Features Of Sci-fi

Question 1

Key ideas

Answer 1

The impinging of religion n culture on science n tech can also limit fertility.

Question 2

Historical notes: assisted reproduction technologies- playing god?

Answer 2

It is explained that ‘the need for what i may call birth services was already recognised in the pre-gilead period, where it was being inadequately met by ‘artificial insemination,’ ‘fertility clinics’ and the use of ‘surrogate mothers.’

Gilead outlawed the first 2 as irreligious but legitimised and enforced the third, which was considered to have biblical precedents. Indeed, all ART are forbidden in the theocracy of gilead, with the exception of the biblical concept of a surrogate mother.

Question 3

Restrictions of women’s reproductive rights seem to be completely absent can be used to explore socio-political inequality

Answer 3

Excellent ground for exploring socio-political inequality.

In gilead, a woman is seen as merely an incubator for an elites’ child and is considered to be nothing other but his property: ‘walking wombs’ ‘ambulatory chalices’

Question 4

Gilead was not created overnight.

Answer 4

What enabled the sons of Jacob to ultimately rise to power and alter the very core of society was the fact that process remained ignorant until its influence grew to proportions so great any kind of resistance would prove to be futile: ‘nothing changes instantaneously’ p66 ‘[they] lived, as usual, by ignoring.’ The attack on reproductive rights that ensued after all the preceding issues were ignored for long enough, making it susceptible to gileadean takeover which dissolved pre-gilead to a mere ‘palimpsets’

Question 5

Religious precedents birth monstrous science

Answer 5

Epigraph, red centre led by the matriarchal aunts provides ‘sexual education’ - indoctrination and scapegoating to force the hms into submission. Ceremony- radically conservative is in fact a sort of euphemism used to describe the act of sexual intercouse.

Question 6

Comparisons to frank

Answer 6

Both playing god
Science to undermine the societal importance of women n autonomy
Monstrosity

Question 7

Shelley’s fiction has been the subject of this polarisation rhetoric since its inception….

Answer 7

Accused of stepping outside of her prescribed gender role of releasing a religious impiety

Question 8

THT plays into insidious anxieties…

Answer 8

Of Christian fundamentalism and politicisation and institutionalism of female bodies