“You can wet the rim of a glass and run your finger around the rim and it will make a sound. This is what I feel like: this sound of glass. I feel like the word shatter.” - page 103

The mind is a strange thing. It can use coping methods to make it through difficult times, but it can also delude. It can provide peace and solace, but it can also run amok with anxiety and stress about the future. The brain is so complex that it would be difficult to represent with a single image, but we try nonetheless. The artwork I created is an attempt to unpack the mind of Offred as the end of the narrative approaches.

Throughout the book, Offred uses the word “shatterproof” in relation to windows five times (as of the current reading)—on pages 8, 12, 52, and twice on 167. She mentions the word “shatter” even more often, and this repetition of her fixation on broken glass served as the main inspiration for this piece. Each shard of glass illustrates a different aspect of her mind—a memory, a thought to the future, or a single word—and at the center of the fragments is Offred herself, her internal exhaustion shown through her weary eyes. When initially drawing Offred’s face, I did not intend to make her appear old or wrinkled, but I feel that the final appearance connects strongly to how she sees herself as a Handmaid. She mentions on page 199 that “being a woman this way is how 1 used to imagine it would be to be very old.”

For the overall aesthetic of the artwork, I chose to use an airbrush to create vague, blurred shapes in each shard of glass. This decision allowed me to be more abstract with the artwork, and it was also a strong way to illustrate that these ideas floating around in Offred’s head are only reconstructions, not completely true representations of her thoughts or experiences. This, as a motif, is repeated several times in the narrative by Offred herself, so I felt that it would be important to refrain from creating crisp, clear images in the artwork.

The piece on the bottom right depicts a swarm of tiny Handmaids around the word “MAYDAY.” This is a representation of the Mayday rebellion, a mostly disorganized group of Handmaids that are trying to find a way to work against Gilead. Introduced to her through Ofglen, another Handmaid, Offred wants to help them by feeding information and doing what she can in her restrictive life. Another piece shows tendrils of smoke rising from a fire covering a house, a manifestation of Offred’s thoughts about burning the Commander’s house down and escaping: “Such a fine thought, it makes me shiver. An escape, quick and narrow” (209)

The remaining pieces contrast this looking forward, however; they represent Offred’s growing feeling of despair and powerlessness as she loses pieces of her past and is forced to reckon with her reality in Gilead. For example, one piece is an image of the Commander’s face, surrounded by Scrabble pieces that spell “Zilch.” Offred does directly spell out this word while playing Scrabble with the Commander on page 183, but I felt that it was a strong metaphor; zilch is defined as zero or nothing, and I used it to represent the idea that Offred feels helpless, both over her future and in the structure of Gilead as a whole.

Directly to the right of this, another shard of glass shows several twisting lengths of rope criss crossing through a dark void. In the background, the vague shape of a noose can be seen. This imagery was used to encompass all of Offred’s thoughts about the Handmaid that lived in her room before she did. She was initially a beacon of hope for Offred, leaving behind the message “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum,” meaning “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” (187). However, Offred later discovers through the Commander that the Handmaid hung herself to escape the dark reality of Gilead. She had held this Handmaid in her mind as an almost mythical figure, seeing her as an inspiration, and this news took that away. “Fat lot of good it did her,” she remarks later in the story. “Why fight?” (225).

Above these, the next fragment depicts Ofwarren, the pregnant Handmaid shown in an earlier stage of the book. I included this to represent Offred’s thoughts on her place as a Handmaid, but also as a reminder that she does not have much time left to fulfill her “purpose” in this society, the one enforced upon her by Gilead: giving birth. This idea is reinforced several times throughout the narrative by a variety of characters, from her doctor (page 61) to Serena Joy (page 204), and this serves to encourage Offred to do whatever it takes to have a child, even if she does not want to. She has little agency in the grand scheme of things, and this erodes her sense of self.

Another piece depicts blurred white figures with a faint glow. This represents Offred’s memories of her family before Gilead, of Luke and their daughter—on page 193, she attempts to remember them, but “they fade, though I stretch out my arms towards them, they slip away from me, ghosts at daybreak.” This is an attempt to look into the past, to fall back on fond reminiscence, but it doesn’t work; Offred has been overtaken by Gilead and cannot go back.

The glass shard in the top right corner shows the photo of Offred’s daughter that she receives from Serena Joy on page 228. She had been hoping to find her, even just see her one more time, for the entire story, but when she is given the photo, this optimism melts away. “You can see it in her eyes: I am not there,” she thinks. “I can’t bear it, to have been erased like that” (228). The word “OBLITERATED” floats above the photo, emphasizing that Offred feels her daughter has forgotten her. This is one of the most powerful pieces of imagery in the story, and it is one of the most effective at battering down Offred’s hope for the future. This goal she had been searching for the entire book has, in her eyes, been for nothing.

Finally, directly above Offred’s head is a piece that shows a pair of rabbit ears on a headband. This is a reference to her final encounter with Moira at Jezebel’s, where Offred discovers that she has been . “She is frightening me now,” Offred thinks, “because what I hear in her voice is indifference, a lack of volition” (249). Moira has been a rebellious figure for the entire story, and has served as an inspiration for Offred as she worked with Ofglen and the Commander. In this final interaction, however, that spirit has been taken out of her, and this is one of the most damaging losses in the story. “I don’t want her to be like me. Give in, go along, save her skin… I want gallantry from her, swashbuckling, heroism, single-handed combat. Something I lack.” Another figure of hope in her life has been reduced, has lost an important piece of themselves, and this drives the stake of hopelessness even deeper into Offred’s mind.

This artwork is a culmination of Offred’s experiences in the story, a combination of little hopes and large despairs. I do not know what lies ahead for Offred, but I do not see a happy ending as very likely, given her loss of hope and agency.

California Dreamin - The Mamas & The Papas

https://youtu.be/J4DmU_On6ag

This song, originally released during the time of the Vietnam War, would serve as the theme for Offred’s walks with Ofglen around Gilead. There are many connections between the lyrics and the story. While a lot of the story so far has taken place during the summer, the opening lyrics of California Dreamin, which refer to poor winter weather, are still reasonable, because these scenes will likely be repeated in winter time, and either way, the lyrics refer to a dark time, which is what Offred feels like she is living through. “I’d be safe and warm, If I was in LA” refers to Offred thinking about the Before Times, and how she used to be ‘safe and warm’, with LA representing Luke. Lastly, the line “And I pretend to pray”, perfectly describes how Offred thought about Testifying at the Red Center. “At Testifying, it’s safer to make things up than to say you have nothing to reveal.” (71). This mentality goes with the same idea of pretending to pray.

FE!N - Travis Scott

https://youtu.be/U-l4ya3ejko

The main chorus of this song is simply the word fein repeated, meaning a person that has an addiction to something. For the Handmaid’s Tale, this would be the theme to play in the club, with the representation of the ‘fein’ being the Commanders and other wealthy men present. They are addicted to women and sex, which in this world is as bad as being addicted to an illegal drug, since these people in power are the ones that made lust and passionate sex illegal in the first place. Additionally, FE!N makes a good addition to the playlist because of how some of the lyrics connect to the book. “The career’s more at stake when you in your prime” represents how Offred’s physical prime is soon coming to an end, meaning she will be cast off when she is no longer viable to have children. Another lyric is “In the night, come alive”, describing how Offred’s thoughts are often the most lively when she is in her room at night.

Mii Channel Theme - Kazumi Totaka

https://youtu.be/x2NzoLMWAwQ

This is a video game console’s background theme, about as boring as it gets. This represents some of the monotonicity of Offred’s life as a Handmaid, and specifically her experience with the Ceremony. In Chapter 16, the reader’s first impression of Offred’s feelings about her sex ceremony with the Commander are not positive. Many times throughout that chapter, the sex is described as boring: “The Ceremony goes as usual” (93), “This is serious business” (95), “If he were better looking would I enjoy this more?” (95). This same way, the song is a repetitive, boring process that only serves as a stepping stone to something else. The Mii Channel Theme is only played when the video game’s player is loading in, waiting to do something, and as a result, waiting for the music to end. The experience is the same for Offred in the Ceremony; she is simply waiting for it to end.

Quest Ah Dog - lolalumikola ft. Don Pollo (overlaid on Victory - Thomas Bergersen)

https://youtu.be/ZkfGkQVhQUU

This short theme creates a feeling of chaos and confusion to the listener, with many different audio tracks overlaid on a background song. Additionally, this song can also make any event that happened immediately before it feel more magnified. These are similar emotions that Offred feels at some important moments in the book. The first example was in the doctor’s office in Chapter 11, when the doctor offered to impregnate Offred himself. Upon this offer being made, a multitude of thoughts go through the Handmaid’s head (60-61): “Does he know something, has he seen Luke, […] can he bring back?”; “Is that his hand, sliding up my leg? He’s taken off the glove”; “I almost gasp: he’s said a forbidden word”. The shock that Offred feels in this scene can also be well represented by the “What da hell” lyric from Quest Ah Dog. The second example, from Chapter 31, was when Serena Joy offered her Handmaid a picture of her daughter in exchange for procreation with Nick. As Offred thought “She’s known all along” (206), a similarly fast flow of chaotic thoughts entered her head, once again repeating the theme of Quest Ah Dog.

Anakin’s Betrayal (from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) - John Williams

https://youtu.be/m2p-im7cxa4

This is a movie theme from a moment when many heroes died. I connected this to Chapter 18, when Offred imagines all of the various possibilities of what happened to Luke after they got separated. This would be the theme for that flashback/vision. The music gets its loudest when Offred thinks: “I pray that the hole, or two or three, […], I pray that at least one hole is neatly, quickly, and finally through the skull, […], only the one and then silence.” (104). This idea of Luke dying immediately, as well as all of the thoughts Offred has about Luke being in pain, would be well represented by this sadder theme.

A lot of times I sit up in my room at night simply staring at my ceiling fan watching it spin. I’ve always thought that it was pretty weird but I just couldn’t stop myself from doing it. While I’m sitting there my brain is constantly just thinking and thinking about everything and anything: what i’m going to eat the next day, where I put my favorite hoodie, even the fact that the same water now is the same water like 1 million years ago. With these thoughts the same question arises: what is my purpose, my future?
With in the Book The Handmaid’s Tale I believe that I share a similar thought process as Offred within the text. Now I’m not able to understand the feeling of being in a totalitarian society where women are only cared for by their ability to have children but I am able to understand the feeling of not knowing what your true purpose is or feeling like your life isn’t in your own hands. “When I get out of here if I’m ever able to set this down, in any form, even in the form of one voice to another… (134) This quote comes from chapter 23 where Offred refers to her “story” as a reconstruction that not everything she’s saying is 100% her own or 100% the truth. I really was able to see this within myself. Almost everything I tell people or others about me doesn’t feel truly real or authentic. I sit sometimes and think about everything that I’m doing under my own volition, do I really want to do these things? I still can’t fully grasp that feeling as most of the time I feel what I’m doing is right and what I want to do. If I were to try and go to other people they’d probably think I’m crazy which I guess is why I stay up at night just talking to myself in an empty audience.
Offred encapsulates this idea when anytime in the book the next section is called night. I paralleled that to myself as she sits in her room talking to the reader or thinking to herself. “ I feel very unreal, talking to You like this. I feel as if I’m talking to a wall. I wish You’d answer. I feel so alone.” (195) I never really could explain these thoughts to other people as it felt like I was talking to someone in another language. The idea that I don’t know my purpose sounds so foreign but is something that I definitely think other people think all the time. Yet like Offred I feel alone when I try to explain it, talking to an empty void with that void also being myself.
“Nothing new under the sun” my dad would say everything that you have thought of has probably been thought by someone else. Whenever he would tell me this I would hate it because to me it really meant nothing I could do would be original or my own thinking. It made me believe that everything I thought of was probably conditioned by someone else. Like when Offred brings up the stories she can and can’t tell. “It isn’t a story I’m telling. It’s also a story I’m telling, in my head, as I go along.” (39) When I first read this I immediately thought to myself how I constantly try to make sense of if everything I see, think, feel is truly me, or is it someone else. While also reading this I made more sense of how I better understand my place in the world which I think both me and Offred relate to.
This idea of a reconstruction or not being able to find your purpose is simply an idea that only puts forth what you put back into it. So constantly thinking about how your story isn’t your own is only putting you in the mindset of exactly that. Everything that we are living through is “Our story” even though it may not 100% feel like it. Almost like a reconstruction. Each person is living and contributing some way to their “story” even with the influences of others. Like Offred I see myself constantly asking these questions trying to uncover why I think this way even though for Offred it’s a bit more self explanatory. We both try to find the truth but also know that it doesn’t come in one nice recipe book but much more of one big jumbled mess with many begrudging questions in between.

My artwork shows how the handmaids are being watched every second they can be. It represents many different scenes in the book “The Handmaid’s Tale” has many different scenes that shows different characters that watch the handmaids at all times. Those characters being, The Eyes, Wives, and the Aunts. But for this specific piece of artwork I mainly wanted to focus on the “Eyes” of the story. The eyes are the secret police of Gilead. They are the ones who watch everything in Gilead. The eyes are tasked with surveillance and enforcing the laws of the state often to intimidation and violence. The job of the eyes in the Gilead world is to create an atmosphere of fear and paranoia among anyone that might be informed of the real world.

In this art piece I am representing Offred (in the hands), being watched by a bunch of eyes around her. The line “The Kidnapping I Can’t Escape,” is on top of her face disguising the fact that she can never escape. I added the hands around “Offred” representing bars, and barriers where she can’t escape “Gilead.” Around the hands at the top I added angels, with eyes. These represent the “Angels” in the story. Angels are Soldier 24 in order to protect the state but they operate more openly on our less involvement in persuasive surveillance.

I added eyes on top of these angels in my artwork because I wanted to represent that they are both forms of restriction in Gilead. The rest of the images on my artwork mostly show how the women in Gilead are treated by the “hierarchy” which is being silenced. The picture of the woman on the left side. Her eyes are being covered by the words , “ive now come to understand the same thing about trauma :happy, well adjusted people are all different. The traumatized are exactly alike.” I wanted to represent how the women in Gilead are being silenced and brainwashed on their traumatic experiences when living and working in Gilead.

In the book “The Handmaid’s Tale” there are many different examples of surveillance and watching in Gilead that represent my artwork. Offred says “There’s something I want to say, but its like the saying of it will cost me something.” (page number) In this quote Offred explains how she wants to say something, but she has this worrying feeling that she will be caught, and punished for what she will say. It develops a fear in Offred, constant surveillance all the time, making her cautious of what she says all the time, in order to avoid being brutally punished for having her different opinions and thoughts.

Ultimately, I created this collage as my art piece to show or depict how Offred, and the Handmaids in general, are being monitored and watched all the time in Gilead. It expresses the art form of the control and paranoia Offred is constantly being in. The reason why I chose to depict the “Eyes” in my art piece was because the eyes play a huge part and role in the story. Its significant to the story, and to Offred because it shows us that there is a higher power, and makes the structure of the people who are in power. We see how controlling the “Eyes” are, by seeing how afraid Offred is just by saying the wrong things. This is important because we see the root of why so many women are afraid to speak up in Gilead.

For my art piece, I made a digital sketch overlaid with a watercolor brush that was inspired by two small quotes found in The Handmaid’s Tale written by Margaret Atwood. The first quote can be found in chapter 18 of the book, “ … flickering like images of saints, in old foreign cathedrals”. This inspired me for the shape and background of the image which was supposed to model a piece of stained glass that one could find in an old foreign cathedral. The main focus of my training came from a quote in chapter 25. “ Saint Serna, on her knees, doing penance”. This gave me inspiration for “Saint Serena” who I sketched in a nun garb in the Commander’s Wife blue with a halo around her head and a small shovel in her hand. The reason I chose these two quotes for inspiration is because of the religious imagery they both convey. Throughout the reading, I have found a fair bit of religious imagery scattered all through the book so far. And in my annotations of the first quote I wrote, “I am always very intrigued by religious imagery especially the way Atwood writes it; somehow subtle and overt at the same time”. I went to catholic school from pre-k all the way through 8th grade. Though I can say that sometimes the experiences I had in the catholic school system were memorable in a positive way, I can also say for a fact that the idea of God was shoved down my throat so much that I eventually threw it up; God was a person or entity that I had no wish to think about or interact with. Even through all of the turmoil and in some cases trauma that I went through in Catholic school, my enjoyment of religious imagery never dwindled. My complicated relationship with the church as a whole never stopped me from appreciating one church in a moment, the beauty of the architecture, and the images of Christ embedded in stained glass. These images were so wondrous and grand to me that I never really doubted the sanctity of a church until I stepped foot outside of it. Eventually, I started to understand why I found these images of faith and belief and religion to be so powerful even though I was actively unsubscribing from them; I saw a strange fascination with the worship of something I knew not to be real to me. Staring at the carved marble of the Holy Father in awe knowing that to me He wasn’t real but being moved to tears by the fact someone more than likely driven only by faith put so much time care and attention into displaying a beautiful image of Him and watching people knelt in front of Him, rosaries in hand doing the sign of the cross. I am by no means a faith-oriented person and I think that’s what makes religious imagery that is done in a quite beautiful fashion such as Atwood has spoken so closely to me. I may not feel the same pull to religion that other people do but when I see these beautiful pieces of art that are motivated by faith I am brought to a point where I can empathize with them on a much deeper level; their worship is shown to me in an enchanting fashion that makes me understand the depth of their faith more than any bible verse could.

Sound Resonance

Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace

This song paints a picture of the darker side of humanity in all of us, that we all have made choices in our lives that depict us as animals. A time and place where we let the negative aspects of our personality shine through us. This song is about being in that dark place and asking for help getting out of it. Some notable lyrics are “Somebody get me through this nightmare, I can’t control myself” and “So what if you can see the darkest side of me? No one would ever change this animal I have become.” In chapter 13 of The Handmaid’s Tale, When Jaime is relieved that she has been taken advantage of by multiple men, Aunt Helena and the other handmaids blame her for it. On page 72 it reads “Her fault, her fault, her fault, we chant in unison. Who led them on? Aunt Helena beams pleased with us. She did. She did. She did.” What stood out to me was when Offred reflected on their actions later down the page. “We meant it, which was the bad part. I used to think well of myself. I didn’t then.” This connects to the song’s negative perception of one’s self and the hopelessness of becoming better than you are.

Hellbent - Mystery Skulls

Hellbent is all about desires for pleasure and doing what you’re not supposed to, although the lyrics are short they do express a crystal clear view of the message in this song. For example, the lyrics “ I’ve been hellbent, baby. Hellbent on makin’ you love me, too. Even though not what I’m supposed to do. I don’t give a damn.” When thinking of The Handmaid’s Tale, the song reflects what happens in chapter 17 very well. After Offred and Nick break the rules and start kissing intimately, she thinks “It’s so good, to be touched by someone, to be felt so greedily, to feel so greedy.” On page 99. The act of pursuing What you want and having a mutual desire for pleasure mirrors the song and this chapter.

Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing - Set It Off

Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing is all about being a danger, an outlier among the rest, someone coming off as harmless but is a danger. This song could portray Moria from the Aunt’s perspective, about her being a black sheep among the handmaids, how she’s the most dangerous and defective out of them all. The song goes over many themes of betrayal, some notable lyrics are “Oh my god, who am I kidding? Now, let’s not get overzealous here. You’ve always been a huge piece of shit.” These lyrics are reflected in chapter 22 when Offred tries to reenact Moria’s escape attempt, Aunt Elizapteh may harbor most of these feelings especially since she was the one Moria threatened. The song further resonates with Moria because there have been so many times when she has been a nuisance for a while, evidently by her faking sickness in a previous chapter. Overall the song demonstrates the relationship between authority in Gilead and Moria.

Poker Face - Lady Gaga

Poker Face is a very popular song, sung by Lady Gaga herself, about how she manipulates a man to gain what she wants. Similar to the relationship between Offred and The Commander, how she uses him for information while she just has to play her part, This is brought to life in chapter 32 when the Commander is drunk. Proven when she thinks on page 210 “It’s difficult for me to believe I have any power over him, of any sort, but I do; although it’s of an equivocal kind.” This made me think of the lyrics “Love game intuition, play the cards with spades to start, And after he’s been hooked, I’ll play the one that’s on his heart.” This is where the song and the book split because they both hold the idea of power over men to get what they want but have different mindsets about that power. Lady Gaga is more confident in her ability to get what she wants, seeing that it isn’t life or death for her. While Offread is fighting for her life trying to get all the answers she can get. Almost as if this is a card game and Offread is playing for her life while Lady Gaga is playing for fun.

Bumpy Ride - Mohombi

Bumpy Ride is a song of lust and the domination of one partner over another, the kind of song that would be played at a club. The setting in chapter 37 mashes very well with the song because it is a place for high members of this society to feel highly of themselves by flaunting power and women. The lyrics that fit best with this would be “Tell me, who can love you? (Nobody) Hold you? (Nobody) Make your body wine like me, You’ll never find someone like me.” When the commander goes on to fill his ego and shows off Offread to his friends, which then she speculates on page 236 “Perhaps he’s reached the state of intoxication which power is said to inspire…” The power to do what you want and be the best at what you do can be seen as a Lust for power which reflects both this chapter and this song.

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale delves into the harrowing experiences of Offred, a woman stripped of her autonomy but most importantly her livelihood. One particular moment occurs when Offred is given a picture of her daughter but denied the ability to keep it by Serena Joy, the commander’s wife. “It has washed over me, washed me away as if I’m nothing more than a woman of sand, left by a careless child too near the water….You can see it in her eyes: I am not there(228.)” This scene resonates deeply with me, evoking feelings of longing, loss, and the complex dynamics of motherhood, emotions that parallel my own life experiences. More to that, I moved from New York to Philly when I was about six years old, leaving my mother was one of the hardest things I had to endure but I know that I relate to Offred’s daughter in a way. The pictures I took growing up when I moved were completely different, especially knowing that I struggled with the complex dynamics of motherhood and fatherhood. I had to depend upon my grandmother which made everything in my life completely different and in pictures I didn’t have the same happiness that I had when I was with my mother. It’s similar to this quote because when Offred glimpses at the photograph of her daughter, it represents the painful reminder of her past life, filled with mistakes that she couldn’t take back. The fact that she had no possession of the photograph amplified her feelings of loss and helplessness. This moment has resonated with me because it reflects my feelings concerning the deep emotional scars left by my separation from my parents. Although I was young when all this happened to me, the emotional fallout was so intense for me that I can sort of understand the perspective of Offred’s daughter although we have different situations they are similar. I often found myself longing for the moments captured in photographs of happier times, moments that felt irretrievably lost. The photograph also symbolizes not just a memory but the oppressive forces of Gilead that seek to erase Offred’s identity as a mother. The control over her life extends to her relationship with her daughter, leaving her in a constant state of desire. “But she exists, in her white dress. She grows and lives. Isn’t that a good thing? A blessing? Still, I can’t bear it, to have been erased like that(228.)” This resonates with my own experiences of societal expectations and the pressure to comply with rules. For instance, during my young teenage years, I faced a ton of pressure from my friends and family to follow a predetermined path in education. Much like Offred whose identity is subverted by the roles imposed on her, I struggled to assert my desires against the expectations set in front of me. The photograph serves as a reminder of what Offred has lost, just as I often felt the weight of expectations overshadowing my true aspirations. Offred’s emotional turmoil upon seeing the photograph is compounded by her inability to act on her feelings. She is aware that her maternal instincts are stifled by a regime that values women only for their reproductive capabilities. “When there’s meat they cut it up for me ahead of time, as if I’m lacking manual skills or teeth. I have both, however. That’s why I’m not allowed a knife(228.)” This helplessness resonates with me, particularly during times when I felt powerless to change my circumstances. For example, when my family faced financial difficulties, I often felt like an observer in my own life, unable to influence the situation. The sense of being trapped, much like Offred’s confinement in Gilead, evokes a profound empathy within me. I understand the frustration of wanting to reach out and connect but feeling constrained by external forces. Especially knowing that those external forces don’t ever truly understand you’re situation unless they have been in your shoes before. Moreover, Offred’s experience highlights the broader theme of maternal bonds and the sacrifices that come with them. Her desire to protect her daughter, even from afar, resonates with my own experiences of motherhood and the challenges that accompany it. As a child, whose parents never got married but ended up separating when I was young, I often felt the need to protect my younger siblings from the emotional struggles of our family situation. This instinct to shield loved ones from pain, even when I was struggling, mirrors Offred’s fierce love for her daughter. The photograph served as a reminder that, despite the barriers imposed by society, the bond between a mother and child should remain unbreakable.

“i’d find you” by phendste https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERlJjq6cyzA

This song by Phendste resonates with the longing and resilience found in The Handmaid’s Tale, as Offred has a tendency to cling to the hope that she might be reunited with her husband, Luke. The lyrics within the song, “So hold on, don’t you dare lose hope, I will find you” mirror Offred’s desire for a future beyond Gilead, where Luke might still be searching for her, keeping her hope alive. Offred’s wish to “have Luke here… so I could have a fight with him” on page 200 reflects this yearning for even the simplest connection to her old life. Emphasizing even small acts of intimacy like arguing are luxuries in her isolated world. Similarly, the lyric “Oh guard your heart for me baby” speaks to a need for emotional protection; something Offred must do to survive under the constant surveillance and oppression of the regime of Gilead. This song echoes Offred’s silent determination, desperate yearning for her old life, and love for her former partner, Luke.

“Solitude” by Billie Holiday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiU-O8arVa8

Billie Holiday’s “Solitude” fully shows the despair and isolation Offred experiences in The Handmaid’s Tale. The lyric “I sit in my chair, filled with despair… with gloom everywhere” reflects Offred’s daily experiences, and existence, seeing as she spends hours sitting in her room with little to do but contemplate her fate in Gilead. The line “In my solitude, I’m praying” in the song suggests a sense of forced faith when aligned with Offred, in Gilead, since as far as the reader is aware, Offred was not mentioned to be affiliated with any religion prior to her indoctrination as a Handmaid. This indoctrination reflects her limited choices for solace, and solitude in a world where she feels “buried” (page 211) and confined. Continuing this sense of isolation, on page 199 Offred notes how “this isn’t a jail sentence” because there is “no time to be done and finished.” Overall, this song reflects the sinister reality Offred experiences in each and every day, living in Gilead.

“Devil In A New Dress” by Kanye West https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk3rpYkiHe8

Kanye West’s “Devil In A New Dress” exposes the hypocrisy and moral decay within Gilead rulers/ruling class. The line “We ain’t married but tonight I need some consummation” echoes through the commanders’ disregard for their own laws, illustrated during the club scene where the indulge in, well, illicit activities. This reflects the hidden depravity within Gilead, as they exploit women while enforcing strict morality elsewhere. The lyric “What happen to religion? Oh, she lose it” looks back to the indoctrination piece mentioned earlier, and aligns with the superficial religiousness of Gilead, where religion seems to be but a tool used to control the masses. Offred’s contemplation, “I avoid looking down at my body… because I don’t want to see it” (page 63), shows how Gilead has stripped Offred of her autonomy, reducing her identity to her body’s utility. Overall, her desire to resist her fate in any manner reflects a silent rebellion against the Commanders’ hypocrisy, who secretly (although now known) breaks their own rules while she is forced to comply.

“America’s Most Blunted” by Madvillain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jytxkJUM_7U

Madvillain’s “America’s Most Blunted” reflects a state of escape and numbness that resonates with Offred’s struggle for peace. The line “And they wondered how he dealt with stress so well, Wild guess? You could say he stayed sedated” parallels Offred’s attempts to numb herself in Gilead. In her limited, bland world, she treasures the night as “my own time, to do with as I will, as long as I am quiet” (page 52), using the nighttime as a means to detach from the world, similar to a cannabis user. When she acknowledges how every “thought must be rationed” (page 116), she reflects her very calculated effort to stay emotionally sedated, as thinking, or overthinking could lead to an immeasurable amount of despair. Following this line of thought about sedation: during a scene with Serena Joy, Offred is given a cigarette (page 206), which seems to be a calculated move from Serena Joy: to sedate, and calm Offred.

“Creative Control” O.C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXSlKDIl7Ss

O.C.’s “Creative Control” captures themes of individuality and autonomy, which are not present throughout The Handmaid’s Tale—except for one person. Moira. Her rebellious spirit echoes through the line “stop, look and heed, participate in the re-organizing” knowing she was attempting to dismantle Gilead’s oppressive structure, refusing to conform to the societal category and obligations forced upon her. The declaration from the Angels that she was “too dangerous to be allowed the privilege of returning to the Red Center” (p. 249) exemplifies her refusal to “give in, go along, save her skin.” (page 249) like Offred says she has, much like many others. Just as the song speaks to claiming agency, and your creativity, Moira’s defiance is a stand for creative control over her own identity, in stark contrast to Offred, who admits one page 84, “I can’t remember what my real name is.” The lyrics of this song reflect a desire for self-determination, and Moira’s audacity makes her a powerful figure of resistance to the regime in Gilead; even within the constraints of Gilead, some individuals are able to reclaim their sense of self.

Being a woman has never been easy over the whole course of civilization. Although there have been improvements made, the prejudice against women has never stopped. In the book, The Handmaid’s Tale, author Margaret Atwood describes what being a woman in Gilead, before their freedom got taken away, looked like for the female characters in the book.

“I remember the rules, rules that were never spelled out but that every woman knew: Don’t open your door to a stranger, even if he says he is the police. Make him slide his ID under the door. Don’t stop on the road to help a motorist pretending to be in trouble. Keep the locks on and keep going. If anyone whistles, don’t turn to look. Don’t go into a laundromat, by yourself, at night,” (Pg. 24).

Offred is expressing the things she learned growing up in Gilead because of her gender. What’s surprising to me is how well it connects with what women learn today about their personal safety. I became really independent as I grew older and that required me to go to a lot of places by myself. Some would say I didn’t look my age because I was on the taller side and had been more developed than those in my age range. The way I looked didn’t really phase me when I was traveling by myself because I was just a kid. But when I started high school, things changed drastically for me. Before I never experienced the dangers of being a woman in public because I was always in areas where I wouldn’t encounter things like that or I was with my family. My highschool was in a very different location than what I was used to. Even though I have lived in the city for most of my life, I was always on the outskirts rather than directly in the city. And whenever I was in the city, I would have an adult by my side. When starting highschool, this all changed because I started to go to the city by myself to go to school and other extracurriculars. Of course I was told to be safe and let my mom know where I am at all times but I didn’t really realize what she meant by “be safe,” until the school year started to go by and traveling in and out of center city was the norm for me.

I remember walking to the train station and the sidewalk I was walking on happened to be right next to a very busy street. As I was walking, a car slowed down past me, honked and whistled at me, and then drove off. I was confused at first but then realized it was a grown man in that car trying to cat-call me knowing I looked like a kid coming from school. It made me feel extremely uncomfortable and unsafe because I didn’t know if this was gonna be the last time something like this happened. This situation compares to the “rules” Offred describes in quote because even though I am in a completely different timeframe/reality from her, I still have to abide by the same rules she describes. When you get older and start to experience more unhinged things that men do towards you, you know deep down how to react to it and how to prevent it from happening. Experience teaches you lessons. I know now not to walk next to a busy street by myself or respond to strangers (majority men) who have bad intentions with me. My mom never told me these rules but I found them out just by being a woman.

Offred also mentions the change that the women in the book now encounter because of the government’s decisions. Now that all of them are handmaids, their reality has become completely different.

“Now we walk along the same street, in red pairs, and no man shouts obscenities at us, speaks to us, touches us. No one whistles. There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it,” (Pg. 24)

She’s describing what life is like now that women are under the control of the government and how they only get freedom “from” them to do certain things. This caused more safety for the handmaids but made them seem like objects. As you get deeper into the book, Offred goes with her commander to a club and although she is technically protected, the men still look at her like she is something to judge from head to toe.

“The Commander does the talking for me, to this man and to the others who follow him. He doesn’t say much about me, he doesn’t need to. He says I’m new, they look at me and dismiss me and confer together about other things,” (Pg. 236).

The way they reacted to her makes me think what would happen if I was treated the same way in my reality. Would I be shut down just like that? Would I look weird? Although women are not represented as objects nowadays, some people still see us as one, which proves the point Margaret Atwood is trying to make. Gilead is not that much different than society today when you think about how women are treated. It’s not as obvious in our reality but it does still happen, creating windows between the book and real life.

My artwork is about how Offred thought of how winter was not dangerous yet she saw some evil rooted deep within Serena Joy’s garden yet nobody had truly noticed it before.

Not only that but it supposedly shows how their secrets buried deep within the garden that had been long kept there and now needed to be brought into the light as if those secrets had a voice that needed to be heard.

My artwork also in a way shows how the voices of those secrets have been kept hidden for so many years that they had begun to become louder and louder as if they were grim grinning ghosts who had come out to socialize therefore causing offred to wonder if the emptiness that she spoke to when she told her story were there truly voices starting to hear her or was she just losing her inner self after being there for so long without any true reality of her own.