At this point of my project, I wanted science to do that for other children around the nation. Accordingly, I did research. I scoured the internet for data and statistics, and I found a weird “anomaly.” According to PEW Research Center, children attending a K-12 school in the United States report loving science and hands-on learning, but as they aged older, that passion waned. In the report of The National Library of Medicine, It wasn’t because they didn’t like science anymore, in-fact, that interest seemed to stay almost constant. But, the children seemed to have lost their confidence in their ability to pursue a STEM career. When I looked into it, I found that this was most common amongst children who come from low-income backgrounds, a minority group, or children that suffer from a low self-esteem. My heart shattered when I saw this data. I kept picturing myself in that scenario. Especially because I was one of those kids that came from a minority background. It was apparent to me how close I actually was to losing something I was so passionate about. Something that I was sure I wanted to give my life to.

The novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a timeless piece of literature that puts into question numerous aspects about morality and human nature as we know it. The setting takes place in an abandoned version of the Earth, coated with ash and debris everywhere the main characters, the man and the boy, turn. Throughout the novel, the two characters are forced to make heavy decisions that will not only change their present and future, but will also affect their righteousness. The boy, who is the son of the man, is often seen as compassionate and empathetic no matter the situation. His behavior is striked as out of place as the norm of their current environment is every man for himself and doing what you have to do to survive. This can be observed in multiple senses such as when the boy saw another child in the road who was alone and begged his father to help him, and another where a stray dog followed the man and boy for miles causing the boy to plead with his father to share their food with the animal. The child is so upstanding that his father frequently compares him to God, stating “If he’s not the word of God, God never spoke.”(5) The boy’s compassion is so strong that it gives the impression that it is unwavering, but that is false.

As the novel progresses, we see the light in the boy’s eyes begin to dwindle, his father saying “Something was gone that could not be put right again.” (136) Readers can see the mental as well as physical change in the boy as he begins to more closely resemble his father’s vocabulary. He begins to act like the man, think like the man, and even ideas that the boy was so against in the beginning of the book, he now finds himself rethinking.

This is exactly what I have decided to make present in my moral map. I have taken my top quotes from the book that I believe have contributed to the moral changes of the boy, and mapped them in a circle around a pistol and a fire. The pistol is meant to represent the ride of morality’s final destination, when the father died and the boy began to use the gun as protection, which is an act he did not understand before. Then, the fire is meant to constitute as the boy “carrying the fire” as the man would always say. The quotes and symbols are surrounded by a sad and gray environment with trees of ash.

✰ 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.

The novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” authored by Margaret Atwood, is a masterful work that adeptly explores the intricacies of our society’s treatment of women. Set in the fictitious yet thought-provoking society of Gilead, the novel delves into a world where both women and men face oppression. This dystopian society grapples with dwindling birth rates, prompting women to assume the role of mere childbearing machines, compelled to harness their reproductive capacities. While such a scenario might be somewhat comprehensible given the perilously declining population, the presence of religious overtones within the Gilead community complicates the legitimacy of their circumstances.

For instance, Gilead’s foundation heavily relies on religion, though the novel doesn’t explicitly specify the faith they follow. It is implied that their belief system is likely rooted in Christianity or Catholicism, as evidenced by their reverence for the Bible. In chapter 15, on page 87, there is a scene where handmaids and Marthas assemble in the living room, listening to the Commander reading a verse from the Bible. The passage describes the Commander’s ritual: “He crosses to the large leather chair reserved for him, takes the key out of his pocket, fumbles with the ornate brass-bound leather-covered box that stands on the table beside the chair. He inserts the key, opens the box, lifts out the Bible, an ordinary copy, with a black cover and gold-edged pages. The Bible is kept locked up, the way people once kept tea locked up, so the servants wouldn’t steal it.” This act of safeguarding the Bible implies a constant and forceful imposition of Christianity or Catholicism, which may be causing irritation and sparking a sense of resentment among the individuals in Gilead.

Yet another compelling illustration of the ceaseless psychological conditioning within Gilead is found in Chapter 15, specifically on pages 88-89. In this pivotal scene, Aunt Lydia addresses a gathering of young women, comprising both the diligent Marthas and the subjugated Handmaids, with the intention of conveying the idea that they should consider themselves remarkably privileged and fortunate. Despite her attempts to emphasize their good fortune, it is abundantly clear that, from the perspective of these women, they do not perceive themselves as beneficiaries of such privileges. In stark contrast, they feel imprisoned, cruelly isolated from the world beyond the confines of Gilead. Aunt Lydia’s discourse unfolds against the backdrop of a surreal breakfast scene, during which the women are gathered, partaking in a meager meal of porridge adorned with cream and brown sugar.

As she addresses them, she endeavors to underscore the notion that they are receiving the very best within the constraints of the tumultuous world outside. She reminds them, “We had it read to us every breakfast, as we sat in the high school cafeteria, eating porridge with cream and brown sugar. You’re getting the best you know, said Aunt Lydia. There’s a war on, things are rationed. You are spoiled girls, she twinkled…” Aunt Lydia’s words, delivered with an air of sardonic humor, shed light on the stark contrast between the dismal reality the women face and the distorted perception that Gilead’s regime aims to instill in them. In this poignant moment, it becomes evident that the propaganda and the stringent religious doctrine imposed upon the residents of Gilead serve not only to manipulate their beliefs but also to warp their sense of reality. This passage, therefore, serves as a stark reminder of the power of propaganda and the extent to which authoritarian regimes can manipulate the perceptions and understanding of their subjects.

While reading “The Handmaid’s Tale,” I frequently found myself drawing parallels to real-world occurrences. One striking resemblance is the principle of the separation of church and state, a fundamental concept in the United States, which emanated from the landmark Supreme Court case of Everson v. Board of Education. This principle, often referred to as “church vs. state,” posits that religious institutions and the government must remain distinct and separate entities. It maintains that no official religion should be established within a state, as such an establishment would contravene the core principles enshrined in the Constitution.

This connection serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring relevance of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” highlighting the enduring significance of the themes it explores. Margaret Atwood’s dystopian narrative not only serves as a chilling work of fiction but also as a cautionary tale, urging us to remain vigilant in safeguarding the principles of democracy and the separation of church and state, which are the cornerstones of modern society. In an age where the blurring of these lines can lead to profound consequences, “The Handmaid’s Tale” continues to resonate as a powerful commentary on the fragility of such foundations in the face of authoritarianism and the erosion of individual liberties.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uHMR0_i1Mq8CPLBMnLBYavqw1YUwF_qR/view?usp=drivesdk

Mi familia me ama. <3 cero hermano 5 cercana tías, 5 cercano tíos, y muchos primos ( too much to count ) En mi casa, hay mi mamá y papá

Mi mama es bajo y mi papa es muy alta. Mi mama es morena y mi papá es calvo. Mi mama es rizada y de pelo corto.

Soy yo ojos marrones. Mi mama ojos marrones y mi papa ojos marrones. Mi mama y mi papá son delgada/delgado.

Mi mama es bajo y mi papá es alta. Mi mamá es divertida y mi papa es cariñoso. Mi mama es amable. Mi papá es amoroso. Mi mama y mi papa es no hay gordita. So yo morena. Marrón ojos. Soy yo es bajo. Soy yo apasionada. Es dedicado. Soy yo no hay alta. Mi mama. Ella es morena y soy yo morena. Mi mama y yo so bajo.

Mi mama y shahd no hay alta. Mi mama y shahd es muy apasionada y amable. Somos sudaneses. Mi mama es 39.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eXE8Gah6_y3zCFXqATGOdpF22LqyNWOx6G8mVHYs7Q4/edit?usp=sharing