Even during the only form of permitted sex, the Handmaid has no power. Serena “is in control, of the process”. However Serena does not feel this way and so is envious of the Handmaid.
This links to the ideology that everyone has a function. Atwood displays the ceremony as a chore to the Commander, something he does because he has to, “He is preoccupied…waiting for himself to come…There’s an impatience in his rhythm”. Atwood describes the ceremony as if it’s a set of instructions “withdraws. Recedes. Rezippers.” The short sentences are used for intensity, representing the atmosphere. Atwood has done this to reinforce the whole idea that the Gileaden society is one without freedom, one without pleasure, even during sex, “it has nothing to do with sexual drive.” Just as handmaids are expected to breed, Commanders are supposed to impregnate the Handmaids. “This is serious business. The Commander too is doing his duty”.
Atwood makes it clear that the Gileaden regime do not allow any pleasure to be gained by the ceremony, “My red skirt is hitched up to my waist, though no higher.” This is to stop the temptation of looking at the breasts, touching them, or anything else that could excite or cause pleasure in both Handmaid and Commander. This is not allowed, as it isn’t part of the Handmaid’s function to enjoy sex. This introduces the idea that women are objects and have no feelings, this concept is exposed throughout the novel, “Low status: he hasn’t been issued a women, not even one” and “I’m a piece of furniture”. The Commander and his wife only use them as breeding machines. Atwood uses Offred to create the impression in the readers mind that Handmaids are easily attainable and then effortlessly disposed of. She also includes the idea that the whole ceremony, including sex is done to her and not done with her, “Copulating too would be inaccurate because it would imply two people and only one is involved”. This one person obviously refers to the Commander. Atwood, using Offred makes the readers assume what the atmosphere is like, “I wish he would hurry up”, this sentence implies the atmosphere to be cold and awkward, probably due to the lack of love.
Atwood has purposely used distasteful language, such as, “the Commander is fucking” this is to portray her feelings towards the Ceremony; it is distasteful. She uses this word, as it holds no links to love, which is the same as the Ceremony, empty of love. She uses repetition throughout the chapter; “he is fucking”, “Commander fucks” and “being fucked”. The author does this to emphasise the language used and its representation of her feelings towards the Ceremony.
In the society, fertility is everything. This is demonstrated by references in previous chapters that infertile women are classed as Unwomen who are then sent to the Colonies. The Colonies are presented as an evil place, where death is common, “Go to the Colonies…with the Unwomen, and starve to death”. But even though fertility is crucial to the regime, men are treated differently to women. Men can’t be sterile, they are ALL fertile and if anyone says otherwise then they have committed a crime, “There is no such thing as a sterile man any more, not officially.” But women CAN be barren and then sent to the colonies to clean up toxic waste. A metaphor is used to describe the canopy above the bed where the Ceremony is to take place, “the sail of the ship…propelled forward by a swollen belly”. The latter sentence of this metaphor can be seen in context with the Ceremony and its purpose. The “swollen belly” symbolises pregnancy, birth, the next generation, and the “propelled forward” signifies that the next generation is their future; pregnancies are the only way the regime can move forward.
The author uses a variety of language techniques to make the situation seem more real to the reader. Atwood uses a simile to describe the bed’s canopy “suspended like a sagging cloud”. This emphasises the room, making it easier for the reader to create a visual image of it.
Another technique she uses is that at the beginning of the chapter, Atwood writes, “The Ceremony goes as usual”. This creates the feeling that the Ceremony is monotonous and a normal procedure. Again, this tries to create the image of the ceremony as being real and normal. The tone of the sentence shows that the construct does not look forward to it.
In order to remind the readers about the regime the author created, she refers to past attitudes in order to emphasise the contrast between the two. “Isn’t this everyone’s wet dream, two women at once? They used to say that”. This quote also refers to the sexual freedom every individual was entitled to before the regime. A threesome would have been seen as exciting to some whereas this attitude is no longer permitted. This attitude is presented in the Salvagings, the bodies on the Wall, “the two others have purple placards hung around their necks: Gender Treachery.” It is not only homosexuality that has been banned but also magazines; this ranges from innocent fashion magazines to pornographic magazines, “A women’s magazine…I thought such magazines were destroyed…I took the magazine…I knew I was doing something I shouldn’t have been doing.”
Offreds references to her childhood shows to the readers that her mother was part of a radical feminist group and she held anti-porn campaigns, “dumping the magazines…the woman handed me one of the magazines. It had a pretty woman on it, with no clothes on.” Offreds mother wanted porn to be eliminated so women were no longer regarded as sexual objects, but as seen in the Gileaden regime, this has not happened. So from this we can see that the phrase protection of women has slipped from a demand for more freedom into a retreat from freedom. Atwood has made sure that the readers pick up on this as she uses one of her constructs, Offred to mention the irony,“Mother…You wanted a women’s culture. Well, now there is one. It isn’t what you meant but it exists”