THT StudyGuide Ch. 1-12 Flashcards
Meaning of Epigraph 1
- “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from three the fruit of the womb? And she said, behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.”
From Genesis 30:1-3.
- The bible is always mentioned; for example ‘Gilead’ is geographic places in the hebrew places
- It is like the handmaid’s tale when Fred has to have sex with Offred in order get her pregnant because his wife cannot have children.
- Women are only used for their ovaries and if they do not have it then they mean nothing is just as demeaning as only using them as sex objects.
- in the back of THT it is WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT
Meaning of Epigraph 2-
“But as to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal…” - Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal”
- This is a satiric essay
- parallels the Atwood’s Gilead
- proposes raising children and selling as food so the poor can be alleviated; they produce more infants than they can afford.
Meaning of Epigraph 3-
“In the desert there is no sign that says, Thou shalt not eat stones.” - Sufi proverb
- NO LAW ABOUT THE OBVIOUS
- people are not meant to eat stones so no need to prohibit what is undesirable
What is a social controversy that underlies the novel?
feminists attitudes towards sexuality and pornography.
-feminist views
What is this book?
It is a satire.
reduction ad absurdum
Theoretical exercise to stimulate thought about social issues rather than a realistic portrait of a probable future
-compared to Johnathon Swift
What can you tell about the time period? (Ch. 1)
It is taking place in a dystopian society. “What had once been”
Palimpsest
it is impossible to erase the past although that is what Gilead is trying to do.
who is assigned which colors?
commander - black
commanders wife- blue
handmaids- red
Who is Rita?
a Martha. Cooks their meals. (wears dull green)
Who is Cora?
The maid. cannot have babies; tubes tied.
Who is Luke?
her husband
fraternize
to behave like a brother
“They’ve moved anything you could tie a rope to?”
They don’t want Handmaid’s to hang themselves as an escape route.
What do Martha’s gossip about?
They gossip about the wives being jealous of handmaids (wife stabbed pregnant handmaid) and the ways handmaids have killed commanders (put toilet cleaner in drink)
What is suggested that the immediate supervisors of the girls are women but these women are not allowed to have guns?
- women are not equal with men; men are only allowed to have guns
- it is not just men controlling women
What is suggested by the fact that girls have to reads lips to learn each others lips?
They are not allowed to talk; communication is dangerous.
The setting has shifted (Chapter 2) where is the narrative now set?
The commanders house (offreds room, the hall, and kitchen)
Explain the play on the proverb, “Waste not, want not.”
The proverb encourages thrift and economy, not wasting anything in case of future need (want).
-Offred has become a resource that is being used. but desires more from her life.
“Nothing takes place in the bed but sleep; or no sleep.” What two things are implied by this?
There is no sex, or love, or comfort in this bed
- often unable to sleep
. “Ladies in reduced circumstances” is a nineteenth century expression usually applied to impoverished widows. Explain the pun.
widows usually lived in little bed sitting rooms, because that is all they could afford as they could not work or earn a living.
-handmaids are also confined to tiny rooms without resources of any kind.
What is suggested by the existence of ‘Colonies’ where ‘Unwomen’ live?
women who do not conform are outlawed.
- anyone who does not fit traditional perception
ex. feminist is clearly not a real woman
