A Colour Blind Narrative

Question 1

Erasure of race illuminates America’s dark past..

Answer 1

With discrimination and ignoring the plight of ethnic minorities

Question 2

Sexual..

Answer 2

Servitude

Question 3

Social construct of race is..

Answer 3

Missing

Question 4

Atwood touches on race briefly, noticing the ‘children of ham’ and the ‘sons of Jacob’..

Answer 4

We’re sent away, providing a reason for not mentioning skin colour throughout the novel.

Question 5

The republic of gilead victimise white women who are educated like offred

Answer 5

These women in our day and age would be considered privileged and a part of the middle class, but are stripped of their jobs, livelihood and family for reproduction purposes. The allusion of slavery in the underground female road which is easily recognisable as the Underground Railroad, forces people to remember the African American stories and attempts to erase.

The aspects of control, like the inability
of the handmaids to read, are also reminiscent of American slavery. These similarities are
intentional and hint to the reader that this inequality is supposed to be familiar to them. By
using forms of revolt that black slaves used, the story is heavily inspired by African American
history, but without including them or crediting them for their contributions. This practice is
essentially the same as modern day cultural appropriation and serves as a lesson to remember,
respect, and uplift the oppressed, rather than denying and appropriating their existence.