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The Handmaid’s Tale (2):

The Handmaid’s Tale (2): . Writing, Power and the Female Body. Handmaid’s identity: Review. Complicit with the power structure Suspicious of the others as “Eyes” Obedient in appearance; remembering the Aunt’s sayings Rebellious implicitly: by maintaining her sense of identity

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The Handmaid’s Tale (2):

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  1. The Handmaid’s Tale (2): Writing, Power and the Female Body

  2. Handmaid’s identity: Review • Complicit with the power structure • Suspicious of the others as “Eyes” • Obedient in appearance; remembering the Aunt’s sayings • Rebellious implicitly: by maintaining her sense of identity • Keen desire & awareness of physical senses (e.g. Nick & the guardian) • Relate to people around her (e.g. Nick, Marthas, Serena) • re-constructions of the past through both remembering and writing.

  3. Offred/June’s self-assertion Offred’s • Remembering as a way of escape: • Chap 13 -- pp. 108-109 (escape); • Self-assertion after the ceremony Chap 17 -- p. 124 Moira’s • Chap 15 -- p. 115 (Moira); Chap 22 p. 166 - (Moira); • Which of the above is the most powerful way of resistance?Are they all internal thinking and thus not actually powerful?

  4. The Handmaid’s Identity General Questions: • Writing: • How does the narrator, Offred, re-construct her identity after she is reduced to just the role of being a handmaid? Where does she show her awareness of language? • How does Offred write about the Ceremony? • Power and Body • How is her body used in the Ceremony? How is it justified? • How does she insist on not being just an instrument? Where is Offred complicit with the power structure?

  5. Outline • The narrator’s ways of resistance thru’ Writing • The Female Body: the Household • The Handmaid’s Physical Involvement in the Power Structure

  6. Offred/June’s self-assertion thru’ Language • Language – • Sensitivity to Language: food (date rape 50 ); • metaphoric/metonymic descriptions: 11, 19 (ironic smile), 25 (tree) • Re-define the words and sayings: of habit (33); lie/lay (chap 7: 49); household p. 103-104; tense, tensed 127; Offred, Off-red. • Criticism p. 25; and correcting Aunt's lessons in her head 25; 60 "All flesh is weak.  All flesh is grass.” • Praying "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum": "Don't let the bastard grind you down." p. 117-18; 190; • Reconstructing the past self-consciously

  7. HT as a Postmodern Fiction • Inscribe the past textually (the use of intertexts) • Self-consciousness in writing: • End of Chap 7 -- 51-54 (after her memory of the daughter); the meanings of “telling a story” • End of Chap 12 – herself a composed and made thing (history and fiction) p. 86 • Beginning of Chap 23 – reconstruction (multiple interpretation) • Beginning of Chap 24 – What I need is perspective.

  8. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • I. Night Chapter 1  -- training in a place which used to be a gym. The music in the air as palimpsest II. Shopping • Chapter 2 -- Offred in her own room, preparing to go shopping, seeing two Marthas (Rita and Cora; Martha, devoted herself to housework while her sister Mary sat and listened to Jesus.).  Chapter 3 -- Offred goes out into the garden, meets the commander's Wife (Serena Joy) Chapter 4 -- Offred goes out of the gate into the driveway, meets the Guardian Nick, joins Offglen and then goes past the gate guarded by two Guardian of the Faith. 

  9. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • I. Night Chapter 1  -- training in a place which used to be a gym. II. Shopping • Chapter 2 -- Offred in her own room, preparing to go shopping, seeing two Marthas (Rita and Cora; Martha, devoted herself to housework while her sister Mary sat and listened to Jesus.).  Chapter 3 -- Offred goes out into the garden, meets the commander's Wife (Serena Joy) Chapter 4 -- Offred goes out of the gate into the driveway, meets the Guardian Nick, joins Offglen and then goes past the gate guarded by two Guardians of the Faith. 

  10. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • Chapter 5 -- Out of the Commanders compound and "doubled," Offred goes on the sidewalk and goes past or to several stores: Lilies of the Field, Milk and Honey, and All Flesh.  They also meet some Japanese tourists. Chapter 6 --  the Wall.   "Luke wasn't a doctor. Isn't"?III. Night -- "The night is my time out.  Where should I go?"  p. 49 Chapter 7 -- memories of the past: Moira, her mother, being arrested. IV. Waiting Room -- "I wait.  I compose myself.  My self is a thing I must now compose, as one composes a speech.  What I must present is a made thing, not something born." p. 86

  11. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • Chapter 8 -- Narrative resumes.  Three new bodies on the Wall.  They go back to the commander's compound, parting with Ofglen's words  "Mayday" as possibly a secret code.  Aunt Lydia's lecture on how the handmaids should treat the Wives (62-63).   Offred gives  Marthas what she bought.  The commander's brief approach and departure.Chapter 9 -- "My room."   Offred is in her room, waiting and remembering Luke and their past relationship.  Sees the sign "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" and think of the woman who leaves this message.  

  12. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • Chapter10 -- Memories.  Moira and Aunt Lydia.Chapter 11 -- (yesterday) at the doctor's officeChapter 12 -- bathroom;  Memories of Luke and their daughter; supper. • V. Nap Chapter 13 -- waiting; Memories: Moira and Offred in the training in the gym; reams of escape scene (with Luke and the daughter).    The bells wakes her up: "Of all the dreams this is the worst."

  13. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • VI. Household • Chapter 14 -- The household meet in the sitting room, waiting for the commander and watching news.  Memories: escape scene. Chapter 15 -- The commander comes, reads the bible and is watched by the others.  Moira.  "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" Chapter 16 -- The ceremony.Chapter 17 --  Offred back in her room, "buttering" herself, repeating her name and wating to steal something.  Nick  comes to fetch Offred.  VII. Night •  Chapter 18 -- Memories: Luke and their daughter.  Hope.

  14. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • VIII. Birth Day • Chapter 19 -- Dream.  Birthing ritual.  Chapter 20 -- Birthing ritual.  Memories: Red Center and Offred's young mother Chapter 21 -- Birthing ritual.  “Unwoman" v.s. a "women's culture" Chapter 22 -- Back to her room.  Moira.Chapter 23 --  "All of this is reconstruction."  Offred goes to the study.  Plays scrabble with the Commander.

  15. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • IX. Night • Chapter 24 --  Back to her room.  "What I need is perspective."   Memories: documentary about the death camp commander's mistress

  16. The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing and Plot • X. Soul Scrolls Chapter 25 --  visiting the commander at night.  provided with magazines and lotion. Chapter 26 --  The Ceremony--changed. Chapter 27 --  Walking with Ofglend on the summer street.  Memories:  the ice cream store; her daughter.  The Soul Scroll machines.   Ofglen: "You can join us."A black van with two Eyes. Chapter 28 -- Memories:  Luke and Moira; her mother-- against porn and for abortion;  losing her job; Luke. Chapter 29 --  In the Commander's office.  The meaning of  "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum": "Don't let the bastard grind you down."  The previous Handmaid who killed herself.  

  17. Offred’s Sense of her Body Body: • enjoys the power of a dog bone 30; • Sense of her body past and present p. 95; • After meeting with the Commander in secret 104

  18. Offred’s Complicity with the Power • P. 93 – at the Red Center • The Commander – Chap 23 and Chap 24

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