As I was reading “The Handmaid’s tale”there was so much going on that stood out to me. The book makes me think about how society can treat women and the relationship between women and men. One quote that caught my attention was “ We are the container, your task is to fill us.” It made me think about how women are often expected to fit into certain roles or meet certain expectations.

For example, women are often expected to manage the household, raise children, cook, clean, and care for family members. They’re often seen as primary caregivers, and their own needs and desires are secondary. This can mean that women have had to sacrifice their goals, dreams to take care of their family.

This expectation can be overwhelming and limiting. Women are often judged on their ability to multitask, manage the household, and care for their families, but they’re not always given the same opportunities as men to pursue their own goals and ambitions.

In “The Handmaid’s Tale” I see that in Gilead these expectations are taken to an extreme. Women are forced into reproductive servitude, and their bodies are controlled. They’re forced to wear uniforms, they are restricted to certain areas, and are punished if they don’t obey. These women in Gilead are treated like objects, not people. The quote “ The body is so easily damaged so easily disposed of” shows how little Gilead puts on women’s lives. Women Gilead are treated less than human, with no agency or autonomy over their women.

They’re not allowed to make their own choice or decision. They are oppressed and forced to conform to the rules of the patriarchal society that values their reproductive capabilities above all else. And also I’ve noticed that men often have certain expectations about women based on how they dress. If she wears something revealing, some men might think she’s looking for attention or that she’s “easy.” But if a woman dresses more conservatively, they might think she’s “uptight” or “prude.” It’s like, no matter what we wear, we’re going to be judged.

I’ve had friends tell me about experiences where they’ve been catcalled or harassed on the street, and it’s always because of what they’re wearing. It’s like, we are not allowed to make our own choices about our bodies. We are expected to conform to certain standards, and if we don’t, we are somehow asking for it. It’s victim- blaming, plain and simple.

The idea that “ A thing is valued only if it’s rare and hard to get” also resonated with me. In Gilead women are valued only for their ability to have children This is similar to how our current society often values women based on their physical appearance or how sexy a woman is. Women are often seen as objects, and their worth is determined by how they look or can do.

Also there’s been an epidemic of men killing their wives or girlfriends over suspicions of infidelity or because of the way they dressed. They don’t think women should dress that “Provokative” because that means they are doing it to “provoke” someone else. In some countries, laws and social norms perpetuate this kind of violence, making it difficult for women to seek for help or escape this abusive situation

Although women have more rights then what they had a few decades ago, their still limitation for women to do certain stuff. For example, in Afghanistan women are required to wear burqas, which covers their entire body, and these women are also often confined in their homes. They also face barriers in accessing a good education and employment. Without access to education and employment , women in Afghanistan are denied to opportunities, which makes them to be more dependent of a man

As we can see this expectation is very similar from current time to Gilead, they still have the same concept and same expectations but in different ways.

Honestly, I think it’s exhausting seeing women being judged and objectified everywhere. I feel like we’re constantly fighting for respect and equality, and I think that hard for every women to not take it personal or be scared to walk around alone

This book makes me wonder, how can we create a society where women are valued for who they are, not just their looks or abilities? How can we promote a culture that respects women’s choices and individuality?