1) Blood Sweat Tears Revenge- Kodak Black

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z89gOZ0oOEY

“I done lost a lot of friends, shed plenty tears Could’ve hung me by my throat and cut my fucking ears Stay solid, had to do my bid, now I’m here”

Both the title and lyrics within this song connect to The Handmaid’s Tale in various ways. To begin, the line about losing friends and shedding tears mimics Offred’s time in Gilead, where nearly everything was taken away from her, whether it be friends, family, or possessions. This line shows Offred’s profound sense of loss and isolation within the state of Gilead.

The second line illustrates the physical and mental torment that the handmaidens have to endure. The line about hanging by the throat echoes themes from The Handmaid’s Tale, where many handmaids chose to take their own lives to escape Gilead. Additionally, this whole line sums up the violence inflicted on the handmaids, whether it be torture for misconduct or violence in ritual.

The last line about staying solid directly relates to the endurance of the handmaids and their ability to persevere in this harsh environment. Offred is the embodiment of resilience within Gilead as she navigates the oppression without giving in.

2) No surprises-Radiohead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CVsCnxyXg

“A job that slowly kills you Bruises that won’t heal You look so tired, unhappy Bring down the government They don’t, they don’t speak for us.”

These specific lyrics connect to the many themes in The Handmaid’s Tale. The first section of the song connects to the demeaning job of the handmaiden, as their role in Gilead is to bear children. This job represents the handmaids’ physical and emotional degradation because of their unjust role in society.

The next lines, “Bruises that won’t heal” and “You look so tired, unhappy,” illustrate the physical and emotional toll that their lives take on them. These lyrics also describe their feelings of general unhappiness, as Gilead’s laws make their lives rather unbearable.

The last 2 lyrics were my personal favorite from this song, as these lines symbolize both rebellion and individuality. These lyrics represent the overall disdain for the state of Gilead. I also like how these lyrics can mirror individual characters from the book. As an example, the character Moira symbolizes rebellion and hope for the handmaidens, just as the lyrics do.

3) Stop trying to be god-Travis Scott

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

“Stop tryna be God Almighty (Hm) Fuck the money, never leave your people behind, yeah It’s never love, no matter what you try Still can see it comin’ down your eyes Cause they did not create commandments.”

This is another song where both the lyrical content and title mimic themes from the Handmaid’s Tale book. The title and first line of the song are “Stop trying to be god”. These four simple words represent the handmaid’s disdain for Gilead and those in power as they bestow an almost god-like complex in their way of controlling others. Those in power control over everyone in Gilead with almost god-like power. However, this lyric directly represents the Handmaid’s wish for Gilead to “Stop trying to be god.”

The second line shows how Gilead betrayed the people within its society. The line about leaving your people behind you is exactly what Gilead did as they created an extremely unjust system that negatively affected the women within it. While Gilead didn’t do this for money, as said in the lyric, it did this for power, which can be attributed to money.

The next line symbolizes the relationships and emotions of the people in Gilead. It has been made clear throughout the book that there is a clear lack of both love and emotion within the oppressive state of Gilead. This lyric shows how hard it is to find love within Gilead. We have seen direct examples of this from Offred as she and the other handmaidens are forbidden from having those kinds of emotions.

The last line about commandments is a testament to the unjust laws and morals of Gilead. While Gilead does have religious commandments, they are harmful and only benefit those in power.

4) Breath In The Air-Pink Floyd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcz0YxYl6Ac

“Long you live and high you fly Smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry And all you touch and all you see Is all your life will ever be

Run, rabbit, run Dig that hole, forget the sun When, at last, the work is done Don’t sit down, it’s time to dig another one

Long you live and high you fly But only if you ride the tide”

These 3 verses were intentionally broken up as their lyrical content represents a different theme in The Handmaid’s Tale. The first verse symbolizes the bland reality in which the handmaids dwell. This lyric that says “all you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be” connects to the Handmaid’s life as a whole. The handmaids are subjected to a very oppressive society where they are constantly controlled. This line shows how the handmaids are permanently stuck in Gilead and that this was going to be their reality forever.

The next verse represents rebellion and the constant strain of life in Gilead. The lyric about a rabbit running and digging a hole connects to Moira’s attempt at escaping this regime. The following lyrics tell us not to sit down and to continue digging. This mirrors the constant labor that handmaids have to endure as they have to keep on digging to survive. The last verse of this song stuck out to me because of how blatantly they connect to the major themes in The Handmaid’s Tale. ¨Long you live and high you fly,” these lyrics preach long life and flying high, which is the life promised to the handmaids by Gilead. However, this promise will only come through if you “ride the tide, ” referring to the handmaids being controlled and forced to fit a certain standard.

5) Nutshell- Alice in Chains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq9MBnX00hs

“We chase misprinted lies We face the path of time And yet I fight, and yet I fight

This battle all alone No one to cry to No place to call home¨

This song is packed to the brim with lyrics that are intertwined with The Handmaid’s Tale. The first verse is about chasing lies, which is a theme that I have noticed throughout the book. We see that Gilead tends to misinform and lie to its subjects, constantly keeping them in the dark. The following line about the path of time refers to the handmaid’s limited time left in Gilead, as they could be deemed infertile and would be forced to go to the colonies. The last line in this verse represents the perseverance of the handmaids despite the restraints of this society.

The next verse represents the isolation experienced by the handmaidens. We have seen throughout the book that the handmaidens have almost no one to call a friend and have to deal with this reality on their own. Despite Offred making some friends, most of the battles she fights are fought alone without any help from others. The last line symbolizes Offred’s loss of self-identity as the place she had once called home was abruptly stripped away from her.

“We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.” I liked this quote because of the connection it had to my artpiece and my overall argument. This quote brings up themes of oppression and the search for self-identity within a completely unjust society. The artpiece I created depicts a handmaid wearing a dark red dress, accompanied by a white cone hat that completely covers the majority of her face. The handmaid is shackled by the wrists, as celestial fingers with chains wrapped around them control the maids’ every movement. This drawing symbolizes the loss of identity experienced by the handmaids and shows how the women of Gilead are controlled like puppets under this system. The large hand represents Gilead’s government and the men who wield that almost god like power. The chains around the fingers illustrate an unnatural enforcement of power as the Hand of Gilead decides the Handmaid’s every movement. We can see this theme of bodily control throughout the book, as Gilead has supremacy over one’s every action. The chains that are used to control the handmaid represent the strings used to control a puppet. In this book, Gilead, along with the men in charge, are the puppeteers, as the women are viewed as nothing but puppets to their regime. The handmaid imprisoned by the chains symbolizes all the unjust horrors that the women of Gilead have to go through daily. In the state of Gilead, the color red seems to represent fertility in women. We see that the red dress worn by the handmaid represents their lack of self-identity, as Gilead sees them only for their ability to reproduce. Another key detail that I added was the cone-shaped hat atop the handmaid’s head. This cone hat is worn to promote modesty and isolation among the handmaids, as they are forced to wear the same garments, taking away what little individuality they have left. Now I would like to focus on the faceless figure of the handmaid. Originally, I had planned to add a face, but after further consideration, I chose to leave her face blank to show the handmaid’s loss of self-identity. One of the last details I added was the tape covering the handmaid’s mouth. The tape represents their limited ability to speak and converse amongst each other, offering a stark contrast to the world they once knew. This artwork shows the extreme injustices within the state of Gilead, as this dystopian society uses extreme gender roles that benefit men. The hand of Gilead is also positioned over the head of the handmaiden, further showing the unjust class system within Gilead, as men are on top of the social and political hierarchy. Furthermore, my artpiece captures the essence of the Handmaid’s oppression by the hand of Gilead. This artpiece wasn’t a particular scene within the book, but a symbol of Gilead’s supremacy over the handmaids. I believe that my artwork is significant because it shows how much the lives of handmaidens are controlled, whether it be physically, verbally, or mentally.

My notebook has given me a space to freely write down material in class. I have used it for annotations, journals, and much more. It is an efficient way to keep track of notes for English. Next quarter I intend to use my notebook more and get better at labeling my notes, which has been a recurring issue.

link to video

My notebook gave me a space to put my ideas, It was also helpful when doing my annotations. I think paying better attention and actually learning what we’re doing in class will benefit me a lot in the future.

Flip through video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JvbuKwhQsgmOCqbn2TRvVOEnmSbYHjfq/view?usp=sharing

My story is about a father and two brothers who all play on the same basketball team. It shifts perspective and gives detail on each of their lives. in the same way Far from the Tree is about family and siblings.

this is my first English project please enjoy