commander’s Wife’s freedom to knit and tend to her garden. Offred misses the “before times” when she was able to achieve small accomplishments, saying, “I envy the Commander’s Wife her knitting. It’s good to have small goals that can be easily attained.” (13) Instead, everything Offred does has a specific purpose and must go towards the greater good. This is why I chose this song to be Offred’s theme. As far as classical music goes, Gnossienne No. 1 is simple and repetitive, much like Offred’s life in the Republic of Gilead. Even the formatting of the book is like this, with a large chunk of the story simply showing us what the life of a handmaid looks like, and the chapter titles, which align with different parts of Offred’s daily routine, repeating themselves. The book is basically her day over and over, slowly changing itself as the plot develops. Gnossienne No. 1 also has a very melancholy tune that reflects Offred’s situation, and its melody has a dull quality that emphasizes the monotony of her new life.

My art piece represents multiple themes that are present in The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, religion, memory and individuality. In Gilead there is a popular chain of stores called Soul Scrolls, where you can pay to have your prayers read aloud by a machine, as many times as you want and pay for. “There are five different types of prayers: for health, wealth, a death, a birth, a sin.” (167). This commercialization of religion is exactly what Gilead represents, they even control what types of prayers people can make! Control is the reason I drew Offred is praying, even though she is not religious. Along those same lines, a halo floats above Offred head but half of it is broken off. The halo represents religion and its connection to the government. The right side of the halo (Gilead side) is still intact and shining showing how religion and state are in sync. The idea of control is why I decided to include the eye on the side of the machine, showing how the Eyes keep this control in check, always watching, even during sacred moment like prayer.

Memory is another integral part of The Handmaid’s Tale. This is why I chose to draw the old lingerie store that Offred remembers on the left side of her. Offred’s memory of the before times gets worse and worse throughout the book. Most of her memories are vivid in the beginning, she even can selectively think about the before times in her free time. “But the night is my time out. Where should I go? Somewhere good. Moira, sitting on the edge of my bed, legs crossed, ankle on knee, in her purple overalls, one dangly earring, the gold fingernail she wore to be eccentric, a cigarette between her stubby yellow-ended fingers.” (37). However towards the end of the book she talks about being erased as time passes, “Time has not stood still. It has washed over me, washed me away, as if I’m nothing more than a woman of sand, left by a careless child too near the water. I have been obliterated for her. I am only a shadow now…” (228). I portrayed this memory loss and the passing of time by drawing the world around Offred falling apart and crumbling down, giving her less and less of a foundation to stand on and stay strong with.

Isolation and individuality play a big role in the portrayal of Offred. Her description of how she prays shows this, “I pray where I am, sitting by the window, looking out through the curtain at the empty garden. I don’t even close my eyes. Out there or inside my head, it’s an equal darkness. Or light.” (194) I represented this quote by drawing Offred in the middle of everything, the only thing colored in, praying. Her individuality shows throughout the book but especially when she prays, where she only sits with her thoughts. In my drawing, she is also a lot smaller than all of the other buildings to show how individual her character is in the book. Without the three themes I highlighted in my piece the world of Gilead would not have come to life like it did in The Handmaid’s Tale.