Blog Feed

The drawing above represents the scene when Chief Bromden (on the right) is assigned to clean the staff room during a meeting. In the middle of the image, Nurse Ratched looks frightened and nervous as the male higher-up doctors stare at her and she begins to speak about the consequences Mr.McMurphy should face for his horrible actions in the ward. She speaks with her head up high and all of the other doctors look around, confused and questionable, because of the decision that she decided to make. Overall, This scene struck me because it was the first moment we as the readers saw the Big Nurse face her authority with her skillful manipulation of the men who are higher than her. It represents the dynamics of power and control within the institution.
Chief Bromden describes the scene as tense as he enters the room. “But there’s a tenseness in the air I think it’s because of me at first. Then I notice that the Big Nurse hasn’t even sat down, hasn’t even bothered to get herself a cup of coffee.”(131). He then goes on to do his duties, sweeping the floor and scrubbing the walls cautious of the Big Nurse standing in the middle of the room. The doctors besides her comment on her tardy start to the meeting and after that and some more talking amongst the doctors, Nurse Ratched asserts her dominance and begins to speak about a consequence for Mr. McMurphy, only she’s enforcing this. There are no other options. The nurse states “We have weeks, or months, or even years if need be. Keep in mind that Mr. McMurphy is committed. The length of time he spends in this hospital is entirely up to us. Now, if there is nothing else…”(137). In this specific section, Nurse Ratched completely overshadows the other doctors’ thoughts and steers their opinions toward hers. This scene is particularly striking to the readers because it challenges the traditional gender roles we know today. Despite holding the highest positions, the men sit back and listen, and don’t have anything else to say once the nurse states what she wants. Nurse Ratched had psychological control over the men who were in the hospital working over her.
Leading up to this scene, Nurse Ratched’s influence is consistently demonstrated throughout the mental ward. Toward the beginning of the story Chief Bromden, our narrator describes the big nurse as the one who organizes and controls everything “She’s the head nurse and she runs the whole hospital,” he states. This is also expressed when he mentions her role in the “combine” and when she does manipulative things such as turn the clock back or forward, or when she gives the patients excessive amounts of medications. Her control over the staff and patients isn’t just reflecting her role as a head nurse, but it also is a reflection of her ability to manipulate a system.
My artistic choices portray the scene in numerous ways such as creating a scene with a lack of color to represent the lifeless mechanical nature of the hospital. It also reflects the suppression and sadness represented throughout the ward, and how the patients are stripped of their lives once they’ve entered the hospital. I also created a scene with multiple male characters surrounding the nurse to represent how she is the lead “rule-maker” in the ward, and to make it seem like all eyes are on her. I decided to draw Bromden small and tucked away in the corner to represent how the people in the meeting view him. He’s a “deaf crazy person” according to what the others in the room believe. However, including him in the drawing is significant because of his attention to detail and his narrator role in the story, despite being viewed as deaf.

Arel Lorenzo Hernandez

11/22/24

At the very beginning of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” we are placed within Chief Broom’s day to day. He describes seeing the black nurses through his chicken wire window that is small, but is also big enough to see on the outside. A couple of pages after the introduction of “Nurse Ratched”. She instructs the black nurses to

”get a good head start on the week by shaving poor Mr. Broom first this morning—and see if we can avoid some of the—ah—disturbance he tends to cause, don’t you think?” (Pg.6)

Chief Broom hears this while mopping the floor of the ward and ducks back into the mop closet, he closes the door and holds his breath. He talks about how shaving before breakfast is the worst thing that can happen since he hasn’t eaten anything. Broom tells the reader that he’s always selected to shave at 6:30 in the morning. He describes the process of being shaved as being ”In a room all white walls and white basins, and long tube lights in the ceiling making sure there aren’t any shadows and faces all round you trapped screaming behind the mirrors.” (Pg.6) As Broom lurks within the darkness of the mop closet, he describes his heart beating in the dark in fear of being found, Trying to combat the fear that is coursing through his body he resort to trying to

“Think back and remember things about the village and the big colorado river, think about ah one time Papa and I were hunting birds in a stand of cedar trees near The Dallas.” (Pg.6) The result of fear caused Broom to look back and reminisce in the moments in which he found himself happy and at peace. Fear is a motivator that can either be used to seek comfort or for self security. Fear is the feeling of not wanting to confront/face an object, person, or event that may cause you pain, sadness, or anger. Fear is often related to negative feelings that most people hate facing. Although Broom may find comfort in the memories of his father, his comfort doesn’t last for long

“But like always when I try to place my thoughts in the past and hide there, the fear close at hand seeps in through the memory. I can feel that least black boy out there coming up the hall, smelling out my fear—He’s smelling me now and he’s hunting around—The least black boy and one of the bigger ones catch me before I get ten steps out of the mop closet, and drag me into the shaving room.” (Pg.6-7)

When fear seeks through the mind, it is inevitable for it to take you out of your state of comfort and bring you back to reality. Broom experienced this through the black nurses looking for him as he was hiding within the mop closet. In the face of fear our bodies react in ways that we can’t control such as rapid heart beat, a much quicker train of thought towards finding a way to get out of the state of fear, impulsive decision, and lack of calmness.
One of the symptoms that I stated was “a much quicker train of thought towards finding a way to get out of the state of fear” but let’s just call it “Impulsive Problem Solver” When in fear our minds want to experience the quickest and the least amount of pain possible in order to get out of the state of fear. As a kid I would be in fear of going to my doctor’s appointment, because everytime I went I would get my flu shots. It is normal that as kids you fear the thought of a sharp needle going through your left or right shoulder, and when it was time for me to get my shot, I ran away from the doctors room. I ran, and ran, and ran, until I found a bathroom to hide in. The fear of getting my shot caused my body to panic, cry, and try to find a way to leave the hospital without getting caught. Now I’m not saying that my suffering was the same as Broom’s but the feeling of being in fear is mutual. Not wanting to face an event that will cause you pain is something that not many of us can do. The feeling of fear is shared with everyone around the world, it just depends on what you’re facing.

This essay reflects a moment on page 123, within Part 1 of the novel. Section pages 112-124.

The novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey, is narrated by a mentally ill patient, within a mental ward as the main setting. This secluded environment in which Kesey places the reader is heavily biased and warped by the main character, Chief Bromden’s skewed views and delusions of the world. He has various hallucinations and trauma from serving in the Army. He is consistently dosed with various drugs—which do not help his traumatic and odd hallucinations—all of these which further warp the reader’s knowledge and view of the novel since it is written through this seemingly delusional narrator.

Ken Kesey forces the reader to think about their relationship to their perception and delusion through this incredibly nuanced narration and setting of the novel. Most of Bromden’s hallucinations and narration have administered a consistent theme throughout the novel of connecting everything he perceives to “machinery.” (pg. 33) Within this theme of machinery, Bromden speculates that wires are controlling him and everything around him. He narrates the story as if he does not have a will of his own. With this notion at the center of attention now, I would like to take a look at a scene where this idea is presented in a way that changes the entire story thereafter: a scene where Bromden exposes himself as a patient who is not deaf. On page 123, Bromden has an inner dialogue about raising his hand in favor of a vote—the action that exposes him as an auditory person—and how it was not him who raised his hand. “McMurphy’s got hidden wires hooked to it, [his arm] lifting it slow,” following this, Bromden continues to think, “He’s doing it, wires….” illustrating how he does not have a will of his own. The reader, using rationality, knows this is not physically possible. More notably, after Bromden narrates a paragraph about his lack of control, and how he “can’t stop” his hand from moving, he prominently states to himself in triumph: “No, That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself.” (both quotes are seen on page 123) This moment is pivotal to the novel Kesey has written. Not only does it chart the course for rebellion within the storyline, but it also brings the reader to doubt everything that Bromden has described prior to this moment. The mere mention of his loss of control over his actions or inactions within the illusionary setting of the novel brings the reader to ponder their relationship with delusion and perception.

In particular, I found this moment in the story incredibly eye-opening. So much so, I will use it as a springboard to speak about the landscape of my own mind; and how my understanding of delusion, perception, and societal pressure evolved.

Reflecting on Bromdens hallucinations and struggle with control over himself, I could not help but be reminded of societal pressure which is even more accentuated today than ever before thanks to social media. Due to technological advancements, nearly everything that is intellectual or non-physical—like emotion—has been inflated with far more importance placed on it than in past times. Much like Bromden’s hallucinations with wires and machinery controlling him, I now reflect on how this once laughable delusion has become a reality. Ken Kesey just opened my eyes from the 1960s.

Sophia Washington made an astute observation about the controlling and bland environment of the Ward stating, “It’s like a brainwashing system,” in a recent Fishbowl discussion. Yet, although she was speaking about the constant playing of the same music in the Ward—which led to patients not realizing music was even playing after a while—I cannot help but find this statement more directly relates to our real world. Much like Bromden’s belief in “machinery” controlling his actions, societal norms can be interpreted as this constant buzzing of music mentioned in Sophia’s observation. Societal norms and expectations can create an invisible web that influences decisions and self-perception. For example, there have been times in my life when I felt compelled to conform to societal standards and expectations, even when they conflicted with my true self. When I was a kindergartener first learning to write, I found it much more comfortable to write with my left hand, unlike many other peers who were right-hand dominant. Due to increasing social pressure from my peers, I gave into the societal norms around me and never used my left hand again. My thoughts were filled with negative connotations about writing with my left hand. After reading this scene, I was led to recognize these external influences and assess how they affect my thoughts and actions moving forward.

This moment has encouraged and enriched me to be more mindful of the “wires” that reach out to pressure and control me and other people. Whether they stem from cultural norms, peer pressure, or media portrayals, Ken Kesey has instilled in me, much like many others, to strive to be more authentic. To not be controlled by “machines.”

Due to the School District of Philadelphia half day for Thanksgiving Recess, SLA will follow the below schedule on Wednesday, 11/27:

08:15-09:10 D2 Band

09:15-10:05 E2 Band

10:10-11:00 A1 Band

11:05-11:55 B1 Band

12:00-12:30 Lunch/Dismissal

Have a wonderful holiday, SLA!

De’Naiza Watson 11/22/2024 Pahomov College English

After Harding had stopped his rant, it became quiet. Eerily quiet. Almost as if a pin could drop and even the Big Nurse could hear it from wherever she was.

Then McMurphy spoke, softer than normal,

“ Are you guys bullshitting me?’, then it got louder.

“Are you guys bullshitting me!”, then it got quiet again.

Then he paced, up and down, back and forth, before he came and stopped near me. I felt his presence before I saw him. My back turned away from everyone else. My back was turned, but I was listening.

I was waiting for it, anticipating it.

I listened as he went on. Speaking, shouting, outraged.

“ You Billy – you must be committed for Christakes!”

“No”, I answered, still not facing the group.

“ You oughta be out running around in a convertible, bird doggin girls. Why do you stand for it?”

He quickly moved on from me. I was no longer interested in the machinery before me, with my back turnt, I listened.

“You could get along outside if you had the guts”, Murphy said aloud again, throughout his entire rant that is the moment that struck me, that’s what stood out.

Guts, if I had the guts. In that moment I can’t recall if I had felt angry, or if I had afterall been sad. Before I even realized, I turned around.

“ Sure!”, I yell the first time. The words came out louder than I had anticipated.

“ Sure” I shout a second.

That’s it, I remember now, I remember how I’d felt. I was angry. Not just at McMurphy, but at myself. If I had the guts. I wouldn’t be here. If I had the guts, who knows what I’d be doing right now.

“If we had the g-guts! I could go outside t-today, if I had the guts. My m-m-mother is a good friend of M-Miss Ratched, and I could get an AMA signed this afternoon, if I had the guts!”

Then I remember I got really angry. I got up and grabbed my shirt, I wanted to leave right now. I could show McMurphy I had guts. But then, I turned around again.

“You think I wuh-wuh-wuh-want to stay in here? You think I wouldn’t like a con-con-vertible and a guh-guh-girl friend? But did you ever have people l-l-laughing at you? No, because you’re so b-big and so tough! Well, I’m not big and tough. Neither is Harding. Neither is F-Fredrickson. Neither is Suh-Sefelt. Oh - oh, you - you t-talk like we stayed in here because we liked it! Oh - it’s n-no use …”

I wanted to keep going, I wanted to keep talking, but then my anger turned to sadness. I went, turned to run, then I don’t really remember much of what happened after that.

It’s silly to me, because on paper I’m normal. As I sit and write to you. You’d have no idea what was wrong with me.I aint deaf like Broom, I dont got any weird thoughts in my head.I envy McMurphy, not for the reason everyone else thinks. He’s got a confidence about him that separates him from us. Maybe if I had the guts, nobody would know what’s wrong with me.

If I had the guts.

Reflection: The stylistic choice I chose to make during my writing was to have Billy Bibbit narrate a scene where he got emotional. I chose to focus on Billy intellectually instead of Billy socially. There’s nothing serious that separates Billy from a normal person besides his stutter, and his childlike appearance. He’s consciously thinking, and he’s consciously making choices and decisions like an adult would. He’s not behind. In those scenes, having it narrated from Bromden’s perspective doesn’t help show a lot of the big emotions that can come with the scenario. Especially in Billys case. Billy has a severe stutter, and as someone with a stutter, it’s something I could relate to on a personal level. People working through stutters or having them doesn’t make them lesser in the brain department and that’s a point I wanted to get across by Billy breaking down scenarios in order to better understand between character and reader.

My drawing represents the scene where nurse Rachet asked the other patients if Mcmurphy should be sent to another ward.

I made my scene the way it was because it was the best I could visualize when it comes to a nurse asking her patients the question she asked.

Not only that but I visualized it by using strong line work but also drawing the people in what way I could due to the fact that I.m not really good at drawing people yet I drew them well dispute this.

What is portrayed in my scene is a middle aged, angry nurse who is trying to get the patients to send Mcmurphy to a ward where he will be isolated and drugged on a larger rate therefore causing him to be in a position where he could no longer do any of his gambling schemes or try to gain control of the ward.

What caused me to make my choice was that I wanted to show the aggressive relationship between The nurse and Mcmurphy but also how he tries to manipulate her machinations as if he were playing her like a violin only for her to revert to her usual way.

“… remember that vote we had a day or so back—about the TV time? Well, today’s Friday and I thought I might just bring it up again, just to see if anybody else has picked up a little guts.” “Mr. McMurphy, the purpose of this meeting is therapy, group therapy, and I’m not certain these petty grievances—” “Yeah, yeah, the hell with that, we’ve heard it before. Me and some of the rest of the guys decided—” “One moment, Mr. McMurphy, let me pose a question to the group: do any of you feel that Mr. McMurphy is perhaps imposing his personal desires on some of you too much? I’ve been thinking you might be happier if he were moved to a different ward.”

After seeing this I Believed that Miss Rachet could no longer tolerate Mcmurphy due to him becoming more obnoxious and disruptive but also because he had come to be a possible protagonist that could cause an uprising of the patients and than somehow overrun her and the other doctors.

Not only that but Mcmurphy could than use this said chaos to take over the ward therefore allowing the “Inmates to run the asylum which is why Nurse Rachet so that situation does not happen in anyway possible.

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 - Pink Floyd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrxX9TBj2zY

The Handmaids are just normal women, or at least they were. When a handmaid is being “trained” they find themselves at the Red Center. There, they are taught the ways in which they are supposed to think, the ways they are supposed to see each other, themselves, and the things they have experienced. The control that is imposed upon them brought me to the song Another Brick in the Wall, Pt 2 by Pink Floyd. The lyrics in this song vividly reminded me of a specific scene that takes us back to the Red Center in the early days of Offred’s story. The specific lyrics that relate to this instance are “We don’t need no education, We don’t need no thought control”. In chapter 13 Offred and other soon-to-be Handmaids are Testifying, speaking about horrible things that happened to them in the past, the example given is of Janine who shares that she was gang-raped at fourteen and had to have an abortion. In response to Janine’s statement Aunt Helena prompts the group by saying “But whose fault was it?” and the women respond with “Her fault, her fault, her fault” This degrading chant doesn’t end there, it continues when Aunt Helena asks another question “Who led them on?” already expecting an answer, the women say “She did. She did. She did” If that wasn’t enough Aunt Helen tears Janien down ever more by asking, “Why did God allow such a terrible thing to happen?” and the women respond “Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson.” All of this is meant to make the women think of their situations as their own faults as if they are to blame for the things that have been done to them. It’s all a way to get a hold of their minds, to “control their thoughts” just as the Pink Floyd song repeats through its lyrics, constantly reminding the listener “We don’t need no thought control”. They are taught they are part of a system, part of the machine that is the government of Gilead, they are broken down via a warped, not just education, but re-education to make them think they are simply “just another brick in the wall”.

Linger - The Cranberries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Kspj3OO0s

In Gilead love is basically outlawed, it is a thing that only gets in the way of the system, as can be seen on page 220 when Atwood writes “Love, said Aunt Lydia with distaste. Don’t let me catch you at it”. Due to this fact, Offred’s only access to it is in her memories and “lingering” feelings. Offred is constantly reflecting on her relationship with Luke and the love she was once able to express freely in the before times. Linger by the Cranberries is about those feelings that are just hanging on and the massive effects they have on someone’s ability to function. In chapter 35 Offred reflects on the intricacies of love before Gilead, she reminds herself of the good and the bad. Linger is a melancholy song, a song of longing, a song where emotions that are slipping away but not gone yet are “tearing” the subject apart as the song describes. It’s about how these recurring feelings such as Offred’s constant reminder and reflections of love and loved ones. We see it tearing her apart, a line in the song, when she thinks of Luke and realizes that she’s slowly losing that wisp of a feeling when Offred says “And he was, the loved. One. I say. Is, is, only two letters, you stupid shit, can’t you manage to remember it, even a short word like that?”. You can see how much these vivid but distant memories are affecting her when Offred says “I wipe my sleeve across my face.” She is emotionally wounded by these feelings, and Linger reflects those emotions of not wanting memories to “fade” as Dolores O’Riordan the lead singer of the Cranberries emphasizes throughout the piece.

It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World - James Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvlioQ2Ot2c

James Brown’s It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World sounds on the surface to just be about the ways men rule the world. The ways men control everything, and everyone. Under the surface and within the lyrics through the song contains a theme that is subtly similarly present in The Handmaid’s Tale. In the song, James Brown sings “This is a man’s, man’s, man’s world. But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl” In The Handmaid’s Tale it is the men who hold the majority of the power, or at least they hold positions of theoretical power. Nonetheless, they hold the highest rank and therefore can get away with more and have different duties than others below them. The commanders perform the ceremonies, they oversee the house. Angels are allowed to hold guns. The men have the power in this society that is undeniable. At the same time none of the men of this society can have absolute power without the women of Gilead. Women play a crucial role in the world of Gilead even though it is structured by men. We see this theme when the commander requests to start seeing Offred alone in his quarters, they play scrabble and he requests a kiss, and says “Not like that,” he says. “As if you meant it.” like he has been missing any sort of real attention, any sort of true connections. We see how even in a society where the commanders who are men rule and have power and control they are unfulfilled and lonely, they lack companionship and real emotion even in a world where they run supreme it would be pointless without women, as James Brown says. None of it matters, “it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl”.

Something in the way - Nirvana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VxdufqB9zg

Offred’s dreams and memories constantly hunt her, they are relentless. Although they are hard to remember and hard to consider they keep her grounded they keep her from feeding into the manipulation of Gilead. It’s a wedge between her mind and their mold. It’s what the song Something In The Way by Nirvana reminds me of. The song is dreary and repetitive just like Offred’s circumstances, the same boring things every day, and the only thing that stands “in the way” are her memories, the things that make her an individual, the individual Gilead is trying to strip away. Offred is in her room when she reflects on some traumatic events that led to the place she is now and she realizes “I don’t want to be telling this story. I don’t have to tell it. I don’t have to tell anything, to myself or to anyone else. I could just sit here, peacefully. I could withdraw.” but in saying this, in not wanting to tell her stories, the something that Nirvana repeats slips away and she thinks “Why fight?”. This song both in its lyrics and musical elements reflects Offred’s mindset in relation to her memories and the painful benefits they have in keeping her an individual.

Stronger Than Me - Amy Winehouse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N6IjW-2fb4

The handmaids are expected to be simply a vessel for childbirth. They are expected. The aunts are expected to be forceful and constantly forcing Gilead propaganda down your throat. The guardians are meant to be courteous and respectful. The commanders are expected to do their “job”. Everyone in The Handmaid’s Tale is supposed to be something. Stronger than Me by Amy Winehouse is about the expectations in gender roles, Winehouse throughout the song says things like “All I need is for my man to live up to his role” and “You should be stronger than me”. Harping on the expectations she has for the role of a man. I feel like this heavily relates to the ways Gilead expects the people enslaved by its ideology to act and to be. Gildeasd expects the women to be childbirths, to only exist to have commander babies as is shown in the line from one of Offred’s thoughts “We are containers, it’s only the insides of our bodies that are important.” Sometimes expectations base all a person is, in the song Winehouse only talks about the expectations hse has and how the man isn’t living up to them, it’s the same in Gilead, the women are their expectations and if they live up to them or not.

In chapter 41 in The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred begins the chapter by talking about how she wishes her story was different and more “civilized.” “I wish it showed me in a better light, if not happier, then at least more active, less hesitant, less distracted by trivia,” she goes on to say on page (267). Offred clearly states how she is unhappy with the way her story sounds and wishes it could be better when she tells it but like she says on page (267) “I’m sorry there is so much pain in this story… but there is nothing I can do to change it.” She’s aware she can’t change the horrors of her story but she continues to apologize and tell the readers she wishes it was better. My drawing represents chapter 41 but specifically page (268) where Offred begins to refer to the reader as “you.” She says “because after all I want you to hear it, as I will hear yours too if I ever get the chance, if I meet you or you escape, in the future or in heaven or in prison or underground…” Throughout the book she’s been speaking and telling her story but she has never directly spoken to the reader as “you” which makes me question who exactly she’s telling this story to. I would’ve originally continued to think she was talking to the ready but when she says about seeing “you” again it makes me think she is talking to Aunt Lydia or someone from her past. But then she also says “ I am coming to a part that you will not like at all, because in it I did not behave well, but I will try nonetheless to leave nothing out,” which makes me think she is talking to Luke because she continued on telling the story about her and Nick. Luke and Offred used to be together so the only logical explanation as to why “you” wouldn’t like what she has to say is if she was talking to Luke. During our class discussion, my classmates brought up the point that maybe she’s speaking to multiple people. Maybe she isn’t just speaking to the reader or to Luke, or even Aunt Lydia. That could be the case but I believe that she is talking to one person. I believe that if she really is only talking to one person then she is talking to Luke. Offred always speaks about Luke and how he would feel about certain things and how she misses him. She speaks about how she doesn’t know if he is alive or dead so on page (268) when she says “ By telling you anything at all I’m at least believing in you, I believe you’re there, I believe you into being. Because I tell you this story I will your existence,” which means that writing this could be her way of coping with the fact that she doesn’t know if he’s dead or alive. By saying “ by telling this story I’m willing you into existence,” could be her way of creating a sense of hope that he’s still alive. My art shows Offred in the middle surrounded by three main people: the readers, Luke, and Aunt Lydia. This is there to show that she is speaking to other people other than the reader. I chose to do only Offred in color to show how she is the main focus.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, I’ve come to realize the Commander is a very unique and complex character. When reading scenes involving the Commander, it’s hard to tell whether he’s a sympathetic character or the main antagonist. It’s easy for me to sympathize with him but it’s also easy for me to see him as the bad guy. Offred often feels sympathy for the Commander but, like me, she also understands that he is the main reason for his unhappiness because he built the system. Throughout chapter 36-38, the Commander takes Offred to Jezabel’s. Jezabel’s is described as a “brothel” or a “sex club” in which women are taken to by powerful men or even sent there if they are acting rebellious instead of being sent to the colonies. I want to really talk about chapter 37. Offred goes through similar emotions as me when trying to understand whether Jezabel’s could be a better choice for women instead of going to the colonies or if it’s just another way men take over women and objectify them. It’s so hard for me to read about the women walking around like objects and having to be okay with it. On page 235, she says “Some of them have on outfits like mine, feathers and glister, cut high up the thighs, low over the breasts. Some are in olden-days lingerie, shortie nightgowns, baby-doll pajamas, the occasional see through negligee. Some are in bathing suits, one piece or bikini; one, I see, is wearing a crocheted affair, with big scallop shells covering the tits.” The way these women are being objectified and used is infuriating to me. It makes me mad at the Commander. I was excited for offred to be taken out by the commander and made me have hope that the commander is a good guy and wanted to do something nice for offred but the fact that he took her here makes me think it was for himself just as much, or even more, then it was for Offred. I feel as though he’s taken advantage of Offred because he knew she hasn’t been out and dressed up in such a long time, so he knew she would go and he also knows that she can’t refuse to go because he has the power. “Well, what do you think of our little club,” he says on page 236. “His voice sounds pleased, delighted even,” says offred on 235. He says this expecting her to say she likes it and that it’s nice. He says it in such a proud tone that makes me think he is not only showing her off but he wants her to see the power he has and that he can break rules without being caught. Overall, it’s clear that I struggle with the idea that the Commander is a sympathetic character but I also struggle with the idea that he’s only the main antagonist. I’ve come to the conclusion that the world is not only black and white so why should it be in Gilead. I know some people in my life that are good people who do bad things so I also know that the commander can be one of those people.

SAYGRACE - You Don’t Own Me ft. G-Eazy (Official Video)

The Commander in The Handmaids acts like he owns Offred. There are times when Offred feels sorry for him and views him as a victim of Gilead, just as she is. Throughout the novel, however, it becomes clear through their interactions that the Commander is using his power over Offred for his own gain. He doesn’t see her as an equal but as an instrument for his own pleasure. The text states “Maybe none of this is about control.Maybe it isn’t really about who can own whom, who can do what to whom and get away with it, even as far as death.(135).He knows that this is wrong but continues to do so in order to show that he is in control of that relationship and can end it when ever he wants.

Michael Jackson - Human Nature (Audio)

In The Handmaid’s Tale, the author constantly uses human nature to analyze internal conflict in Offred. She tries to decide if she should give into the new ways of Gilead or if she should try to rebel against the regime. She doesn’t know what happened to her husband Luke and she is trying to contain some type of real-life mentality. Offred feels so bad because she doesn’t know what happened to her husband Luke. This song basically talks about how if you tend to do wrong things it’s not that big of a deal because everyone will end up doing something wrong in their life.

I’m Gonna Miss You - Milli Vanilli

This song represents the relationship between Offred and Moria, she is Offred oldest and best friend, she is often seen in many of Offred’s memories, in Gilead the two meet at the Red Centre and then again at Jezebel’s. Moira is an unconventional character, she is outspoken and rebellious. Throughout the text, their friendship represents true female friendship and Offred does not have many friends that she can trust. The song has one lyric that is repeated throughout the song, “and I never will forget the day we met, girl i’m gonna miss you”, this is how Offred felt when Moria escaped. The tone of the song is very slow-paced and has a sad track this can represent the feeling of how a person might feel when losing someone that is really important or close to them.

Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine (Official Video)

This song is about two women fighting over one guy, this can be related back to Offred and The Commander’s relationship, he is married to Serena Joy but has this secret relationship that no one knows about with Offred. The women in the song go back and forth about who’s actually in the relationship with the guy, they both think that they have more grip on the guy and the song ends with both of them saying “The boy is mine”.This represents how the relationship between both The Commander and Offred and The Commander and Serena Joy are not strong relationships and he can keep going back to either one with no punishment.

Mint Condition - Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) (Official Music Video)

This song is ultimately representing The Commander and Serena Joy’s relationship,he continues to cheat on her with Offred and it doesn’t really seem to have an effect on him. He is careless with Offred making her risk her life multiple times for his own pleasure and personal gain. He has more power over Offred making her do things that she does not want to do. He is not loyal to his wife and he is breaking her heart,becuase in a marriage you are supported to have trust and The Commander isn’t really a trustworthy person.

In chapter 23, we read about a significant moment in The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred’s ability to experience and do something forbidden to the women in Gilead. Which is reading and writing. That is exactly what we see her do throughout this chapter, which stuck out to me. On page 138 we got to see the Commander ask Offred to play Scrabble. However, in the reading, it is described as, “It’s something different. Now it’s forbidden, for us. Now it’s dangerous. Now it’s indecent. Now it’s something he can’t do with his Wife. Now it’s desirable. Now he’s compromised himself. It’s as if he’s offered me drugs.” The comparison to being offered drugs is one that you can’t make often. The way Offred is describing this, you would think they would avoid playing it at all costs. That does not seem to be the case here though for Offred and the Commander. After reading this I felt confused as to why he would risk himself and Offred for a boring game of Scrabble. Such a small and silly thing could ruin Offred’s life, even though she wasn’t the one to make the choice. “All right,” I say, as if indifferent. I can in fact hardly speak.” Offred’s reaction makes me think she was also in disbelief that he would ask her that, by stating her inability to speak. I thought this part was intriguing because we assume Offred cannot say no, because of the repercussions. But I was confused as to why she did not fight to turn his forbidden offer down because it is something that if it were to be discovered the outcome would be plenty dangerous and bad. I wondered if she was suspicious of him if she doubted her trust in coming to see him. But I also think about how she could be terrified to say something, and like usual, she just gives in to what is asked. As for the Commander, I also questioned his motive, and I was interested to know his intentions. I thought that maybe he could be using this as bait, to see if she’ll fall into this trap. Of doing something she’s not allowed to do and is forbidden. What would he do with her if that was the case? If this was all just a set-up? I felt scared for Offred, for what could come. With something like this, all sorts could go wrong. However, I believe there has to be a reason why he would want to play Scrabble. Another reason why this intrigued me was because I thought he could be doing this as a way of wanting to help Offred out. The handmaids are not allowed to do much, so I think this could be his way of giving her some sort of entertainment, an “out.” Maybe he happens to be one who still has a bit of sympathy and can feel for Offred. Maybe he wants her to feel like she has some sort of potential to do more, to do the things that are forbidden. Freedom. But why? What could be his reasoning? I was still confused because, despite all of this, I thought, what if someone caught them? What if someone were to catch them in the act, playing this? Things would not play out well for either of them, and it would only make matters worse.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred often experiences bouts of nostalgia, where she will go deep into her own mind. She thinks about the good and the bad times—though I think she recounts more good than bad—from the before times. She recounts stories from childhood with her mother, from a secret relationship with Luke, from a public relationship with Luke, and from being a mother. Margaret Atwood, the author of the Handmaid’s Tale, will often start these stories abruptly. Atwood will write about Offred and her companion, Ofglen walking to the market, and then Offred will recount a memory, somewhat randomly. Atwood writes, “Ofglen and I walk slowly today; we are hot in our long dresses, wet under the arms, tired… There used to be an ice cream store, somewhere in this block. I can’t remember the name… We would go there, when [my daughter] was little, and I’d hold her up so she could see through the glass side of the counter, where the vats of ice cream were on display, colored so delicately, pale orange, pale green, pale pink, and I’d read the names to her so she could choose. She wouldn’t choose by the name, though, but by the color. Her dresses and overalls were those colors too. Ice cream pastels” (164-165). This story, about an ice cream shop that no longer exists, and a daughter that, to Offred, no longer exists, comes to her after seeing a reminder of a previous time. This is interesting to me because instead of seeing something and moving on, she stays with the memory for as long as she can. Offred’s train of thought is powerful because she will give into it more than other people might. I also have this experience, because a lot of times I will distract myself with the first thing that comes to mind. When I was younger, this manifested itself in playing pretend games in my head, and now it manifests itself as getting distracted easily while doing work, and having a hard time getting back on task. I think I do this because my brain naturally turns away from the things it finds unfulfilling. For example, when I am doing math homework or chores, I’m not thinking about math or the trash, I’m thinking about summer camp or the last dentist appointment I had. These distractions reward my efforts. For all the grinding I’m doing with calculus or emptying the dishwasher, I at least can remember swimming with my friends and how clean my teeth felt. For Offred, I think this is similar. Gilead is such a cruel world, and Offred does not enjoy it. She distracts herself with memories of her past, which she enjoyed significantly more, even though she might not always recognize it. Atwood writes, “There seemed no end to [Luke]. We would lie in those afternoon beds, afterwards, hands on each other, talking it over. Possible, impossible. What could be done? We thought we had such problems. How were we to know we were happy?” (51). Offred recognizes that she was happier in a past life, where she wasn’t forced to give birth to babies that weren’t hers and perform rituals she probably would’ve called crazy as a teenager. Even though she knows that she can’t get back to her happier past life by thinking about it, she still does. Even though I know that I can’t stop doing my homework because I’m daydreaming about the summer time, I still do. We do these things as a form of escapism. We don’t like the current situation we’re in—although mine is quite a bit less dire than hers is—so we make up a new one from our heads that we’ve experienced before. Offred’s thoughts often end up straying to four characters: Her daughter, her mother, Luke, and Moira. These characters keep coming up both logistically (where has Luke ended up?) and emotionally (I hope my daughter is alive). These characters in her life are Offred’s chosen form of escapism because she loves and cares about them. It’s a lot easier for her mind to first wander to topics she thinks might cheer her up, when in the end, they might do more harm than good. This is because she spirals when she thinks about them, like when she imagined Luke dead or locked away somewhere. I also tend to spiral, and mine also tends to be about the stress of living and the wellbeing of loved ones. Offred and I both ‘escape’ to places in our minds, but it doesn’t necessarily make us feel better.

Artist’s Statement:

My artwork, titled Under His Eye, depicts Commander Fred casting a large shadow on the wall behind him. The shadow, however, is not the same silhouette that the commander would normally project. The looming shadow on the wall has large angel-like wings, with a large piercing eye in the center, resembling the symbol of Gilead, the symbol of the soul scrolls, and the Eyes.

Throughout the story, the commander has become more and more humanized as the reader learns more and more about him. However, this humanization comes with the realization that the Commander played an integral role in bringing about the Republic of Gilead. It can be easy to forget how dangerous he is, how influential he is, and how much he is to blame for the current state of the world. Him casting Gilead’s shadow represents his involvement and role in upholding the oppressive regime. The wings on the commander could also make him look like an angel. This plays into the way Gilead views itself. Like many governments and people in power, Gilead is very religious and believes it is carrying out God’s will. The commanders are the saviors, the angels, to guide the people to a better way of life.

The eye is also there to represent the unknown danger of the Eyes. The reader knows the commander has to keep his law breaking a secret, but they still do not know who he is hiding it from. He is afraid of being caught by someone, but so far the only authority that the reader has been introduced to that could possibly be above such a high ranking commander is the mysterious Eyes. A higher ranking class than the commanders would change the way the reader views the current government, as well

The color of the eye in the middle of the shadow is brown. One of the most oppressive parts of the Republic of Gilead is the way it forces the individuality out of someone, and forces you to become nothing more than the role you are assigned. The handmaidens are not supposed to talk to anyone, look at anyone, dress how they want, and more. It is only fitting that the eye symbolizing this government would be the least unique possible.

The piece is titled Under His Eye for multiple reasons, and offers multiple interpretations. One of which is that the “He” refers to God. This is perhaps the more obvious one, as Gilead is a Christian government, but it carries an important message of fear and control. The other interpretation is that “He” refers to the commander. This is more applicable to the story, as Offred constantly has to tiptoe around Commander Fred and be careful that she isn’t being watched. The “He” could also be an Eye, as we have only ever heard Offred speculate on men being Eyes, never women. Throughout all three examples, the title represents the natural fear of authority and control that Gilead instills in all of the people being oppressed by it.

For my second Lit Log on The Handmaid’s Tale, I decided to write about a section of the story that resonates with me. The section in question takes place during the beginning of Chapter 25.

Offred wakes up, halfway in her cupboard instead of in bed. Cora was in the room, dropping the breakfast tray because of the sight before her. She thought Offred had run off, or even died.

After both of the women recollected themselves, Cora started to clean up the spilled food. They knew that too many questions would surround them if anybody knew about this incident. “I saw that it would be better if we could both pretend I’d eaten my breakfast after all [p.152],” Offred thought to herself.

Cora tells Offred that she’ll say the tray was dropped on the way out. That she’ll lie for her. “It pleased me that she was willing to lie for me, even in such a small thing, even for her own advantage. It was a link between us [p.152].”

This section stood out to me, as I’ve experienced links like this before. Links that are specific from person-to-person. Links that aren’t exactly in spite of someone or something else, but in support of dealing with them. They are often out of dishonesty, like this incident with Cora and Offred. But in return, a link between yourself and another will always make you closer.

My strongest example would be with my brother and our dad. My dad often checks my room during the evening to make sure that I’m doing my homework. Doesn’t matter which type of homework I’m doing, just that I’m doing it. One day though, I suppose he was just lazy because he decided to yell across the hallway instead of walking over.

“Is Xavier doing his work?” he shouted.

At that time, my brother and I were chatting and laughing about something random, being unproductive. I was at my desk with my computer shut, and he was sitting on my bed. I knew that I should have started my work by now. In fact, it was after 5:30 and my alarm for it had already gone off. What my brother did next surprised me, though.

“Yeah, he is.” my brother said to my dad. “He is doing his work.”

This moment is the connection I made to The Handmaid’s Tale. My brother pretty much lied for me, even though it wouldn’t have cost much for him to tell my dad the truth. “Even in such a small thing.”

It does get more complicated than that, however. While I didn’t start my homework, my brother was also the one conversing with me in the first place. It’s similar to how Cora would’ve never dropped her tray if Offred had just gone to sleep as normal. They were both factors in this situation. They were in this together. There was a link.

Between the story and my own experience, the actual stakes have both similarities and differences. Offered mentioned that “Rita would get surly if she had to cook a second breakfast [p.152],” and the same would go for my dad if he had to tell me himself to do my work. But then I would have to ask, why would they get “surly?”

With my dad, it’s about discipline and integrity. Being able to have responsibility on my own, for when I eventually leave this house and live my own life. Or at least prove to him that I have responsibility, rather. With Rita, however, it could be more due to the world they are living in. Gilead is such a stricter and ordered place than the one we live in now. It’s more run by fear than integrity. I would argue integrity barely matters at all, actually, with the clubs and Mayday resistance existing. But with so many live-or-death decisions surrounding these characters, little mishaps like ruining a breakfast simply can’t afford to happen as much as they do in real life. They have to be hidden.

Knowing the consequences of the truth, significant or insignificant, is what I believe creates the strongest link between people. The link is especially evident when they do not have to tell each other about the consequences directly. Sometimes–even if the means of achieving them are dishonest–there are just better outcomes. Both of the people involved, those people that have a link, will know that.

“Well, get to it.” my brother said, walking out of my room.

A Handmaid’s Playlist

The Wall - STOP TRYING TO BE GOD by Travis Scott In the first few chapters of The Handmaid’s Tale Offred and Ofglen come upon The Wall. A large wall of stone, with bodies hung from hooks sprawled across it. The wall represents power and the extreme control that the Republic of Gilead has over individuals, especially the handmaids. In “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD,” Scott reflects on the dangers of trying to play an omnipotent role, the illusion of control, and the consequences of overreaching one’s power. This closely corresponds with themes in The Handmaid’s Tale because the Republic attempts to play “God” by controlling the bodies of the handmaids and every aspect of their lives. Scott says, “It’s never love, no matter what you try,” which connects to parts of the novel where the higher-ups try and play off the strict commandments of the government as love and good for them. They would use the media or pornographic magazines to dismay the handmaids, trying to convince them that the old world was worse and that they were better off now. Offred talks about a specific moment when she was looking for her daughter and they tell her that “She’s in good hands,” and “With people who are fit,” (39). The Republic of Gilead continues to play “God” and Scott advises against that in his song because “they might never see it coming back.”

The Birth - Drew Barrymore by SZA In The Handmaid’s Tale, the handmaids are used as vessels to carry the children of their Commander. The time it takes for one of them to become impregnated varies but eventually, one handmaid will become pregnant and the day of the birth will come due. They treat the births of the handmaids very ritualistically, chanting and mimicking the breathing of the handmaid as she attempts to bring the child into the world. The handmaids are forced to give birth under oppressive conditions, where their bodies are controlled, and the act of childbirth is stripped of its personal meaning. The handmaids aren’t even allowed to name their child and that power falls to the wife of the commanders. In “Drew Barrymore,” SZA expresses feelings of insecurity, worthlessness, and not being in control of her own worth or value, themes that reflect the emotional isolation and objectification that the handmaids experience. Lines like, “Is it warm enough for you inside me?” or “I get so lonely, I forget what I’m worth,” mirror the emotional impact of what being a handmaid is like. While “Drew Barrymore” is a more personal experience, its exploration of self-worth and vulnerability parallel the emotional trauma and loss of identity that the handmaids endure.

Alone With The Commander - No Role Modelz by J. Cole Between chapters 22-25, Offred begins meeting the Commander after dark. Their interactions are all very strange and new for Offred because she knows he is breaking some of the laws he put into place to spend time with her. Most surprising of all for her is that during his time alone with her out of everything he could ask, he asked to play Scrabble. Their relationship through the next few meetings changes slowly and the Commander becomes more intimate as Offred begins to become more worried about someone noticing or the Commander suddenly changing his mind about their scheduled time together. The song “No Role Modelz,” by J. Cole closely relates to the themes of power dynamics, manipulation, and exploitation of Offred during her time with the Commander. In the song, Cole reflects on the stupidity of relationships, manipulation, and the emptiness of power-driven interactions. The relationship between Offred and the Commander is full of manipulation and how the Commander uses his position of power to draw Offred into a personal-like relationship outside her regular duties, blurring the lines between consent and coercion. Some lines from the song like “Don’t save her, she don’t wanna be saved,” touch on the false sense of “saving” that the Commander thinks he’s providing to Offred by treating her special, like playing Scrabble, giving her small gifts, or taking her out even though she is still trapped in oppression. Another strong line from the song is, “Fool me one-time shame on you, fool me twice, can’t put the blame on you,” reflects Offred’s growing awareness of the Commander’s manipulation, as she becomes more disillusioned with the Commander and the false sense of security he tries to offer.

Offred & Nick - L$D by A$AP Rocky Offred and Nick’s relationship is ever-growing throughout the book. It went from simple interactions to small contact, to a deeper connection between the two. Most of the rest came due to Serena Joy suggesting Nick as a replacement for the commander as she knows that he has a better chance of impregnating her than the commander. “L$D” by A$AP Rocky (which stands for Love, Sex, and Dreams) explores themes of passionate but complicated love, confusion, and emotional intensity—feelings that mirror Offred’s ever-growing feelings for Nick. Their relationship in the earlier chapters is secretive and contributes to the idea of forbidden desires, which fits the emotional ambiguity captured in “L$D.” Rocky blends emotional and physical desire in his song and their relationship begins with a sense of physical need but develops into a more emotional bond. Her interactions with Nick offer her an escape from Gilead’s oppressive reality, giving her a brief feeling of control. In the song, there’s a sense of escaping into love and desire, as Rocky compares his relationship to a drug-induced haze. His use of the lines, “I introduce her to this hippy life, we make love under pretty lights,” and “Make no mistakes, it’s all, a leap of faith for love, it takes place in, feelin’ that you crave doin’ love, sex, dreams,” capture the dreamy, intense, and slightly surreal mix with the danger, desire, and emotional uncertainty that defines Offred and Nick’s relationship in the earlier parts of The Handmaid’s Tale.

   The Handmaid's Tale - United in Grief by Kendrick Lamar

Throughout the entire novel, the handmaids deal with oppressive societal factors that change how they live their lives. Each handmaid has gone through some form of nonconsensual matters and dealt with difficult moments that caused them to become who they are. “United in Grief,” by Kendrick Lamar is the start of his album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” and serves as an intro to Lamar’s therapy journey, detailing his faults and insecurities. The song starts with a voice saying to “tell them the truth,” and “tell them your truth,” which relates to how the handmaids want to hear the voices of each other and want to be able to tell their own truth but can’t because of Gilead. Lamar says, “I’ve been goin’ through somethin’ one thousand, eight hundred and 55 days, I’ve been going’ through something,” which connects to how each of the handmaids is going through some form of oppression for a long time and still can’t speak out against it. Every handmaid feels stuck in the societal norms of Gilead, united in grief.

STOP TRYING TO BE GOD - https://youtu.be/AcXp7m1g5yE?si=Gr1Bl31P1vuoss5l

Drew Barrymore - https://youtu.be/gANgH6gmWh4?si=QCy3c0rDJY7-_rMU

No Role Modelz - https://youtu.be/0EnRK5YvBwU?si=Zyb8pWJuF9YNEbqB

L$D - https://youtu.be/GEgkA3sXk7c?si=3QpsTPKMpj4k0xqd

United in Grief - https://youtu.be/tvNSXS4x9nc?si=fB_2ZjjCHLJhzbi9