In The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, I went through many different emotions reading about the societal standards present in the story to the hidden meanings, and references to the human nature of genders in page 45. I was able to experience a deeper understanding as I closely read At the beginning of page 45 as Offred says her farewells to Ofglen she states, “ She hesitates, as if to say something more, but then she turns away and walks down the street“ (45). I was confused at this interaction, but as I look deeper I find that because of Gilead’s rules of no intimacy between Handmaids they both fear and hesitate to get closer. This reminds me of how societal norms can affect the choices of people and how they act in accordance to the norms. For instance speaking out about anything that is hot in the media can result in judgement or even worse being canceled. Another line from the same paragraph says, “She’s like my own reflection, in a mirror from which I am moving away” (45). This shows the Handmaid’s similarity to each other, as they wear the same red uniform, and are subjected to the same rules and ganders. Not only are they similar in uniform, their identity is stripped of individuality and reduced to follow a role set on them.

One of the moments in this page that made me feel weird was when Nick, who was polishing the car, suddenly whistles and tries to talk to Offred. “Then he says, ‘Nice walk?’ I nod, but do not answer with my voice. He isn’t supposed to speak to me. Of course some of them will try, said Aunt Lydia. All flesh is weak” (45). Nick’s actions towards Offred triggers a flashback to when Aunt Lydia says that all flesh is weak, making a connection to the human nature of men and how their desires are inevitable. It also shows the gender double standards, as men breaking rules are seen as natural, but women bear the burden of restraint. I find that this also relates to chapter 23 as the Commander wants Offred to play a few games of scrabble with him and then at the end give him a kiss. Which further shows Aunt Lydia’s point about men’s desire being inevitable.

The connection that intrigued me the most was when Offred described Serena Joy’s garden and specifically the tulips. In this section Offred describes the tulips as “no longer wine cups but chalices; thrusting themselves up, to what end? They are, after all, empty” (45). I find that this line shows a connection to the Handmaids, and from the line, “thrusting themselves up,” it expresses sexual imagery about reproduction. With the line sentence following that being, “They are, after all, empty,” can be connected to how the Handmaid’s bodies are merely vessels for reproduction. Furthermore chalice is normally seen as a holy item, I feel like from the use of chalice it symbolizes Gilead’s use of religion to justify the control and actions being done to these women’s bodies. With the last bit saying they are all empty expressing the emptiness of this religious justification.

Additionally Offred shows the violent system in Gilead through the tulips. “When they are old they turn themselves inside out, then explode slowly, the petals thrown out like shards” (45). Offred implies that the slowing destruction of tulips over time mirrors the way women are consumed by the system, then eventually discarded when no longer valuable. This shows the violence that Gilead lives by, relating to how society can value women by their youth and beauty, like how fashion industries value beauty and youthfulness the most when looking for their models. I find that Offred’s connection to a tulip reflects her current mental state as someone’s identity so controlled by societal rules. Her constant mix of sexuality, religion, and violence in her descriptions show the twisted perception she has on gender roles and natural beauty, living under Gilead’s ideology.

The character Serena Joy shows how the shift in societal standards affects the actions of a person directly. She was previously a singer and with some fame to her name she changed when the societal standards of Gilead came. “By the time she was worthy of a profile: Time or Newsweek it was, it must have been. She wasn’t singing anymore by then, she was making speeches. She was good at it. Her speeches were about the sanctity of the home, about how women should stay home. Serena Joy didn’t do it herself, she made speeches instead, but presented this failure of hers as a sacrifice she was making for the good of all” (45). Since the societal change to Gilead’s ideology, Serena Joy was affected by this and had to then make speeches about gender roles women should follow and how religion should play a bigger role in people’s lives. It also shows the societal hierarchy, by trying to push for women to be silenced and controlled with her influence, she too was later confined to her home under Gilead’s control. Margaret Atwood shows the influence that societal standards have on people and how people trying to fit into these roles affects themselves personally.

The three brothers with the little one being a prodigue in boxing, but even with his undefeated record is he nervous?