While I was reading The Handmaid narrative I noticed that Offred was the Quester. Throughout the novel Offred traces her heroine ‘s attempts to last and digest her nightmare universe of the Gilead society. Although she does non win to me she is an heroine.
A topographic point to travel for her would be, at first, Canada. It seems to be the topographic point where Offred is traveling to, but all of a sudden she has been caught and forced to return to the Gilead. So her 2nd topographic point to travel would be to the belowground motion.
A declared ground to travel to Canada is to get away from the dictatorial life in Gilead. Her ground to travel to the Gilead is to be trained in the Red Center for her new function as Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead.
Her challenge and tests would be interrupting some of the regulations from the Gilead Republic. Although she is forced to work as a Handmaid and live in sexual subjugation, she still battles against the system in the small ways that she can, for illustration her matter with Nick.
The existent ground to travel is giving her co-handmaids hope and promoting them to be strong. Since many Handmaids do non make the point where Offred came, ( lasting alternatively of self-destruction ; defying alternatively of accepting ) .
The terminal of the novel is really equivocal, I was left chew overing on the inquiry if, after all, decease would hold been better for her or non. Was she was eventually rescued and reunited with her girl? The fact that the stoping is optimistic adds to the illustriousness of the book.
Margaret Atwood uses the colors of the apparels to symbolize the societal position of each character in the novel. In some manner, all colorss are related to the subjugation, control and privileges in the Republic.
Get downing with the ruddy coloring material, which is the most prevailing. All Handmaids wear ruddy, as this coloring material symbolizes chiefly their position as fertile adult females, and the blood of their menses and child birth. But in the novel red besides suggests sick persons, decease ( executings ) and prohibitions ; the Handmaid ‘s had all sort of prohibitions like there were non allowed to work or to read. At one point Offred even says the followers:
“ ( … ) Everything except the wings around my face is ruddy: the coloring material of blood, which defines us ( aˆ¦ ) ”[ 1 ]
The married womans wore bluish apparels, ironically ruddy and bluish are enemies colours this coloring material denotes their position as a superior member of the nobility. On the other manus, it besides suggests the ill will between the commanding officer ‘s married woman and the Handmaid, for their fornicatress.
Another important coloring material in the novel is black ; the commanding officers wore black, and they were driven in black autos, this coloring material represents their earnestness and their entire authorization. The Martha ‘s wore viridity. In many civilizations green symbolises the nature. In this instance The Martha ‘s were old and of course sterile adult females.
The retainers wore Grey which symbolises a low position individualist and eventually, the Aunts wore brown. This coloring material represents their crudity. The aunts were the trainers of the Handmaids, their brown coloring material besides symbolizes their soiled work: the running of the re-education Centres with anguish techniques and encephalon lavation. If the servants behave severely the aunts were in charge of their penalty.
The fresh uses more important symbols, some rather noticeable and others non, but for to me the basic 1 was the usage of coloring material. In the novel the coloring material represents who is who in the Gilead society and that is indispensable in apprehension of the novel.
While you do n’t anticipate it in a novel like The Handmaid ‘s Tale, there are plentifulness of properties to be found that fit the Christ Figure discussed in How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
In Agony, if there is anything Offred is – and non merely her, all the servants as good – so it ‘s torment. Offred is under control with rigorous regulations, and she suffers watching how the aunts punish or even kill if she or any handmaid defy the government. Offred is besides in torment when she thinks of her memories of her girl and her happy yesteryear with Luke. She lives in changeless torment believing about what happened to her girl and her torment is accentuated when Serena offers to demo Offred a image of her lost girl.
Self-sacrificing, Offred had to give non merely her organic structure but besides her head. Offred sacrifices her spirit by being kept as a servant. She sacrificed her adult female ‘s privileges and rights. She besides forfeits of her on safety in order to be with and assist Nick.
Thirty-three old ages of age when last seen, the lone information presented in the novel about Offred is when she describes herself as:
“ ( … ) I am 33 old ages old. I have brown hair. I stand five [ pess ] seven [ inches ] without places ( … ) ”[ 2 ]
Confrontation with the Satan, in the book, Serena, the married woman, is seen as the Satan. Neither -Offred nor the Commander- likes her, or trusts her. Serena non merely blackmailed Offred to hold sex with Nick, ( since she can non acquire pregnant from de Commander ) , but she is besides aching Offred by demoing a image of her lost girl. “ The confrontation with de devil ” will be when Serena “ confronts ” Offred with the find of lip rouge on her head covering and accuses Offred of being with the Commander. With barbarous words, she sends Offred to her room, naming her a slattern.
Very forgiving, in the class of the narrative I can experience that Offred can be really forgiving, particularly with the Commander. It seems to me that she forgives him all the colzas she had been endure since she is a Handmaid. I think she would non play scrabble and have this sort of “ friendly relationship ” with him if she would non forgive him, instead she would be anger and experience bitterness with him and merely would make her occupation as a servant.
Canadian outlook is closely connected to the nature and clime. Therefore out-of-door activities are really of import in Canadian life. The changing of seasons all over the twelvemonth produces emotional alterations. For illustration the autumn has been ever connected with melancholy specially when you see the xanthous colour on trees which bit by bit becomes brown.
Through the novel of Cat ‘s Eye, there are plenty facets to be found that tantrum in the season figure discussed in How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Throughout the novel we can see how Elaine ‘s temper alterations during each season besides how she described the months or season when the action takes topographic point.
In the winter we can see how things start to travel bad for Elaine like for illustration in the month of November when the darkness of the twenty-four hours starts early, Elaine is nine old ages old, Cordelia, Carol and Grace play a game in which involves burying Elaine in the hole of Cordelia ‘s backyard go forthing her alone at that place. Since this incident Elaine lives in frights and waiting with anxiousness the approaching summer because this is the season when they all have holiday and they go outside Toronto. During the winter we can besides see an dog-tired Elaine, without the strength and temper even to paint.
When springs starts Elaine understands that the cat ‘s oculus became more powerful and empowers her. We can see that when sometime in March Cordelia throws Elaine into a ravine. Elaine attempts to salvage herself and she get paralytic when a vision of the Virgin Mary frees her. At that minute she finds the power to acquire rid of her friends and happen new 1s.
During the summers Elaine remember holding happy times in her childhood. She retrieve disbursement clip with her parents and brother in the shrub, roll uping insects and holding merriment. This was besides the period when she was far from her evil friends.
Seasons can be really symbolic, with all sort of fluctuations and niceties. In this instance for Elaine winter is darkness, fright, summer and spring are merriment and freedom.
Penelope, the first-class original for trueness, prudence and intelligence overwhelms us with the purely human and unstable about this character: twenty old ages waiting for the return of her hubby Odysseus, shouting her solitariness as a alien in Ithaca, being a homemaker with more than 50 retainers, taking attention of the goods and lands of her household and eventually exerting all its craft to maintain out a 100 suers who wanted to take the topographic point of Odysseus.
As Atwood efforts by Penelope is that we see the other side of the coin without permuting the Homeric version, she emphasizes on certain niceties demoing these ideal heroes non so virtuous and non so ideals. This is exemplary instance of Odysseus: twenty old ages of absence of his native Ithaca, passing half this clip contending in the Trojan War and another 10 seeking to return place, traveling through all sorts of hardship, get the better ofing monsters and kiping with goddesses. Famous for his craft he returns place in disguise to look into the fidelity of his married woman and possibly surprise the suers who have invaded his place. Thankss to this surprise hit, he murders the 120 suers and non happy at all with this consequence he besides kills his 12 amahs avering to hold betrayed him by kiping with such Pretenders without their consent.
And it is here where we question the gallantry and bravery of Odysseus. A adult male whom the Gods would smile upon, the jurisprudence protects him unconditionally and his married woman and boy are loyal to him. Born top win his male parent, King of Ithaca, Odysseus concentrates all the possible privileges in which the female subordination is non the smallest.
The existent status of Grecian adult females was non really blandishing: they had no engagement in public life, remained outside the community at the same degree of the kids, aliens and slaves, and while the criminal conversation of adult females was non forgiven, it was natural considered for a adult male to portion bed with other adult females. A really common pattern was that the caput of the house offered his female retainers to his celebrated invitees of the house as portion of the cordial reception after feasts. Such was the instance of Penelope ‘s suers, who have invaded her house in the absence of Odysseus, and took no consideration with mistreating the house amahs.
The great sarcasm of this event is that Odysseus finds his award dishonored because these amahs have been raped by their invitees without his blessing, as we all know it was impossible to hold his blessing because of his long absence. Penelope does non come out of amazement with such unfairness, but as we have read, she can non oppose any opposition and admirations what sense all their forfeits made over the old ages. It was obvious that Penelope could be acted as her cousin Helen, whose lewd and amour propre sent 1000s of work forces to the war.
But no, Penelope decided to salvage the award of her hubby, to turn their ain patrimony, by acquiring in forepart of their land and administered carefully her place larders. But for what? Merely to set a topographic point in the narrative as the ideal adult female ‘s original: faithful, loyal, intelligent, prudent and patient.
The Handmaid ‘s Tale is a novel about how The United States of America have overturned in the close hereafter to a spiritual and butch system. In this system, fertile adult females are considered belongings of the province, for future prolongation of the established order. Margaret Atwood describes a fictional universe, but possibly after all the world is non so far from the universe she described.
My first reaction after reading the novel was “ This could ne’er go on ” . It is difficult to believe a state like the USA will hold reached a similar state of affairs. It is obvious most of the state of affairs described in the novel is or was present in some distant topographic points on the planet. Since so most societies have suffered a barbarous diminution in regard of the rights of adult females. Therefore, the decision would be something like “ This could non go on here ” , but truly at this point it is hard to prolong such a claim.
In the province of Gilead amahs form a societal subdivision designed to conserve the species. Fertile adult females make up this category and are noted for the wont they wear ( wholly red ) . They play an indispensable function: to give birth to the hereafter citizens of Gilead.
It is non easy to breed in such an anti-utopian universe devastated by atomic war, ruled by highly terrible and puritanical codification – a codification which punished everybody who departs from the system with the punishment of decease – and where the bulk of the population is unfertile.
In a post-apocalyptic universe healthy kids are really limited, and fertile adult females are still a minority. Both become highly cherished. The former have value in themselves, the latter merely if they have proven their ability to bring forth. All good small babes become a position symbol and therefore it is necessary to purely modulate entree to them. Furthermore, it should non be allowed birthrate to go a beginning of power for adult females who have it. It is used in a concatenation that links the endurance. First step, prevent adult females from paid work ; 2nd step, deprive them of all their assets ( including of class the kids ) ; 3rd step, to forbid them reading and composing every bit good as entree to any informations beginning ; 4th step, place them in installations for instruction, for adult females merely, where they can be protected from their greatest enemy, adult male, and where they can be instructed to transport out its sacred mission: to hold kids to guarantee the endurance of the species.
Any sexual act that does non hold the exclusive intent of reproduction is prohibited. A adult female is faced with three options: to go a married woman, to fall in the dramatis personae of the amahs ( whose endurance depends on the ability to reproduce ) or to be sent to cantonments for non-confinement adult females. The novel ‘s supporter chooses the 2nd option, is stripped of her name and becomes known as Offred, of Fred ‘s house. Fred is the name of the commanding officer who she should function, seeking to engender a boy who will be given to Fred ‘s married woman.
Because Offred is valuable for what she do, she will have equal nutrient, will be allowed one twenty-four hours while walking ever accompanied by another adult female of the same strain and must be covered up and down a long ruddy frock that identifies, her caput covered with a wide forestalling him from touching to watch and be watched.
Will confront, like all adult females of their category to a mixture of enviousness, worship and disdain, contending subjugation, fright and the longing for freedom, spurred on by memories of a past that was still unfastened and from which could non conceive of a hereafter as she sing. There is ever fright of failure and the dainty of imprisonment on the island of useless adult females existences beyond the fencings that surround the metropolis and the high wall where they hang, to function as illustration, the organic structures of those Rebels.
The Handmaid ‘s Tale is the testimony of one those “ ruddy figures ” who roam Gilead. Offred recalls fragments of her yesteryear as was the USA and observes the persons that surround it, and still retains the radiance ashes of rebellion in her head and her organic structure desire.
Anyhow of class the novel is a fiction as such should be read and judged. In that sense the writer is a good author who has built a good novel, despite the statement that it is in slightly obvious in its desire demands. The small dry voice of Offred, who narrates the narrative in first individual, the narrowing of scenes and characters, and particularly some item that punctuate the secret plan, acquire a piece of downright pleasant reading.
In this fresh Atwood throws a expression into the past and returns to the universe of childhood, frequently labelled as a happy universe, and does so to demo the darker side: the destructive friendly relationships of two nine old ages old misss. This fresh reminds me that childhood is non ever an idyllic clip and that kid inhuman treatment exists.
After a long clip of absence, the successful 50 old ages old painter, Elaine Risley, returns to her fatherland Toronto, where she spent her early adolescence, to show a retrospective exhibition of her work. The exhibition gives manner to a retrospective of her life, a journey into her yesteryear in Toronto where her destructive friendly relationship with another miss named, Cordelia is highlighted.
The destructive friendly relationship between Elaine and Cordelia, which lies at the bosom of the novel, offers a barbarous vision of childhood. The fresh breaks the stereotypes that misss are sweet and cunning and male childs are ill-mannered and toughs. However, while male childs set up friendly relationship in a more clearway -the leader is ever the biggest or the strongest or the best in games, the ground for misss to be respected are less clear. Boys discover that they have physically to contend, while misss ( in most instances ) use words. In this instance their circle looks like a Renaissance tribunal, with a battle for the favouritism, secret susurrations and chitchat. The prima figure of the misss can alter all of a sudden and, hence, their lives in the group are less stable.
The chapters where Elaine is an grownup are interspersed with those of her childhood. The life of Elaine is non a happy narrative. Most of her childhood toke topographic point in a closed circle of “ friends ” in which Elaine was the weaker portion and the object of neglect and disdain.
This novel is a brilliant portrayal of toughs, that despite of the prevarications, is neither new nor more cruel today. I remember my yearss at school. When some cats shot the wall for non desiring to snog the monster with a face full of hickeies, when rude cats slap that wear cat that it besides had the raging wont of beasts, and the most common of all schools, the miss who sat entirely on the stairss of the courtyard.
Cat ‘s Eye has the alone ability to play these episodes of maltreatment, persecution and torment all you want to name it we all committed, suffered or observed from a distance with a mixture of fright and shame that cause powerlessness in forepart of a large unfairness. It happened in many paragraphs.
I think this is a true value of the book. It opens a door that seems everlastingly be sealed. It happened in many chapters. Suddenly a narrative that led me to my ain childhood and that developed in a parallel version of the narrative of Elaine and experience like composing your ain life. The friendly relationship between Elaine and Cordelia offers a rough vision of childhood. With this fresh Atwood broke the cute and sweet stereotypes of misss and showed that misss can besides go evil.
The Penelopiad is a short narrative, really clear, original and skilfully presented, where we listened to Penelope to state her so brief and tragical version of the events, how Telemachus hanged 12 immature slaves for holding allied themselves with enemies of his male parent. And, of class, different than the “ official ” narrative, hers is more juicy and entertaining. Her assurances are a “ calculation ” with the true narrative and a exoneration of the disregarded lives and outdated by the aspirations of the wars.
For me the writer ( Atwood ) proves several virtues. The first, her attack to the known characters from Greek mythology and literature, doing them more existent and believable people than the consequence of the classical texts. The 2nd, to invent a remarkable narrator, the wise Penelope, but from a more remarkable still, the Hades. Penelope is dead, but lives in her ain manner, a discorporate infinity since she has attended for three thousand old ages, alterations in history to make the present clip. So Penelope is our modern-day and makes her look really near to us. While we regard the events of her life, served in her roving in the Hades, where he meets other celebrated populating dead with those who frequently negotiations interrupted conversations or ne’er settled old differences.
After more than three thousand old ages, Penelope has decided to talk, and courageously non without cautiousness, told what she knew. Many Gods and heroes, disgusted with her violative narrative, looking for ways to do her wage. For fright that we the alive brand certain inquiries such as: , was the great Odysseus the prudent and wise hubby of Penelope or a darnel, prevaricator and man-about-town crafty?
The beautiful Helena, was an guiltless victim of her beauty or a coldhearted and frivolous adult female who pins her felicity at being desired by all and have caused so many deceases? The immature Telemachus, was this immature adult male shy merely supporting the award of the household or an chesty adolescent who merely wants his female parent to decease or travel to his native Sparta? What would we believe if we heard a rumour that in fact the episode of the Cyclops Polyphemus was non an affray with a barman eyed Ulysses? What if the sorceress Circe was non truly, but a luxury prostitute took a illusion of the male monarch of Ithaca?
Ithaca was a little island where the air current kept blowing, inhabited by shade and crackers scandalous provincials, and non a all right tribunal and a blessed land which hosted the fifth ten twelvemonth old Penelope with unfastened weaponries.
References
- En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Happy Endings (short story). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Endings_(short_story)
- ThoughtCo. (2017). Atwood’s “Happy Endings”: A New Approach to Storytelling. [online] Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/margaret-atwoods-happy-endings-analysis-2990463
- Topics, Sample Papers & Articles Online for Free. (2017). Happy Endings Margaret Atwood. [online] Available at: https://studymoose.com/an-analysis-of-margaret-atwoods-happy-endings-essay
