On Friday we sit down for another community meeting forced upon us by Nurse Ratched. I look around at the other men slumped over, and muttering to themselves. These poor useless men guarantee that I’m the only one in here in the right mind. Nah I’m really the craziest of them all and old Ratched knows it. I remember that I’m gonna need them all today, so I put on my very best behavior. I raise my hand and politely request if we could reassess the topic of TV time. Then the goddamn woman informs me that this is therapy and my grievance is too petty to discuss. I don’t take that type of disrespect so naturally I keep speaking my ideas. Then the woman interrupted me again and the next thing she said just drove me mad. She suggests that I’m imposing my personal desires on the other gentlemen in the ward, which I’m sure as hell not. Then she has the audacity to suggest the others would be happier with me gone. I keep it interesting around here, and she knows it. One of the guys speaks up though, and tells old Ratched to give me a chance. They bicker for a while and finally she lets me propose my ideas to the group. I tell them I want a revote on TV in the afternoon and the nurse tells me again that there’s more important things to do, but she eventually gives in. I made a quick joke, and consequently she suggests my removal from this ward again. Clearly this woman, if you can even call her a woman, is invincible to my charm.

I decided that a show of hands is the right path forward, and I’m the first to confidently stick my hand in the air. Lucky for me and my dignity, the men raise their hands, one by one. Soon enough, all twenty of the men they call Acutes are raising their hands. I knew they agreed with me, the poor fellas were just scared. Everyones dead silent and even old Ratched is stunned. Then that goddamn woman informs me that there are forty patients in the ward and I need the majority to make a change. At that point I was done with the niceties. I stood up and just about yelled in that woman’s face. I told her off about how ridiculous it is to require those old birds to vote, to change anything around her. Then she and the doctor went on about the constitution of the place. It was such bullshit and I just about lost it. Then the damn woman tells the doctor to write it down like I’m some case study. Before they can stop me I go over and do everything I can to convince those chronic men to flap their wing just a little bit. I go from one to the next begging them. First Ruckly, then Ellis, Pete, Gabriel, and George. I only manage to get a blank stare or a mumble of gibberish in response. Finally I get to Chief Bromden. The man can’t hear or talk so I have little hope at this point. The Big Nurse announces that the meeting is adjourned, but miraculously The Chief raises his hand. I jump up and down whooping, and give him a good hard pat on the back. I cheer and announce to the group that we’ve reached majority. The Acutes gather around me in celebration, and the Nurse walks away with a fake smile across her face.

Later in the day, we see her behind the glass with the same strange smile. I don’t pay her much attention as I scour the baseboard. I check the clock and see that it’s about game time, so I leave my rags on the ground. I walk by Old Ratchet and who’s red faced and glaring at me. I give that woman my best grin and a wink for her troubles. This only makes her angrier though, but I know she likes me. I go get my favorite armchair and I bring it over to the TV. All the other guys glance at me but they’re too chicken to stop working. I turn the tv on, put my feet up, and light up. The only thing that would make me happier is an ice cold beer. I see the nurse staring at me. I knew she couldn’t resist me. Then she turns off the damn tv, so I lean way back, and take another puff. I always win.

Authors Note:

I wrote this scene from the perspective of Mcmurphy. I decided to write in a lot of short snappy sentences with casual and not very descriptive narration. He speaks in a colloquial way in comparison to the way Bromden narrates and Nurse Ratched speaks. He also curses a lot and is often exasperated which I express through his narration. He’s also very manipulative so I made it clear through his thoughts that he’s strategizing how to get everyone to cooperate with what he wants. He objectifies and flirts with Nurse Ratched a lot so I also included that in his thoughts.

On Friday we sit down for another community meeting forced upon us by Nurse Ratched. I look around at the other men slumped over, and muttering to themselves. These poor useless men guarantee that I’m the only one in here in the right mind. Nah I’m really the craziest of them all and old Ratched knows it. I remember that I’m gonna need them all today, so I put on my very best behavior. I raise my hand and politely request if we could reassess the topic of TV time. Then the goddamn woman informs me that this is therapy and my grievance is too petty to discuss. I don’t take that type of disrespect so naturally I keep speaking my ideas. Then the woman interrupted me again and the next thing she said just drove me mad. She suggests that I’m imposing my personal desires on the other gentlemen in the ward, which I’m sure as hell not. Then she has the audacity to suggest the others would be happier with me gone. I keep it interesting around here, and she knows it. One of the guys speaks up though, and tells old Ratched to give me a chance. They bicker for a while and finally she lets me propose my ideas to the group. I tell them I want a revote on TV in the afternoon and the nurse tells me again that there’s more important things to do, but she eventually gives in. I made a quick joke, and consequently she suggests my removal from this ward again. Clearly this woman, if you can even call her a woman, is invincible to my charm.

I decided that a show of hands is the right path forward, and I’m the first to confidently stick my hand in the air. Lucky for me and my dignity, the men raise their hands, one by one. Soon enough, all twenty of the men they call Acutes are raising their hands. I knew they agreed with me, the poor fellas were just scared. Everyones dead silent and even old Ratched is stunned. Then that goddamn woman informs me that there are forty patients in the ward and I need the majority to make a change. At that point I was done with the niceties. I stood up and just about yelled in that woman’s face. I told her off about how ridiculous it is to require those old birds to vote, to change anything around her. Then she and the doctor went on about the constitution of the place. It was such bullshit and I just about lost it. Then the damn woman tells the doctor to write it down like I’m some case study. Before they can stop me I go over and do everything I can to convince those chronic men to flap their wing just a little bit. I go from one to the next begging them. First Ruckly, then Ellis, Pete, Gabriel, and George. I only manage to get a blank stare or a mumble of gibberish in response. Finally I get to Chief Bromden. The man can’t hear or talk so I have little hope at this point. The Big Nurse announces that the meeting is adjourned, but miraculously The Chief raises his hand. I jump up and down whooping, and give him a good hard pat on the back. I cheer and announce to the group that we’ve reached majority. The Acutes gather around me in celebration, and the Nurse walks away with a fake smile across her face.

Later in the day, we see her behind the glass with the same strange smile. I don’t pay her much attention as I scour the baseboard. I check the clock and see that it’s about game time, so I leave my rags on the ground. I walk by Old Ratchet and who’s red faced and glaring at me. I give that woman my best grin and a wink for her troubles. This only makes her angrier though, but I know she likes me. I go get my favorite armchair and I bring it over to the TV. All the other guys glance at me but they’re too chicken to stop working. I turn the tv on, put my feet up, and light up. The only thing that would make me happier is an ice cold beer. I see the nurse staring at me. I knew she couldn’t resist me. Then she turns off the damn tv, so I lean way back, and take another puff. I always win.

Authors Note:

I wrote this scene from the perspective of Mcmurphy. I decided to write in a lot of short snappy sentences with casual and not very descriptive narration. He speaks in a colloquial way in comparison to the way Bromden narrates and Nurse Ratched speaks. He also curses a lot and is often exasperated which I express through his narration. He’s also very manipulative so I made it clear through his thoughts that he’s strategizing how to get everyone to cooperate with what he wants. He objectifies and flirts with Nurse Ratched a lot so I also included that in his thoughts.

Labor- Paris Paloma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvU4xWsN7-A

This song is about the work and labor that men put on the backs of women in our society. It represents the experience of women in Gilead, who are forced to fit into roles to benefit the men in power. One lyric from Labor is, “24∕7, baby machine. So he can live out his picket fence dreams. It’s not an act of love if you make her. You make me do too much labour” This song explains expectations a man has for a woman and the systematicness and lack of love behind intimacy in this relationship. It details exactly what the Handmaids are required to do. They’re literally treated as baby machines, and that’s the only role that they’re allowed to have. In The Handmaid’s Tale this idea is explicitly expressed through the slogan they must chant,“From each, says the slogan, according to her ability to each according to his needs.” (117). The women are required to do whatever they are able to do to fulfill the needs of the men. This quote originated from Marx to explain a communist system of labor distribution, but the pronouns were changed to show the systemic disempowerment of women working for men in Gilead.

Spinning Room- Ani DiFranco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnI1MI36Drg

This song is about a woman laying in bed feeling the weight of her life. There are many similar scenes in The Handmaid's Tale that depict Offred laying in bed reflecting on her life and trying not to think about the terror of her current situation. Offred explains, “Nothing takes place in the bed but sleep; or no sleep. I try not to think too much. Like other things now, thought must be rationed. There’s a lot that doesn’t bear thinking about. Thinking can hurt your chances, and I intend to last.”(9). She perceives thought to be dangerous because if she thinks too much she’ll process how upsetting her reality is. This theme also comes across in the Ani Difranco song, as she sings, “But I lay down, Under sheets of concrete, And I can't get the weight of it, Off my mind”. Similar to the book, she’s describing trying not to think about the painful realities of life while laying in bed at night. The experience of being left alone with one’s thoughts and feelings is a theme throughout this song and book.

Girl is a Gun- Halsey

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

This song makes me think of Moira in the scene where she threatens Aunt Elizabeth in order to run away from the Red Center. The song is powerful sounding, and Offred always seems to describe Moria as rather brave and powerful. In The Handmaid's Tale, Offred pictures Moira threatening Aunt Elizabeth to sound like, “I could kill you, you know, said Moira, when Aunt Elizabeth was safely stowed out of sight behind the furnace. I could injure you badly so you would never feel good in your body again.”(132). Moira uses this tactic of violence and intimidation to run away from her life being controlled by others and being required to have children. The song Girl is a Gun shares the theme of women freeing themselves from the control of men. One of the lyrics that shows this is, “I won't have your baby. Stop 'cause you're killing my vibe. It's a shot in the dark. I'm not a walk in the park. I come loaded with the safety switched off. This girl is a gun”. The song literally says “I won’t have your baby” which is part of Moiras reason for freeing herself. Also the comparison between herself and a gun, in the song, elicits ideas about violence as a means of freedom, which represents Moira running away from the Red Room.

This is What the Drugs are For- Gracie Abrams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0pcQsbUcOo

This song is about deep sadness and longing for someone who is gone. It reminds me of the moments that Offred thinks of Luke and her daughter, and the overwhelming pain this causes her. The song goes, “Now I feel you in my room, Haven't seen you in a lifetime, What am I supposed to do, When you used to be my lifeline?, I've counted all the days, Since you walked away, Look, now I'm alone again, I've gotten used to sleepin' here without you, Though I've tried, I can't pretend, That I don't sit around and think about you, When all I ever do is think about you” The song describes laying in bed and feeling lonely which is very similar to the scenes in The Handmaid's Tale where Offred lays in bed alone, missing her daughter and Luke. Theres a very haunting quality to the song which is definitely the vibe of this storyline. Also the song is called “This is What the Drugs are For” and Offred believes she was drugged in order to forget her child being taken away, so the idea of drugs unsuccessfully easing sadness is reflected in both works. 

Risk- Gracie Abrams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiMuT2BhwO0

This song reminds me of the budding secretive friendship between The Commander and Offred. They both know it’s dangerous but they’re drawn to each other for companionship. Offred finds herself thinking about him frequently and feels confused about her feelings for him. Offred thinks to herself, “But even so, and stupidly enough, I’m happier than I was before. It’s something to do, for one thing. Something to fill the time, at night, instead of sitting alone in my room. It’s something else to think about. I don’t love the Commander or anything like it, but he’s of interest to me.” She realizes that her feelings for The Commander are rebellious in Gilead, but it makes her feel good. The Gracie Abrams song has a similar message to this, about jumping into a risky situation with romantic undertones. One of the lines of the song is, “God, I'm actually invested, Haven't even met him, Watch this be the wrong thing Classic, God, I'm jumping in the deep end, It's more fun to swim in, Heard the risk is drownin', but I'm gonna take it”. The song expresses the idea that she’s surprised by her investment in a guy, which Offred seems to experience with her feelings about her time with The Commander. Also the song carries the same theme of Offred knowing that seeing the commander is a risk but she thinks it’s worth taking. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xu7AQGYb5htsDEHUjbHY3aW_kZLzaz5X/view?usp=sharing