In chapter five of The Handmaid’s Tale, there is a long list of rules and restrictions governing the women in Gilead, especially the Handmaids. These rules shape the mind of the women, altering the perception of their own freedom. The clothes they wear make them walking signifiers of their “status”, as well as removing their individuality and controlling their visibility. One way this society makes sure to maintain women’s compliance is by banning reading and writing. These rules are so decided that even small acts of disobedience turn into what everyone else sees as a major defiance. All of this sums up to the manipulation of freedom. The rules are justified to the Handmaids as if they’re made so that they have a “choice”, when in reality they do not.

Handmaids are always dressed in red and white, which marks their fertility and their role. This way of dressing, Offred refers to as a habit, making this seem like an ingrained custom. “Some people call them habits, a good word for them. Habits are hard to break.”(24) This quote suggests that the clothing is not just uniform, but a way to force a habit onto the women. The white wings are a restriction of sight, which can be seen as both physical and intellectual limitations, preventing them from seeing the outside world as well as not allowing them to think freely. The rules governing their interactions on the street are strict. They always have to stay in pairs, not speak unless absolutely necessary, and keep their heads down. This instills isolation from each other, forcing them into a state of surveillance and distrust.

Having the ability to read and write is a powerful tool in maintaining ignorance. The store signs in the town are now pictograms. This visual prohibition is a constant reminder of the control over women’s access to information. They treat women as illiterate and incapable of making independent decisions or thoughts. The goal behind this is to make them seem or feel incompetent of making choices, with this it allows the higher ups to further keep them brain washed. Offred often talks about the loss of control, something as simple as handling or earning your own money gets taken away. “We use tokens for food, not money, money has been deregulated.” She reminisces on her past, thinking about the laundromats, where she had “my own soap, my own money, money I had earned myself.”(24) These simple acts have been stripped away due to Gilead’s rules.

The handmaids try to maintain an independence, because the opportunity for it is so slim already, they take the risk of or think of taking the risk of breaking the rules. A very big rule the handmaids have is no contact in any way with anyone, and Offred eventually breaks this rule. This society suppresses and prohibits all forms of a woman’s personal relationship, it makes it seem as if something as small as eye contact is an act of resistance. Gilead seeks to control the handmaids’ bodies as a function. They dehumanize these women so much and act as if they are machines made solely for the purpose of reproducing. Gilead doesn’t want to control the handmaids’ bodies, they also want the power to control their thoughts and memories. This is the rule we see Offred constantly breaking, she often has a constant flow or memories reminiscing on her past life. This is a strong example of how Gilead has the ability to restrict the body, but they have not been able to master the mind.

Before all these rules Aunt Lydia described Gilead as “freedom to”, but now it is “freedom from.” The idea of freedom is now twisted in a way to make the handmaids believe they have been saved from all the bad things in society, but what it really does is take away their ability to choose. “There is more than one kind of freedom. Freedom to and freedom from. In days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom. Don’t underrate it.”(25) “Freedom to” would be when women had the freedom to choose their clothes, jobs, and partners. While they had this freedom they were still exposed to sexual harassment and violence. “Freedom from” would be the positive benefits, women have freedom from fear, unwanted attention, and the pressure of objectification. Gilead stretched the dangers of before so much so that they can make it seem like all of this is for the protection of the women, when really it instills power, control, and tricking the handmaids into accepting oppression in exchange for a false sense of security.

I feel a lot of sympathy for the women in this story, I can’t imagine what it would be like everyday to live under the control of someone else. Having the right of choice taken away is insane to me or being forced to forget your old life is something I never want to imagine. When the author writes scenes of her having memories with her child and husband, having her freedom, and the pain of losing her family and basically her whole life taken away, I can feel the impact and emotion brought up with it.

When I read “The Handmaid’s Tale”, I keep coming back to how deeply unsettling it is to witness the way Gilead controls women’s bodies through what they would consider ritual. When I read chapter 16, pages 93-95, I felt a strong wave of discomfort, not only what happened in the Ceremony itself, but the way it was presented. As something normalized, ritualized, and even sanctified. The theme that struck me most powerfully while reading this chapter was the “Control of women’s bodies through ritualized violence”, In other words, Dehumanization. Atwood shows how intimacy and sexuality can be stripped away and replaced with mechanical obedience, and as a reader, I found myself deeply unsettled by how ordinary the characters treated it. That unease is, I think, the point I am meant to feel is the wrongness, even as the people within Gilead act as if it were normal.

The Ceremony is described with chilling simplicity. Offred lies on her back, her head is resting on Serena Joy’s lap, while the commander performs his duty. The scene is clinical, almost boring in its lack of passion. Offred acting in a way of a surrogate for the commander’s wife and himself. It is not an act of love, but an act of ownership. The commander’s position gives him power, Serena Joy’s presence is a reminder that Offred is nothing more than a Surrogate, as I stated briefly, an act of ownership and not love but Offred herself is reduced to a Vessel. What brings more discomfort to me as I read is how ritual transforms an act of violence into something the Society can call holy. Reading pages 93-94, I couldn’t stop thinking about how this ritual functions as a disguise. The Ceremony is rape, but because it has been codified into a monthly event, because it is framed as duty, because it is wrapped in the language of religion, it becomes “normal”. The normalization is what unsettles me the most. It’s one thing to imagine violence happening in secret but it’s another to imagine a whole society sitting quietly in it, repeating it and believing it to be righteous. It made me think, how much wrong can we overlook if it is dressed up as tradition?

What also makes this section uncomfortable was Offred “voice”. She doesn’t describe the event with anger or open horror. Instead, pages 94-95, she detaches herself, narrating in short, almost factual sentences. At first, I wanted her to feel a sense of rage and wrongfulness or to even resist, but then I realized that her detachment is her survival. She has no choice but to endure, and her mind protects her from pulling away. This forced me to confront the reality of her lack of power. It also makes me think of how people under oppressive systems often have to distance themselves from their own experience just to survive because they lack control, control of themselves, their bodies.

Another part of this chapter that made me feel uneasy is that Serena was involved, the commander’s wife. She sits behind offred as this “ritual” occurs, holding her hands, her body arranged to mimic a mother embracing a child. On the surface, this is supposed to show solidarity, but I felt it as a layer of cruelty. Serena Joy’s touch does not comfort, it reinforces Offred’s role as property. It is disturbing to see one woman helping to enforce the system against another, and it reminded me of how power can divide women against each other instead of uniting them.

The pages around these scenes also force me to think about intimacy itself. Offred remembers her past life with Luke, the warmth and passion they once shared. Those memories are painful for her, but also for me as a reader, because they highlight what has been stolen. Knowing what real intimacy can feel like makes the ceremony even colder. This contrast brought me sharp discomfort. The idea that a government could completely erase personal freedom that even love becomes a crime. What lingers most is the realization that this ritual is not an isolated act but part of a system. This is not about one commander, one wife, or one Handmaid. It is about the entire structure of Gilead, a structure that can make something so obviously brutal feel ordinary. That, more than anything, is what makes it concerning to read. Atwood reminds me that oppression doesn’t always come as open violence. Something it comes dressed as tradition, as duty, as ritual and once people accept that disguise, they stop questioning it. Laws that limit women’s autonomy, practices that disguise control as morality, and traditions that tell people their bodies are not their own. Atwood’s writing is disturbing because it feels too close to reality. After reading chapter 16, pages 93-95, forces me to see how ritual can normalize violence, how language can mask cruelty, and how easily people can adapt to its injustice if it is repeated often enough.

For my artistic piece I really wanted to capture the feeling of escape and the hope of freedom in the person’s hand/face. One thing that I was really inspired by was the show, how it depicted many of the escape parts of Offred and her family’s escape from the guards. As a filmmaker and photographer, I have to see many details in a shot, so, for example, we have to look at what the director was trying to capture in the character’s face, their attitude, their body language, and many more things in each scene. For example, you can see in this scene how the family reacts to the oncoming threat of the guards coming for them. The dark clothes do not make them stand out and look casual; they crouch down as they try to walk away.

Golden brown (“ never a frown with golden brown”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2o_HupXq1g&list=RDW2o_HupXq1g&start_radio=1 This song connects to the text. The part where they say “never a frown” can connect directly to Ofred because of how persistent she is. Ofred puts up with a lot of stuff, especially from men and society, and she still finds ways to bypass and pursue her dreams. She dreams of getting out of the prison-like place she is in, and she wakes up and perseveres through struggles every day. An example of her persistence is when she says, “I rub butter over my face, work it through my skin, there is no longer any hand lotion or face cream.”-pg96 This is showing how persistent she is every day to keep herself clean and continue to maintain being healthy during the situation she is in. ofred continues to show up for people. In chapter 19, Ofred went to watch another handmaid give birth, even though she doesn’t really like her

curse(“they love you then they hate you thats the curse”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HX7gxETG6k&list=RD3HX7gxETG6k&start_radio=1 This connects to the theme of The Handmaid’s Tale, which has a lot to do with rape and horrible men. This song, “Curse,” talks about love and hate. Love and hate are an overarching theme in The Handmaid’s Tale because men want to use women for their bodies and not actually because they love them. For example, the ceremony that they have are horrible and all the women are uncomfortable doing it. Another example is when Ofred and the doctor are talking about how she needed to have a baby, and the doctor said that he could have the baby with her. Ultimately it seems nice, but when you think about it, the doctor wouldn’t be having a horrible time while giving her a baby. For the part about hate, they are so terrible to the handmaids the whole time they are there. They are treated with little to no respect.

impossible(“nights like this nights like this, I wish I could do the impossible”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLMB6-AHTXI&list=RDfLMB6-AHTXI&start_radio=1 This can connect to chapter 18 of The Handmaid’s Tale when she is thinking about Luke and all these scenarios that could have happened to him. Although she isn’t fully mourning Luke she is still thinking about him. The text stated “lying in bed, with Luke, his hand on my rounded belly. The three of us are in bed. The thunderstorm outside the window. He rolls over with me.” When hearing this, the reader is triggered to feel some type of way for being that we have all experienced something like this, but way less extreme. Later in the chapter, Ofred begins to think more and more about her family, like her mother and daughter. The part of the quote where it says “ I wish I could do the impossible” is connected to Ofred trying to move on, but it feels impossible because her family haunts her in a way that she can’t stop thinking about it

Chamber of reflection(“alone again”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQsF3pzOc54&list=RDpQsF3pzOc54&start_radio=1 The song Chamber of Reflection is perfect for this entire story because it is about loneliness and being hurt. I also think that the name “chamber of reflection”-pg103 has a lot to do with The Handmaid’s Tale because all of the handmaids do a lot of reflection while they are out and about doing the things that they are supposed to do. The theme of the chamber of reflection, I feel, connects to a lot of the handmaids due to the terrible situation that most of them are in, like loneliness affects Ofred every day, and the other handmaids. Then the line in this song, “alone again,” also connects to the theme of loneliness in this story. Most of the handmaids are alone, and on top of that, they aren’t with their families, which causes them to be even more lonely

ghost(“and if i can’t be close to you I’ll settle for the ghost of you.”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp8msa5uYsc&list=RDFp8msa5uYsc&start_radio=1 This song can connect to Ofred missing her mother. Ofred’s mother played a massive role in Offred’s feminist belief system, so the fact that her mother isn’t there to help and support her is heartbreaking to Offred. Ofred felt secure once she saw her mother in the film, but she later realised the horrible fate that could have happened to her mother. In the future of the book. I think that Offred will continue to follow in her mother’s footsteps once she gets the resources to do so. In the video, Ghost Justin Bieber has a strong connection to his mom, and we can see that he puts in efforts to talk to his mom every day and show her that she cares. Offered is similar, but the fact that she cares so much and follows in her mom’s footsteps shows the care and the connection to the song Ghost

As I read The Handmaid’s Tale, I noticed a recurring pattern of hostility amongst women, revealed in small moments that is often overlooked.

Early in the book, when Offred was first introduced, we get a glimpse of her being moved into a new house—-the Commander’s house—where she will serve as his Handmaid. When she reaches the door, with a Guardian not too far behind, she meets the Commander’s Wife, Serena Joy, at the door. Atwood writes, “She stood in the doorway blocking the entrance. She wanted me to feel that I could not come into the house unless she said so(Ch 3, pg. 13)” The hostility shown in the quote is very subtle but powerful. Especially considering they are both victims of the oppressive system that has overtaken Giilead. This first meeting is significant because it foreshadows the strained relationship between Offred and Serena Joy.

As I read, I found myself often disappointed and a little frustrated that these women are so focused on comparing what they have and don’t have with the woman in Gilead, not realizing they are feeding right into the people in power’s trap.

In the later 17th century, during the early stages of slavery, there was a time when both Black people and poor white men were suffering equally under the system. In fact, both of them were so fed up with the system, it seemed that they would come together to fight against the unfair circumstances created by wealthy white men. This was not what the people in power wanted. To prevent possible rebellion, the elites—the rich white men—put the poor white people slightly higher on the social ladder, giving them more privileges to separate them from the enslaved. This redirected their anger away from the system itself and towards each other, giving them a reason to fight one another. This same tactic of dividing oppressed groups appears in the Handmaid’s Tale as well. The women, like Serena Joy and Offred, are victims of Gilead, but because of the oppressive system highlights the difference between the women, preventing them from uniting against the ones who put the system in place.

Connecting back to the present, this pattern reminded me of something I experienced in my own life as well. When I was younger,there was a girl in my friend group who acted as the leader. She didn’t like me nor this other girl in the group, instead confronting us directly put us against each other. One day, she would one day be my friend, and exclude the other girl; the next day, it would be the opposite. At the time, I didn’t recognize it for what it was, because I was focused on getting her approval. The competition created tension between the girl and I, distracting us from recognizing the one who was really causing conflict.

This situation is similar to the way women are set against each other in the Handmaid’s Tale. For example, Serena Joy and Offred constantly clash instead of discerning their shared suffering. After completing the last ritual of the Ceremony, Serena Joy immediately snaps at Offred: “Get up and get out”(Ch. 16, pg 95), when normally there is supposed to be a 10 min wait period before the Handmaids get up. Similarly, Offred and Ofglen are walking home from the market, they encounter grieving Econowifes. Instead of recognition of their compassion, the girls received resentment: “the first one scowled at us, one of the others turned aside and spits on the sidewalk. The Econowives do not like us(Ch.8 pg.44). These moments show that the hostility isn’t just between Serena Joy and Offred, but between all the women in Gilead. Just like when I was younger, people who should have been united, instead their focus was redirected into competing with each other, while the real problem stayed in control.

Taking into consideration the things discussed, the pattern shown throughout the book is important to take note of because Atwood warns us that when we find ourselves comparing or competing against our peers, we should pause and take a look at the bigger picture. These smaller issues can distract us from the source of our problems, just as it happened in the novel, in history, and even my own life. Instead of turning against each other, Atwood urges us to come together and face the deeper issues that affect us all. Because in the end, even the people in power know that there is strength in numbers.

The scene in The Handmaid’s Tale that resonates with me the most is when Janine stands in front of the group and confesses that she was raped at only 14. She did not receive support or comfort, but instead, the other women were forced to chant and tell her that it was her fault. This moment reminded me of the time when a man followed me home without my knowledge, and my mom and sister decided to worry about what I wore out of the house that day, rather than just comforting me. Additionally, there was an instance when my friend was almost taken advantage of on her way to school, which was when we were still in the 10th grade.

Women are often blamed for the things done to them. Even though my mom and sister didn’t blame me, it still felt like it was my fault. I did not know this man from anywhere. It was summertime, and that means fewer but more comfortable clothes. I often hear “What were you wearing?” or “Why didn’t you say no?” instead of holding the actual person accountable who caused the harm. I remember one time, at my old school, my friend Carolyne was almost taken advantage of while on her way to school. Once everyone at school found out, they tried to blame her for what happened. Not just students, even staff members. Saying things like “I told her to stop wearing her skirt like that” and “What did she do?”. It felt as if no one genuinely cared what happened to her. I used to go to a catholic school in my 9th and 10th grade years. We had to wear skirts and knee-high socks. We would often roll our skirts up 2-3 times to have a shorter, more “cute” length. This was basically standard practice for the majority of the girls, except for the ones who came from stricter religious backgrounds. We all rolled our skirts up as a collective, so why should Carolyne be blamed for someone trying to hurt her on her way to school? This situation reminded me of Janine; both situations shift blame onto the victim, rather than the perpetrator.

When I was followed home that day, I had on an athletic set in the color pink. People often comment about my body, sometimes as compliments, or just to be disgusting. I know certain clothes emphasize certain parts of me, but that is far from my intention. A man saw me exit my Lyft ride from the bus stop at the end of my street and thought it was okay to approach me as I tried to enter my apartment, even after I deliberately ignored him. Thankfully, I got in the house before he could get into arm’s reach of me, and upon my entrance, I told my sister what happened. I know my mom and sister were only trying to protect me, but it felt like they were blaming me, instead of the man who chose to follow me. One thing about my family, word spreads fast. Not only did my sister know, but my mom, grandmom, cousins, and aunts. Just like Janine, I felt the weight of someone else’s actions. Just like Janine said, ‘It was my fault. It was my own fault. I led them on (Atwood, Chapter 13).” Did I inconspicuously lead him on by the way I dressed that day?

My reaction to this scene is a mixture of shock, anger, and sadness. Anger because why is victim-blaming so normalized? Sadness because Janine was a young girl who had her innocence stolen from her. Shock because why would Aunt Lydi think it’s okay to make people say these things to her? So much so that Janine actually started to believe it as if it were true. Even though the book is written in a dystopian context, it closely mirrors real-life struggles and oppression that exist in our society today. “Her fault, her fault, her fault, we chant in unison. Who led them on? She did, she did, she did. Why did God allow such a thing to happen? Teach her a lesson, teach her a lesson (Atwood, Chapter 13),” the handmaids were forced to chant, showing how systems can be put in place even by other women to force blame. People who you expect to understand, people who should understand, ultimately end up repeating the same oppressive behaviors. Atwood did an outstanding job emphasizing this scene. Reading is so powerful, but when you watch it, it’s even more powerful and real.

The Way Things Go by Beabadoobee: After the commander exits the room once the ceremony is over, Serena Joy acted rudely to Offred. On page 95 the author writes “Serena Joy lets go of my hands. “you can get up now,” she says. “Get up and get out”.” It truly wasn’t right for Serena Joy to act the way she did towards Offred because she was only doing what she had to do. Serena Joy knows that after the ceremony, the handmaids are supposed to rest to try to stop anything from going wrong, but instead she made her leave immediately after. In this moment Offred relates to the chorus of The Way Things Go by beabadoobee, the chorus says “And there’s so much left to say I guess I’m just the bigger guy And there’s too much on my mind That I don’t even want to try Guess it’s not far from the ordinary They do say love is blind But I guess that’s the way things go”. Offred relates to this because she could have asked why she was being kicked out early and why Serena Joy acted the way she did, but she left. Offred is used to being treated in any type of way because if she were to speak up she could get punished.

Drift Away Omnichard by Trillion: During the ceremony Serena Joy seemed to have a tough time watching the commander and Offred be intimate with each other, although she knew she’d be the one receiving the baby if the ceremony was successful. On page 94 the author illustrates “Serena Joy grips my hand as if it is she,not I, who’s being fucked, as if she finds it pleasureable or painful”. Once the ceremony is over Serena Joy immediately kicks Offred out even though the handmaids are supposed to rest for a little after the ceremony to ensure that everything goes smoothly, but the anger she was feeling overpowered her. During this moment Serena Joy relates to the lyrics in Drift Away Omnichard by Trillion, Trillion writes “Isn’t that lovely? Isn’t that cool? And isn’t it cruel? And aren’t I a fool to have Happily listened Happily stayed Happily watching her drift Drift Drift Away” Serena relates to these lyrics because she has to watch the commander do things with another woman and it leaves her with a terrible feeling, but she has no choice but to let it happen.

Bubble Gum by Clairo: During the ceremony the commander seems unamused even though he has two women in front of him with one of them being his wife. On page 94 the author states “ He is preoccupied, like a man humming to himself in the shower without knowing he’s humming; like a man who has other things on his mind”. At this moment the commander seemed unamused to Offred but Serena Joy can read him better being that she is his wife and that is what caused her to have so much frustration. This explains why he sent Nick to let Offred know he wanted to speak with her. The commander relates to Bubble Gum by Clairo, when Clairo says “ Sorry I didn’t kiss you But it’s obvious I wanted to” The commander relates to this because he has an interest in Offred but he doesn’t openly express it because it could cause problems for himself and Offred.

Bad Religion by Frank Ocean: After the Ceremony, Offred runs into Nick and they share an intimate moment knowing they shouldn’t and all the trouble they could get in. On page 98 the author states “My hand goes down, how about that, I could unbotton, and then. But it’s too dangerous, he knows it, we push each other away, not far. Too much trust, too much risk, too much already.” During this moment Offred feels something towards Nick, but she knows they could never have anything so she stops anything from further happening to avoid any trouble. In this moment Offred relates to bad religion by Frank Ocean when Frank Ocean says “To me, it’s nothing but a one-man cult And cyanide in my styrofoam cup I can never make him love me Never make him love me, no No, oh It’s a, it’s a bad religion To be in love with someone who Could never love you” Offred may not have exactly been in love with Nick but in this moment she was attracted to him but she knows she could never form anything real with him even if she tried because they’d get into a great amount of trouble.

You Get Me so High by The Neighbourhood: When Offred and Nick share an intimate moment they both know they could get themselves in a great amount of trouble if they were caught or even gained a bit of suspicion. The author supports this idea by writing “In the dark parlor we move away from each other, slowly, as if pulled towards each other by a force, current, pulled apart by hands equally strong.” This quote aligns with the song You Get Me so High by The Neighborhood when The Neighborhood says “Hope you don’t regret it I pushed a lot back, but I can’t forget it We never got the credit Nobody seemed to hear us, but we said it Neither of us planned it And for a long time, I took it all for granted I really thought we had it But at the time, it was more than I could manage, so If we can leave it all behind us”. Offred and Nick relate to these lyrics because this was a big moment for them but they realized they’d be better off not going any further with each other.

Playlist to find songs ⬆️

A Handmaid’s tail. “I’ve learned to do without a lot of things. If you have a lot of things, said Aunt Lydia, you get too attached to this material world and you forget about spiritual values. You must cultivate poverty of spirit. Blessed are the meek. She didn’t go on to say anything about inheriting the earth.” (64) In The Handmaid’s Tale, there are many examples of no control. No control over actions, a society that deprives women of decisions. This quote shows this in more than one way. Aunt Lydia exemplifies this through saying, “You must cultivate poverty of spirit.” Saying to Offrend that this world is not where she can have hopes and dreams. One must keep the spirit low to conform to the standards of the Aunts, Handmaids, and Men in this society.

Aunt Lydia also implies that the Handmaids are meant to be deprived of their experiences. Meant not to hold on to the experience, but a vehicle of the experience. In later chapters, this is shown through Janine’s birthing process. Janine, the handmaid, got her experience stolen from her by the commander’s wife. Having the Commander’s wives be the main witness, the main birthing mother, the main character. While the Handmaids stand there and watch as this birthing ritual detracts from Janine, it is to the Commander’s wife. Taking away the “things” of the Handmaid that Aunt Lydia says that Offred doesn’t have a lot of.

This, in a way, internalizes and reinforces the brainwashing effect on Offred. It turns Aunt Lydia’s advice into another avenue of brainwashing. A repeated voice that says women, especially handmaids, don’t have any power over their bodies, experiences, or autonomy. The role that Offrend is put into makes one character question what part she has to fill. What was her purpose of existence in the land of Gilad? Later in the paragraph of the first quote, it says, “ I lie, lapped by the water, beside an open drawer that does not exist, and think about a girl who did not die when she was five; who still does exist, I hope, though not for me. Do I exist for her? Am I pictured somewhere, in the dark at the back of her mind? – They were right, it’s easier to think of her as dead. I don’t have to hope then, or make a wasted effort.” Her questioning about life made Offred think about her daughter. Her only real hope is that Offred exist in this society. Although Offred doesn’t have a lot to begin with, there is a sense of longing that is exemplified through the quote. If her daughter does remember her like Offred does with her mother, what would that mean for Offred? It seems that her daughter being alive is keeping her going, making her hope for a future. But this gets negated as others in the story say it’s too useless for her to hope to meet again. Having this attachment to her daughter allows it to be deprived of Offred. Everything in society points to Handmaids having no attachment to anything personal. Forced to live a perpetual state of existing only for her body, and not her mind.

When Aunt Lydia speaks to Offred, there is always an underlying tone of how to live in this world. Explaining to Offred the societal pressures of being a handmaid and what the outcomes of such handmaids are. With Aunt Lydia’s explanations, there is an expression of hopelessness. That’s where she is in life; it’s going to end there. While giving Offred advice on how to live. But what she teaches Offred often changes Offred’s whole viewpoint of life. Exemplify the “keeping your head down mentality.” Avoid all troubles and ignore them. This comes with Offred’s attachment to her daughter; it’s ended by Aunt Lydia saying it’s easier to say her daughter was dead. Brainwashing Offred into a person who is more submissive, although not intentionally.

This, in turn, gives a kind of metaphor, where it’s easier to ignore and forget attachment, but that leaves a person unsatisfied with their own life. Making the oppress wonder what kind of world I would live in if I were not pushed down without any forewarning.

A Handmaid’s tail. “I’ve learned to do without a lot of things. If you have a lot of things, said Aunt Lydia, you get too attached to this material world and you forget about spiritual values. You must cultivate poverty of spirit. Blessed are the meek. She didn’t go on to say anything about inheriting the earth.” (64) In The Handmaid’s Tale, there are many examples of no control. No control over actions, a society that deprives women of decisions. This quote shows this in more than one way. Aunt Lydia exemplifies this through saying, “You must cultivate poverty of spirit.” Saying to Offrend that this world is not where she can have hopes and dreams. One must keep the spirit low to conform to the standards of the Aunts, Handmaids, and Men in this society.

Aunt Lydia also implies that the Handmaids are meant to be deprived of their experiences. Meant not to hold on to the experience, but a vehicle of the experience. In later chapters, this is shown through Janine’s birthing process. Janine, the handmaid, got her experience stolen from her by the commander’s wife. Having the Commander’s wives be the main witness, the main birthing mother, the main character. While the Handmaids stand there and watch as this birthing ritual detracts from Janine, it is to the Commander’s wife. Taking away the “things” of the Handmaid that Aunt Lydia says that Offred doesn’t have a lot of.

This, in a way, internalizes and reinforces the brainwashing effect on Offred. It turns Aunt Lydia’s advice into another avenue of brainwashing. A repeated voice that says women, especially handmaids, don’t have any power over their bodies, experiences, or autonomy. The role that Offrend is put into makes one character question what part she has to fill. What was her purpose of existence in the land of Gilad? Later in the paragraph of the first quote, it says, “ I lie, lapped by the water, beside an open drawer that does not exist, and think about a girl who did not die when she was five; who still does exist, I hope, though not for me. Do I exist for her? Am I pictured somewhere, in the dark at the back of her mind? – They were right, it’s easier to think of her as dead. I don’t have to hope then, or make a wasted effort.” Her questioning about life made Offred think about her daughter. Her only real hope is that Offred exist in this society. Although Offred doesn’t have a lot to begin with, there is a sense of longing that is exemplified through the quote. If her daughter does remember her like Offred does with her mother, what would that mean for Offred? It seems that her daughter being alive is keeping her going, making her hope for a future. But this gets negated as others in the story say it’s too useless for her to hope to meet again. Having this attachment to her daughter allows it to be deprived of Offred. Everything in society points to Handmaids having no attachment to anything personal. Forced to live a perpetual state of existing only for her body, and not her mind.

When Aunt Lydia speaks to Offred, there is always an underlying tone of how to live in this world. Explaining to Offred the societal pressures of being a handmaid and what the outcomes of such handmaids are. With Aunt Lydia’s explanations, there is an expression of hopelessness. That’s where she is in life; it’s going to end there. While giving Offred advice on how to live. But what she teaches Offred often changes Offred’s whole viewpoint of life. Exemplify the “keeping your head down mentality.” Avoid all troubles and ignore them. This comes with Offred’s attachment to her daughter; it’s ended by Aunt Lydia saying it’s easier to say her daughter was dead. Brainwashing Offred into a person who is more submissive, although not intentionally.

This, in turn, gives a kind of metaphor, where it’s easier to ignore and forget attachment, but that leaves a person unsatisfied with their own life. Making the oppress wonder what kind of world I would live in if I were not pushed down without any forewarning.

“Doubled, I walk the street. Though we are no longer in the commanders’ compound, there are large houses here also. In front of one of them the a guardian is mowing the lawn. The lawns are tidy, the facades are gracious, in good repair; they’re like the beautiful pictures they used to print in the magazines about homes and gardens and interior decoration. There is the same absence of people, the same air of being asleep. The street is almost like a museum, or a street in a model town constructed to show the way people used to live. As in those pictures, those museums, those model towns, there are no children.” pg.23

My artwork, Museum Town, is a visual representation of Offred on a shopping walk in the old university town. As they walk, Offred talks about the town and has a flashback of when she and Luke used to walk in the town. This piece captures the emotional landscape of a character navigating a world that has been radically altered by authoritarian control.

For the artwork, I draw it as if it were in a museum. There aren’t too many people in the artwork because Offred states, “there is the same absence of people, in the same air of being asleep.” The absence of people suggests a physical emptiness; streets that were once lively are now eerily deserted. The town is not actually deserted; the people there aren’t truly alive, they’re silenced, surveilled, stripped of individuality. The lawns are tidy, so all of the lawns in the towns are done, but the one that the Guardian is mowing isn’t done. “The lawns are tidy, the facades are gracious, in good repair; they’re like the beautiful pictures they used to print in the magazines about homes and gardens, and interior decorations. The descriptions of the homes and buildings in the town are told almost as if Offred were in a simulation. I think that it’s told in this way because it shows that she really has no control throughout the story.

“ Doctors lived here once, lawyers, university professors. There are no lawyers anymore, and the university is closed.”

The figures walking in the dresses represent Offred herself; she finds herself caught between two worlds. Her presence in the artwork is almost ghostlike, to reflect the internal nature of her journey. She is physically present in the town, but mentally and emotionally tethered to the past. Offred, who is present in the town is walking with he head down because the town is depressing to her as she states, “ The street is almost like a museum, or a street in a model town constructed to show the way people used to live. As in those pictures, those museums, those model towns, there are no children.” she compares the street to a museum, a place where the past is preserved but no longer lived, museum are lifeless. The absence of children is the most haunting detail; their absence suggests a broken society, one that cannot sustain life.

“Luke and I used to walk together, sometimes, along these streets. We used to talk about buying a house like one of these, an old big house, fixing it up. We would have a garden, swings for the children. We would have children.”

The person next to Offred in the artwork is herself; the one walking normally with a smile on her face is the past Offred. This shows the difference between the past and present of Offred. Past Offred was happy because in the past she had dreamed of buying one of these homes with Luke and having kids and living the dream life, but the present her is upset because of the way life turned out for her. She has no children, no Luke.

Ultimately, Museum Town is a representation of the present and the past combined with different emotions from Offred, navigating a world that has been radically altered by authorized control. Changing the once good town to more of a museum town, lifeless to the people that live in it.