Chapter 23 of The Handmaid’s Tale is an interesting scene, with lots of complicated dynamics and emotions at play. There are a lot of things that can be drawn or deduced from this chapter, which is why I chose it to write a reader response to. The first thing that grabbed my attention from this chapter was the complex power dynamic in this story. There are tons of examples of this throughout this book, but almost none are as clearly defined as when Offred herself gives a quote that says that the word of The Commander could be taken above the word of the law. Another thing that I noticed was that this chapter did good at highlighting the extreme manipulation that goes on during this chapter. This obviously was clear throughout the entire book, but there were a few quotes in this chapter that described it very well for analysis.

The complicated hierarchy of this story came into play a lot in this chapter, and that was the main thing that I would say made the events of this chapter especially conflicting for Offred. One example of this is the game of Scrabble that her and The Commander play together. There are multiple rules that would have technically forbade her from participating, like the fact that women are not supposed to read - and this was not only an issue that would have fallen on her, but also The Commander, as he invited and encouraged her to play with him. Offred knew these rules, and she noted when he invited her that she shouldn’t accept, but the reason she decided to anyways was because “to refuse to see him could be worse. There’s no doubt who holds the real power.” Even though there was legislation in place, The Commander’s word is scary enough to Offred to convince her to do as he said. For me, this raises some questions about corruption within this already corrupt system. The commanders, or people with more power than them, could potentially use this power to further their own personal interests, or to help the women in the system. Although I honestly don’t expect any of the commanders or other officials to turn against the government, it would be a very interesting plot twist and is something that this situation makes me think about.

The power dynamic in this book isn’t just complicated in its layers, but it’s also extremely manipulative. This is obvious at almost every point in the book from start to end, but it’s also made clear in this chapter, and there are a few quotes that are especially clear about it. “But if you happen to be a man, sometime in the future, and you’ve made it this far, please remember: you will never be subject to the temptation or feeling you must forgive, a man, as a woman. It’s difficult to resist, believe me. But remember that forgiveness too is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest control.” This quote from earlier in the same chapter is a great example of this intense emotional manipulation that the women in the Gilead society face. Offred is reflecting at the start of this chapter before the scene where The Commander asks her to kiss him. She talks about how sometimes, the women in this novel are tempted to feel bad for or forgive the men, as hard as she tries to resist. The use of the line “you will never be subject to the temptation or feeling you must forgive, a man, as a woman,” helps to further her point, making it clear that this is an issue that women specifically face, and one that a man couldn’t comprehend. This is a pressure that her and all of the other women who are forced to be handmaids, wives, or other subordinate roles tot he men feel, and in the end even though it is a trauma that they are going through, they are left feeling like they should feel guilty or regretful, as if they are at fault.

Creep by Radiohead was the first thing I thought of when I was introduced to this assignment. Creep is a song about people not being in their right bodies for themself and feeling alienated or foreign, the lyric to the song is, “I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here, I don’t belong here.” In the Handmaid’s Tale, page 61, it says, “My nakedness is strange to me already, my body seems outdated.” This tells the reader that not only does Offred feel that type of way but others might too. These handmaids are put here against their own will, making them feel like this couldn’t be real to them and feeling like they have failed. Offred doesn’t seem like she liked the position she is in and making women have babies against their will just because of this dystopian society. This makes me think of how someone can not be able to feel their body, like they don’t belong in the world but stuff like this helps the reader understand why sometimes it feels like this because, in this case, she’s alone. The next song on my list is Human by Christina Perri. She sings about how we are only human meaning nothing like this should ever have to happen to someone or anyone shouldn’t have to experience anything that makes them feel not right with their own bodies. She makes the song feel like we should all be helping each other and not working against each other because humans are the only living species that can talk to each other, learn, help others ,and we all have flaws. The lyric says, “But I’m only human, and I bleed when I fall down.” In the Handmaid’s Tale, page 94, Offred is having the ceremony and says, “Close your eyes and think of England but this is not England, I wish he would hurry up.” This just shows that this will and maybe break her later. The next song is The Night We Met by Lord Huron. He sings a song about someone in his past who we felt deeply connected to and I can infer that they fell apart and he would love to meet again the way they did. While reading the Handmaid’s Tale, she keeps having dreams and flashbacks of Luke and herself. “Luke was there, behind me, I turned to see him, he won’t look at me… the bell awakes me, and then Cora, knocking on my door… wipe my face with my sleeve. Of all the dreams this is the worst,” page 75. Offred wishes she can know if Luke is still alive and if she can see him again. The lyrics to the song says, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Haunted by the ghost of you, take me back to the night we met.” I think this part of the song resonates with her and Luke’s relationship well because Offred was his mistress and she really felt like he was the one for her. The next song is You Don’t Own Me by Lesley Gore. This one is self explanatory. The song just means that they are allowed to do whatever they desire and no one shall tell them not to. In the Handmaid’s Tale once again I said this but they are being held there against their will and not being able to do stuff freely. In this song it says, “You don’t own me, I’m not just one of many toys, You don’t own me, Don’t say I can’t go with other boys.” This one connects with the third song and the second song in this essay because the people who run this dystopian society don’t get to tell them what they should do or who they should be with. Once again the reader understands the circumstances for the handmaids but the commander has to have intercourse with the handmaids so they can have a baby but she does want a baby just not with the commander. The last song is IDon’tWannaBeYouAnymore by Billie Eilish. This one is also self explanatory and also resonates with the first song. The meaning behind this song is that she is unhappy with the current state she is in and sees other people doing the things she wants to do but she doesn’t feel like she is made to do those things. Offred knows she wasn’t made to be put in a society where they are forcibly taking action on women to have kids. The lyric says, “If tear drops could be bottled, their be swimming pools filled by models, told the tight dress is what make you a whore, If I love you was a promise, would you break it if your honest, tell the mirror what she knows she heard before, I don’t want to be you anymore.” This is about gender and how people talk about women and that people are insecure and by looking in the mirror people see their insecurities. This also relates to the first song about not being in your body.

Artist Statement: This image depicts the scene on pages 71-72 of The Handmaid’s Tale. Janine is in the center, small as can be, while the girls around her point accusingly. Janine shrinks under their hurtful gaze, their faces graying into anonymity because their personal identities are not relevant to her pain. They are a single entity that taunt her, not because of who she is, but what was done to her. To them, she has been reduced to a nasty word; comparatively, the girls have been reduced to bullies.

This scene is from Janine’s perspective, so the girls surrounding her are intentionally one-dimensional. Surrounding them are vague shadowy figures with reaching claws. This can be interpreted as both the handmaids-in-training further melting into a concept, a voice, for Janine. Or, as the demon that is girls turning against each other. They are grabbing and clawing, both at Janine, and at the girls. Perhaps they are trying to coax more girls into the bullying. The only thing Janine can register is their incessant chant. “Her fault. Her fault.” Those words are ingrained everywhere in the art, the bright white contrasting the dark reds, burning the etches into Janine. Still, this behavior is unexpected because of the concept of girls supporting girls.

In a world where women are supposed to stick by each other and savor as much power in numbers as they can get, it is jarring for that unity and empathy to be stripped away, especially for a tragedy such as a gangbang. That event was out of Janine’s control, despite however neutral or positive she may have felt. Instead of empathizing with her, they are taught to blame her. Void of support, it feels as though the entire world has turned on Janine. Thus, the piece illustrates the idea that a single phrase can hold the weight of the entire world.

Offred knows this. The other girls know this. They understand the heavy impact of their words and that Janine doesn’t deserve this at all. Still, there is unity in turning against her. In this us vs. her ultimatum, the girls see the damage that Janine takes, and it is less appealing to be in her position or on her side. They are complex creatures in that way, that they know what they are doing is wrong, but justify it through their fear. Their fear that they will be given away, the fear of openly standing against this society and culture of blaming women for sexuality, and the fear that at any moment, they can be her. Janine’s position is one of relief, for at least it’s her that suffers, and not them. But it’s important to note that these girls aren’t evil. They have been pushed into a corner and are doing everything in their power to preserve their sanity. Unanimously despising an innocent is far from the best preservation of humanity, but it’s better than nothing.

Other details worth noting are the overall red color scheme, which is a tie to the red of handmaids, and how the color darkens as the image zooms out.

¨Love yourz¨ The first song Love Yourz, is about appreciating what you have, even when times are tough. Offred often thinks about her life before Gilead, which was full of love and freedom. She remembers being with her husband, Luke, and the happy moments they shared. J Cole’s song reminds us to value our shared lives. J Cole song reminds us to value our lives and relationships, which connects to Offred long past in the book Offred says “I remember the smell of his skin the way he would hold me¨. This shows how much she misses the love she once had. The message of ove Yourz” connects to Offreds memories and highlights her desire tohold onto the love that has been taken from her The second song “Fire” talks about the destrutive nature of oppressive system and the strong desire for freedom. In Gilead, women are controlled and treated like property. Offred and other women face strict rules that take away their freedom. Offred expresses her feelings of being invisible when she says, ¨We were the people who were not in the papers.”This quote shows her desire to resist the system that tries to erase her identity. The themes of resistance and strengths in ¨Fire¨ reflect Offred’s struggle to find her voice and fight against the regime ¨ 4 Your Eyez Only” tells a story about legacy and how one’s life affects future generations. Offred’s story is not just about her survival, it’s also about her hopes for her daughter, who was forced to leave behind. The sng focuses on sharing wisdom and experiences, which connect to Offred’s wish to ensure her daughter knows the truth about their past. In the novel Offred often thinks, Ï want to be able to tell her what happened to me.” This line reveals her deep desire to share her story and the lessons she has learned. The song´s focus on legacy resonates with Offred’s hope that her daughter will understand the struggles of Women in Gilead. The fourth song, “Middle Child talks about the struggle for recognition and the desire to have a place in a world that often ignores people. In Gilead, women like Offred are treated as if they don’t matter and must compete against each other to survive. This feeling of being overlooked is central to Offred’s experience. Offred describes her feelings of being unimportant when she says I am not allowed to read. I am not allowed to write¨. This highlights her lack of power in a society that does not value women. The themes of fighting for one´s place and voice in “Middle Child” connect to Offred’s struggle against the silence imposed on her by Gilead. Finally, “Neighbors” explores themes of community and the difficulties in relationships. In the relationship between women is complicated by jealousy and fear. Offred’s relationship with Sersna Jot, the wife of the Commander shows this complexity. OFfred notes, he is not my friend. I am not her friend.¨ This line shows the tension and distance between them. The song exploration of how societ can hurt relationships connect with Offreds struggles can hurt relationships connect with Offreds struggle to connect with others in a divided world. In conclusion, J Cole’s music helps us explore the themes and experiences in the book. Each song connects to Offred’s journey, her memories, and her fight against oppression. The emotional power of J Cole’s lyrics deepens our understanding of Offred’s character and the world of Gilead. Through songs like ¨Love Yourz,” Fire¨ ¨4 Your Eyez Only¨ Middle Child, ¨ and ¨Neighbors we see how music can reflect and enhance our understanding of literature. These connections remind us of the importance of l for frove, the fight for freedom, the values of sharing stories, the struggle for recognition, and the complexities of relationships. J Cole’s songs help us appreciate the depth of Offred’s story and the strength in the face of oppression

J. Cole - MIDDLE CHILD (Official Audio) Love Yourz J. Cole - 4 Your Eyes Only [Explicit] J. Cole - Neighbors J. Cole – Fire Squad (Official Music Video)

The Wall is something that was introduced to readers in chapter 6. Ofred says it is hundreds of years old, made of bricks, with barbed wire and metal posts surrounding it. The Wall is filled with 6 bodies, and the handmaids are forced to look at them. Ofred notes that the bodies are hung with white bags over their heads, which she states is the worst thing that could be over their heads. My artwork helps readers visualize just that. It shows two handmaids in their red dresses and white hats looking at three bodies on the wall. In the drawing, Ofred looks as if she is walking away while the other handmaid beside her has stopped. I chose to do this because it helps present the idea that some handmaids have already become desensitized to The Wall, while others are still adjusting. In the drawing, you will also see a quote next to Ofred and below the bodies that says “We lived as usual by ignoring,” What makes this scene so significant is how true this can be in today’s society. When scrolling on social media, watching the news, or hearing news from others, it is easy to have little to no empathy for things we see. While I think this can be true for any citizen in any country, I specifically think this idea is very prominent when it comes to Americans and how we live. When reading this part, I initially thought it was very dehumanizing; however, I realized that this is something that citizens do in everyday society. As the two handmaids are looking at The Wall, Aunt Lydia says, “This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after time it will. It will become ordinary,” (pg 11). Many things today seem out of the ordinary, but over tim,e we become accustomed to them just as Aunt Lydia suggests in the book. However, even though this idea may be true, I question how much we as a society have normalized without realizing it. Crime, death, and losses are all things in American society that have become overlooked if they have happened to the average citizen. This is due to the fact that these things are far too common to see. Tragedies are something that we see every day, causing this to be the unfortunate norm for American citizens. As we see these things almost every day, we fail to have any genuine emotions towards it until it happens to us personally. This goes along with Aunt Lydia’s quote, as we continue to hear about different losses, the more they become not so different but somewhat average. As Ofred and the other handmaids continue to encounter The Wall, the easier it will become for them to be less sensitive towards it. The constant repetition of seeing things such as The Wall does nothing but force the handmaids to become numb to anything surrounding death and or loss.

This story discusses how women are being exploited as a means to an end by men. The women are trying to get close to them and hoping that they can bear a child. The question for this story is, how does religion influence people & spark fear? The story that we are looking into is called “The Handmaid’s Tale.” This story is all about men being more powerful than women, and every woman that are under their followership is trying to get close to them, and tries to have a child with one of them. This story also shows that there is a ¼ chance of having a healthy child being born, while the other ¾ chance is of children being born unhealthy and may die after being born.

In "The Handmaid's Tale,” there are a lot of women who are under a religion where they are being used to give birth to one of the commanders. There are different rankings for women, and they are “The Aunts,” and they are the elderly ladies who have an education and give the Handmaid’s some lessons about how to be a Handmaid. “The Marthas” are just cleaners who are also invisible to other people. “The Handmaid’s” are servants to the commanders and bear their children. “The Unwomen” are scared to become a Handmaid because they don’t want to become part of that religion where they have to bear someone's children, and want to escape the place. The men have their own rankings, and they are “The Guards,” who are the protectors of the Handmaid’s, making sure that nothing happens to them. “The Angels” run the society, meaning they are in charge of guarding the front lines, and they are also trusted with upholding. “The Commanders” are basically running the whole thing. “The Eyes” are mysterious because they are always undercover, seeing if the Handmaid’s were spreading information with them.

In one of the texts, Offred was in a ceremony, and the commanders told them to pray. This is what the text said, “I pray silently: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. I don’t know what it means, but it sounds right, and it will have to do, because I don’t know what else I can say to God.” (Pg90) Offred didn’t know the meaning of what it meant, and the praying word was in Latin so they never know what it meant. I am also in confusion with my religion because I’m not really interested in my religion, but my mom does this every day, and she would always chant something, and I never fully understand what it even means at all. My family's religion is all about Buddhism, and only my mom and my aunt are the only ones who do this every morning. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1og4OydqIsJkcgPtNAIXN2YG19y2CbMD7K9SRdNzUqK4/edit?usp=sharing

                     A Woman’s Choice

The world is filled with unfair treatment between men and women. It’s shown in different ways. and some more than others. The Handmaid’s Tale is a book created by Margaret Atwood, and it does an excellent job of showing a dystopian society where there is oppression only for women. Throughout the book, our main character, Offred, has to suffer the consequences of a society failing her. A cruel world where women are allowed to be used and tossed around with no punishment. Many sections in this book acknowledge this issue, where Offred feels uncomfortable because a man is treating her differently. I decided to go with the moment when Offred is having her first doctor’s check-up. When randomly, the doctor asks her if she would like to get impregnated by him with no care in the world. This happens during chapter twelve, specifically these sentences, “It’s genuine, genuine sympathy; and yet he’s enjoying this, sympathy and all. His eyes are moist with compassion, his hand is moving on me, nervously and with impatience.”-Pg.61. This section tells a lot about the system operating in The Handmaid’s Tale and raises the question, How does a hierarchy that favors men affect the autonomy of a woman to make her own decisions?

When I myself was reading this section, with Offred at the doctor’s appointment, I was disgusted. I showed a clear moment that I was uncomfortable with the situation. Which is why I wanted to tackle this section, as it painfully shows an insight into true events that happen in the real world. In the section I selected, Offred can tell that the doctor’s actions aren’t based on sympathy or wanting to help; it’s pure lust. As the doctor is a man, he automatically has a higher ranking than Offred. He has the power over Offered, and he makes sure to use this hierarchy to his advantage. As the doctor asks Offred if she would like one of his sperm to have a higher chance of her being pregnant. This automatically creates a choice for Offred; the reader knows by now that women in this system aren’t necessarily supposed to make decisions like this. It creates a complicated position for Offred, as not being pregnant means death for women in this world. But in the section, it’s noticeable that the doctor is doing this for his own pleasure; it’s the word choice Atwood uses that reveals this, repeating the word sympathy to cover the doctor’s real intentions. Offred can tell that the doctor is enjoying his time towering over her, knowing that she can’t take on a hard decision like this. As this section alone can give away how men in this oppressed world affect a woman’s choice, there are many other quotes in The Handmaid’s Tale that can relate to this section.

The commander has one of the highest roles when it comes to the setup hierarchy in this book. They are men who get to roam around more freely than women. In the recent chapters the class has read, I noticed how the commander is soft around Offred. At some point, at the end of chapter twenty-three, he gives a choice to Offred, asking her, Will you kiss me? This is how it went: “Thank you,” he says. “For the game.” Then he says, “I want you to kiss me.” Fast forward to Offred’s response, “I think about how I could approach the Commander, to kiss him, here alone, and take off his jacket, as if to allow or invite something further, some approach to true love, and put my arms around him and slip the lever out from the sleeve and drive the sharp end into him suddenly, between his ribs.”-Pg.139/140. When I read this quote, I automatically thought back to the doctor scene because the theme of this choice is the opposite of the doctor’s section. But in the end, it’s still a man in the story with a bigger role in the hierarchy, affecting a woman’s options. The reason I thought this was because whatever choice Offred decided on, which she ended up kissing the Commander, it could lead to life or death. The Commander now holds a secret that he can spread if he wants to, most likely making Offred an unwoman. This can also go back to the doctor; he could also get Offred in trouble for bestowing a choice upon her. In the real world, women have more freedom and make their own choices. But in The Handmaid’s Tale, it plays out differently.

Offred is met with hard choices she has to make, or with the thought of wanting to make a choice. This moment with the doctor shows a world with sexism and misogyny. It reveals the true process of how this hierarchical world works and how women don’t have the freedom to naturally choose. As I will continue reading this book, I want to connect this deep critical question to every chapter I read. As it will allow me to truly understand Offred and her characteristics. While also showing me why the men have the power over her. Hopefully, in the future, Offred gets to be free.

When coming up with this artwork, I didn’t really know what specific scene to include. There are so many powerful and inspirational scenes within The Handmaid’s Tale, none of which was what I was looking for. I wanted something that more so called me as I was drawing each line to make out the picture. That’s when I finally came up with the artwork that you see. I realized that I want to show a picture that contrasts what is seen on the outside of a handmaid versus what they are actually thinking while going through everything. I know you might be asking, well, what does any of it mean? So starting with the pregnant crying handmaid. I would say that this handmaid is Janine and represents how she is pregnant but is sad that she knows that she has to eventually give up her baby once she gives birth, and is not okay with the circumstances. In some way, even though this is specifically Janine, this could also be a representation for all the handmaids, showing the harsh things that they have to go through and live with.
In the artwork, the handmaid is saying, “We’ve been sent good weather.” Even though they are saying this, a person could see the storm clouds that I made, so why is she saying that we have been sent good weather if there isn’t any? Well, this goes into the metaphor aspect of my art because it’s supposed to represent how they have to hide and censor their own feelings just to survive in this world. It shows how the handmaids are forced to put on this smile that is truly not there just to make the leaders of their society happy and make them move on. It’s just not fair that these women are forced to be humiliated and just used as birthing objects for other people, and not by choice. So it just shows that even though they might seem happy on the outside, there’s really a storm going on in their head. Other than the storm clouds, there are other clouds with things in them. One you could see, it seems like it became a popular saying in the book, “Nolite te bastardes caborundorum.” This saying means “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” I added this because I added a scene of June being in her bedroom, touching the carving of this saying on the floor in her closet. I just thought that this was important because it seems like the only thing that helps her stay sane. It helps her want to keep fighting or try to find a solution to all the madness. Even though at the time she didn’t know what it meant, she just knew it was a message left by someone who was in the same position as her. She felt like her struggles were relatable at that point. Lastly, the last quote I pulled was “when we think of the past, it’s the beautiful things we pick out…” I chose to add this because if you can see under it, there are black figures of what used to be her family. I just think it’s a way to show how the lie they knew of before was all behind them before, and is just a dream for them now. It’s no longer their usual or reality. This brings me into my whole reasoning of doing this, which was to just overall show their struggle. Show what they think in this very moment of living. Just letting viewers realize how deep this book actually could go.

Link to Doc

While reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, there was this one scene that I found particularly unsettling and intriguing where the mandatory ritual ceremony with the Commander and the Handmaid, Offred, conducts sexual intercourse. On surface level, it felt like what the author was trying to show was that the Commander was justified by the sacred duty to impregnate Offred for the reproduction of the population of Gilead which is completely understandable especially when they’re struggling in birthrate. However, delving deeper into this scene, it does symbolize how women are often exploited through the aspects of power, obedience, and control. Through this scene, Atwood uses Offred’s perspective to show the objectification of women’s bodies and the uneasiness when they’re being sexually controlled. As I read, I was extremely disturbed by the descriptive imagery that Atwood has used on the ritual between Offred and the Commander. The Ceremony is framed as an event justified by the sacredness of the Bible, but it felt like it was forced. The scene where Offred describes how the Wife and Offred are positioned, “My arms are raised, she holds my hands, each of mine in each of hers.” mimics a spiritual prayer as if it’s being done under the divines. But yet I sensed that it wasn’t spiritual, but done as an act of duty. The ritual transformed sexual intercourse as a sign of obedience, completely removing the aspects of intimacy and showed women’s role as an act of duty. Reading this, I was struck by how easily rituals can be exploited by the justification of faith and scripture, promising comfort and community, became a weapon of forced violence. My reaction reading this scene was uneasy since both roles, the Commander, and the women, had such a difference in power to the point where women could be exploited and trapped easily. For me, the Ceremony became an example on how a hierarchy of different roles with different powers, use religion as a safety net for domination and exploitation of others. What disturbed me further was the way the Ceremony reduces the women’s bodies to functional parts. In the scene where Offred observes how Serena Joy, the Wife, “is lying on her back fully clothed, except for the healthy white cotton underdrawers. Her legs are apart, she is holding my hands.” This position that Offred held emphasizes how her body is literally split off from herself. Because Offred’s upper half of her body is held by Serena Joy and the lower rest is used by the Commander, Offred is seen as a vessel rather than a human being. While the Ceremony has continued with the intercourse between the Commander and Offred, Offred kept note of the Commander’s behavior about how he treated the ritual as something to be required than desired, showing a lack of intimacy, shown form the quote, “He is preoccupied, like a man humming to himself in the shower.” I find that this scene normalized how objectification had become in Gilead when it comes to reproductive control. It wiped out women’s roles of mothers, wives, and lovers, and replaced them with wombs to be exploited against. Atwood also utilized Offred’s narration with irony which created both distance and resistance between the Commander and Offred. This one quote during the Ceremony, “This is not recreation, even for the Commander, This is serious business.” had shown how Offred had reacted. Logically, I would’ve thought she’d react with horror or disgust, but instead, she kind of narrated a flat tone as if she’s mocking the ritual. From what I’ve understood, I felt like her irony became a survival tactic. She knew that she couldn’t stop the act, so she controls the way she frames it in her mind since that’s the only thing she could control. Intellectually, I found this as a coping mechanism and way to detach herself from the brutally awkward Ceremony to stop her from breaking. Personally if I were in Offred’s position, I would’ve reacted the same way: finding ways to resist without directly rebelling. Reflecting on the Ceremony, I realize that I’m sensitive and I tend to be mirroring the discomfortness that Offred had faced along with her own strategies of surviving emotionally. I feel like the author’s intention of including and writing this scene was not just to directly show two different-gendered people having sexual intercourse, but to show the minor problem in reality of how women are treated as reproductive machines rather than actual human beings and how people can easily cover this using religion.

When coming up with this artwork, I didn’t really know what specific scene to include. There are so many powerful and inspirational scenes within The Handmaid’s Tale, none of which was what I was looking for. I wanted something that more so called me as I was drawing each line to make out the picture. That’s when I finally came up with the artwork that you see. I realized that I want to show a picture that contrasts what is seen on the outside of a handmaid versus what they are actually thinking while going through everything. I know you might be asking, well, what does any of it mean? So starting with the pregnant crying handmaid. I would say that this handmaid is Janine and represents how she is pregnant but is sad that she knows that she has to eventually give up her baby once she gives birth, and is not okay with the circumstances. In some way, even though this is specifically Janine, this could also be a representation for all the handmaids, showing the harsh things that they have to go through and live with.
In the artwork, the handmaid is saying, “We’ve been sent good weather.” Even though they are saying this, a person could see the storm clouds that I made, so why is she saying that we have been sent good weather if there isn’t any? Well, this goes into the metaphor aspect of my art because it’s supposed to represent how they have to hide and censor their own feelings just to survive in this world. It shows how the handmaids are forced to put on this smile that is truly not there just to make the leaders of their society happy and make them move on. It’s just not fair that these women are forced to be humiliated and just used as birthing objects for other people, and not by choice. So it just shows that even though they might seem happy on the outside, there’s really a storm going on in their head. Other than the storm clouds, there are other clouds with things in them. One you could see, it seems like it became a popular saying in the book, “Nolite te bastardes caborundorum.” This saying means “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” I added this because I added a scene of June being in her bedroom, touching the carving of this saying on the floor in her closet. I just thought that this was important because it seems like the only thing that helps her stay sane. It helps her want to keep fighting or try to find a solution to all the madness. Even though at the time she didn’t know what it meant, she just knew it was a message left by someone who was in the same position as her. She felt like her struggles were relatable at that point. Lastly, the last quote I pulled was “when we think of the past, it’s the beautiful things we pick out…” I chose to add this because if you can see under it, there are black figures of what used to be her family. I just think it’s a way to show how the lie they knew of before was all behind them before, and is just a dream for them now. It’s no longer their usual or reality. This brings me into my whole reasoning of doing this, which was to just overall show their struggle. Show what they think in this very moment of living. Just letting viewers realize how deep this book actually could go.