My artwork depicts the conflict between Offred and Serena joy, but in a broader sense handmaids and wives in general. In the society of Gilead, handmaids are hated and looked down upon, treated like cattle instead of actual people. Besides the “unwomen” they probably have the worst position in society. However, the point of my art argues that in the greater scheme of things, the wives are not much better. While the wives are definitely more privileged, they aren’t free from the oppressive system. For example, the text states, “Serena Joy grips my hands as if it is she, not I, who’s being fucked — He is preoccupied, like a man humming to himself in the showing without knowing he’s humming”. The wives are forced to help this awful process without complaint. It’s easy to go throughout the novel hating Serena Joy, for most of the book I did as well. But as I read further and got to know the commander I realized all the wives are victims as well. Imagine being a woman forced to stay in the house, knitting and praying all day. Married to a man that regularly rapes his servants in front of you. On top of that you are infertile and the only option to have a child is to steal it away from the servants your husband takes advantage of. This is the norm in gilead. According to society and the god you worship, this is how life is supposed to be, and to complain about it would mean punishment, despite your wife status. In the society of Gilead, only men like the commander can truly claim any status.

Art analysis: Everything about the handmaids and wives are conflicting, even the red and blue they wear clash. The black line through the middle represents their separation. However, towards the line, the clashing blue and red begin to blend together. Showing that despite what we see on the surface the wives and handmaids are in similar situations. The line toward the top separates the commander from both the wives and handmaids. Though the handmaids and wives are opposing, they are on the same level, the commander however is quite literally above them. There is no perspective to look through that puts the commanders on the same level as the handmaids and wives. I chose black to represent the commander because it’s a very dominating color. Unlike the blue and red, the commander’s black does not blend or fade. I wanted this show to show that he is without a doubt on top of the system. If you notice where the opposing line between the handmaids and wives start, it starts from the Commander’s cane. I did this to show the fact that the conflict between them started and kept going because of the commander. Overall my major goal was to show that the conflict between the handmaids and wives is just surface level, and that the real conflict is between all the women of Gilead and the commanders, who represent the system itself.

Violent Crimes -Kanye West In this beautiful song, Kanye reflects on his (learned) attitude toward women throughout his life. He admits with disgust to his past life of misogyny and objectification toward females and refuses to allow his daughter to experience the same. He raps about the birth of his daughter bringing him to the realization of his wrong doings, and how becoming a father taught him to value women as complete people who can think and make decisions for themselves; not objects for him and other men to use for their misogynistic pleasure. He wants to protect her from this male dominated world. His remorse is expressed specifically in this line, ‘Father forgive me, I’m scared of the karma. ‘Cause now I see women as somethin’ to nurture Not somethin’ to conquer.’ Also, I think Kanye realizes that women’s rights are volatile, and are currently being stripped away bit by bit by our government and judicial system. This song demonstrates his willingness to fight for the deserved rights of his daughter and all females.

I think Margaret Atwood has told a story that’s parallel to Kanye’s journey.

In the society of Gilead, women were very much controlled to meet the needs of men. Unwomen are the lowest class, they are women who cannot have children and therefore have no value. Females could easily be classified as Unwomen at the whim of any man. The text states, “He could fake the tests, report me for cancer, for infertility, have me shipped off to the Colonies, with the Unwomen.” Because women in Gilead are only valued for their ability to have children, those who cannot are not even considered women.

There’s something deeper Atwood is trying to say that Kanye is as well.

Throughout the story we learn that Gilead hasn’t existed for very long. Offred leads a full life in regular day America and can clearly remember times before Gilead. A time where women fought for rights that they thought they deserved. That means society made this shift into handmaids and Gilead only a few years before, at most. It’s hard to believe that centuries of suffragette work could be undone in only a few years; but that is exactly Atwoods point. She’s reminding us just how quickly society can regress, reminding us how volatile and in danger our present day civil rights are.

Kanye is doing the same. He’s telling us how quickly his entire world view changed just because of one event. The birth of his child. Handmaids in Gilead exist because of how rare fertility is. While the birth of Kanye’s Daughter made him see women as complete people, the lack of childbirth in America turned society’s view of women into only objects for birthing children, and so Gilead was born. The stories are two sides of the same coin.

You must Love me - Jay Z In this song, Jay Z raps about his real life experiences of being a kid, shooting his brother over jewelry. He raps, “But the adrenaline and my ego hurt combined Drove me berserk, saw the devil in your eyes High off more than weed Confused, I just closed my young eyes and squeezed What a sound, opened my eyes just in time To see you stumbling to the ground Damn what the fuck I done now? Runnin’ around in a circle thinking I’m assed out Hot gun burnin’ my waist, ran straight to Jaz’ house” Jay Z then raps about his brother immediately forgiving him and specifically asking to see him in the hospital just a day later. He raps, “Left the scene how could I go out that way Still you asked to see me in the hospital the next day You must love me”

This reminds me of the theme of sorority in the Handmaid’s tale. Specifically, Offfred’s interactions with Janine. During the testifying ceremony, Janine shares her experience of being gang raped as a child with the other handmaids. In response they shame her and claim that she brought it upon herself. On page 72, the text states, “It’s Janine, telling about how she was gang-raped at fourteen and had an abortion… But whose fault was it? Aunt Helena says, holding up one finger. Her fault, her fault, her fault, we all chant in unison. Who led them on? Aunt Helena beams, pleased with us. She did. She did. She did.”

Offfred and the other handmaidens in this scene represent Jay Z, attacking, wounding and betraying their sister. But just like Jay Z’s brother, Janine forgives them and they unify in the hospital while helping with the birth of Janine’s child. One page 127, the text states, “We stand between Janine and the bed, so she won’t have to see this. Someone gives her a drink of grape juice. I hope there’s wine in it, she’s still having the pains, for the afterbirth, she’s crying helplessly, burnt out miserable tears. Nevertheless we are jubilant, it’s a victory for all of us. We’ve done it. In both stories, the parties wrong doings are forgiven , because it’s brotherhood/sisterhood that keeps them together.

The Revolution will not be Televised - Gil Scott Heron When I think of Moira, I think of this song. Well, it’s less of a song and more of a call to action, Gil Scott Heron uses his platform to persuade those standing on the sideline to join the civil rights movement and fight against oppression.

Before Gilead, Moira was a vocal feminist, fighting for the downfall of American society’s misogyny. After Moira escapes the camps, Offered reflects on her feelings toward her. On page 133, the text states, “Moira was like an elevator with open sides. She made us dizzy. Already we were losing the taste for freedom, already we were finding these walls secure. In the upper reaches of the atmosphere you’d come apart, you’d vaporize, there would be no pressure holding you together. Nevertheless Moira was our fantasy.” Just like Heron, Moira is a symbol proving you can fight against your oppressors, and just like Heron, Moira makes the HandMaids content with their position feel uncomfortable.

Feel it in the Air - Beanie Sigel Beanie Sigel raps about his paranoia and the guard he keeps up while moving in the street. He describes it as a kind of spidey sense that keeps him out of danger. He raps,”Somethin’ going on, I feel funny Can’t tell me nothin’ different, my nose twitchin’ intuition setting in like Steve vision I still close my eyes, I still see visions Still hear that voice in the back of my mind So what I do? I still take heed, I still listen…I read between the lines of the eyes and your brows Your handshake ain’t matching your smile, aha, you niggas foul (I can feel it in the air)” This song reminds me of Offred’s mistrust. Throughout her narration she talks about seeing through people’s true intentions. For example on page 136 the text states, “ But there must be something he wants, from me. To want is to have a weakness. It’s this weakness, whatever it is, that entices me. It’s like a small crack in a wall, before now impenetrable. If I press my eye to it, this weakness of his, I may be able to see my way clear. I want to know what he wants.” Just like Beanie Sigel, Offfred knows that people usually aren’t what they seem.

Fake Love - Drake Drake sings about the fake love people show him because of his fame and power. This reminds me of the way Offred acts toward the commander, on page 140, the text states”I go to him and play my lips close, against his… He draws away and looks down at me. There’s the smile again, the sheepish one. Such candor. Not like that, he says. As if you meant it.” The Commander recognizes that Offfred doen’t truly care about him, and only kisses him because of the power he holds over her.

My issue is Privacy Violations, by social media sites. In my recent slate post. I wrote about how much information Google and Facebook collect on their users and what they do with it. After some research, Some things that have been done to fix the issue I chose is congress passing an Internet privacy bill in 2019. In my opinion, this is a great way to make change. The only way these technology companies will change their ways is if we go the legal route. However, the bill hasn’t been enforced much, which is a huge problem. There is no point in passing a bill if it does nothing. India on the other hand, passed an internet privacy order this year, and they are really enforcing it. The Indian government is currently investigating WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, for breaching Indian anti-trust laws.

My goal was to inform people on what happens with their information when they use Social Media sites. I researched what type of data social medias collect, and how to protect your privacy from them. Then I wrote my own article detailing my research. I decided to write an article to inform people because I had no idea how much Social Media companies knew about me until I watched a documentary on it. After that, I still had to do research of my own. So I wanted to make it easier for people to learn about this topic. My article isn’t too long, it’s a short read that will make sure you get the gist of the problem and how to protect your privacy. After writing the article I contacted Mr.Jeremy Spry and explained my topic to him and the article I wrote. He was able to publish my article in the most recent advisory memo. If you haven’t seen me I’m right under book club.

In my experience doing this project, it was pretty eye opening how much data Technology Companiescollect. Something I think I could’ve done better is to have covered more social media in my article because I wrote about Facebook, Snapchat, and Google. I think including Twitter and Reddit could’ve made my project better. Link to annotated bibliography

My project is about how technology can violate your privacy. I was inspired to do this project by a documentary called “The Social Dilemma” it informed me on how much personal information websites and social media like Google, Facebook, and Instagram really collect. This inspired me to do my own research and now I want to share it with the rest of my class because I think it is important for people to know what they sign up for when they accept the terms of service.

This issue personally affects me and anyone else that uses social media. I as well as most people value privacy and don’t want a huge tech company to know absolutely everything about us. But don’t take just my word for it. I have multiple credible sources that also say social media invades your privacy and you don’t even know it. My first source is an article written by Aliza Vigderman from security.org website made by people with law enforcement and security backgrounds. In this article Aliza grades popular websites and social media on how well your privacy is protected using it. Google receives an F, they store your address, cell phone contacts, and use algorithms to determine which ads would be most likely to make you buy something.

After reading this I wanted to know what other companies kept a lot of data on us. It turns out all social media do. Especially Facebook, they record every post you like, page you visit, and every comment you write. Facebook then uses an algorithm to build an image of you. They want to know all of these things about you to target ads to you. Which might not be so bad if Facebook wasn’t so irresponsible with all of their data. Facebook has been constantly accused of selling your data to third parties. In fact, Reporter Aleksandr Kogan from Cambridge university was able to easily obtain the information of 270,000 Facebook users. Facebook even uses its users’ data as a bargaining chip. Companies favored by Facebook were given access to user data to better target ads and make more money. Companies Facebook does not like on the other hand we denied user data.

In my opinion, neither should be able to just look at our information especially since People have consented to give Facebook information not a bunch of other companies that make Facebook money. Facebook gets away with this because most people don’t actually read their terms in service. During my research, I took the time to read what’s in it, and you would be surprised what you consent to when you use Facebook, It is a lot of information. They do give you the option to limit the type of data they collect, but it’s buried in the setting. So you won’t be able to find it unless you know what you’re looking for.

In 2019 congress passed about a bill that would establish privacy requirements for social media sites Called the online privacy act. Though it was passed I don’t see any difference that has been made by the bill. I think if this bill is enforced better. This problem could become smaller.

Link to annotated bibliography and Sources: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yUTY_RQk9wWFZdp49LA-jQ88-rL2msiC/view?usp=sharing

This was our final episode. We talked about how we felt about the book’s ending and assigned awards to our favorite and most hated characters.

This episode late-night talk show host Samuel Jenkins interviews Esmerelda Santiago, her mother, and her father. He asked about Ms.Santiago’s inspiration for writing the book and many other intriguing questions.

I made this project in my office, aka my bedroom. When I heard about this project from my English teacher I immediately knew I would write about my problems with 2020. My project is about my own experiences being a teenager in 2020. I don’t really have much to say in this artist’s statement. Though I wish the word limit for the project wasn’t so low. I think I could’ve written more descriptively. But anyway thanks for the chance to express myself in this essay. I hope you enjoy it.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1q9dIFj_YHRFBjB7n4k_2cwWPHIvYCbv1V15EdwaO4Tg/edit?usp=sharing