Compare and contrast "The Wars" and "The Handmaid's Tale".
Steve Sharpe Ms. Bridgeman ENG 4U1 January 16, 2004 Although "The Wars" and "The Handmaid's Tale" occur during different time periods, the two societies have many similarities, which are criticized in the novels. The high-ranking officers in "The Wars" exploit the soldiers, as the government officials in "The Handmaid's Tale" exploit women and men who do not follow the ideals of the Gileadean society. The families of the soldiers in "The Wars" and all underprivileged citizens in "The Handmaid's Tale" often remain ignorant to the occurrences within their own societies. The ideals and morals of modern society are violated in both novels. Despite taking place in different time periods, similar societal aspects are criticized in "The Wars" and "The Handmaid's Tale". Citizens in "The Wars and 'The Handmaid's Tale" are severely disadvantaged by those in power, be it the high-ranking officers in "The Wars" or the unprivileged individuals in "The Handmaid's Tale". In "The Wars", Soldiers are often put in situations that jeopardize their lives, but better the cause of the government. One such incidence occurs when Robert Ross and his fellow soldiers are told by Captain Leather to put gun beds into a crater close to the German lines. Robert "wanted to say the forward positions were crazy...he wanted to say that the guns would sink in the mud. But he didn't say anything." (Findley
Early in the novel Atwood presents us with the division between ladies and women
"Margaret Atwood's late 20th century perspective on her female characters invites us to see them as victims of a male dominated society" Is this how you respond to Atwood's presentation of her female characters? Early in the novel Atwood presents us with the division between ladies and women. The example given is Grace compared to the governor's wife and the ladies who frequently visit her. It seems that grace wishes that she was a lady when she comments "I have no gloves" this shows that Grace is conscious of her appearance even if she is in prison. Grace cannot sit on the governor's wife's settee without thinking of the ladies that have sat there before her who have bums "like wobbly soft boiled eggs". These ladies are compared to jellyfish that grace has seen in her childhood, Grace shows admiration for these ladies ass he says "they were bell shaped and ruffled" Atwood also makes the point through grace that ladies of this time were restricted. This is achieved by the mentioning of wire crinolines that were "Like birdcages" the ladies were not allowed to touch or brush up against other men's legs. Grace is now talking about legs in sexual way (also another sign of the times) "the governor's wife never says legs" this comment shows that showing or talking legs is a taboo subject. Grace goes on to comment that the people of lower classes, she uses the news paper as an
Comment on the portrayal of the Aunts in 'The Handmaid's Tale', their role in Gilead and the attitude of the narrator towards them.
Comment on the portrayal of the Aunts in 'The Handmaid's Tale', their role in Gilead and the attitude of the narrator towards them. In the hierarchical society of Gilead, each woman is given an arbitrary classification, to which she has been brainwashed to obey. The Aunts are the indoctrinators of the system, who perhaps play one of the most crucial roles in the novel, training and brainwashing the Handmaids to fulfil their duties. The Aunts train from the 'Red Centre'. The majority of Atwood's books are based around feminism and or religion. Here she uses the memorable characters of the Aunts, in particular Aunt Lydia, to successfully combine the two, and therefore produce a potential near future. The Aunts themselves are of an older generation, who perhaps felt that the introduction of the new regime would bring back a more traditional, and therefore 'safer' way of life, perhaps increasing their determination to enforce the new system. Many females often comment (usually in an off hand manner) on how the downfall of society has been caused by male rule and dominance; leading to the phrase, "If only women ruled the world!" The Handmaid's Tale takes this saying into account, and we see that in such a situation, even human nature fails to differ between males and females, thus leading to the same basic problems often bred within a society-greed, jealousy, power, unequal
The Handmaid's Tale - short summary
ISU Essay The Handmaid's Tale The novel The Handmaid's Tale written by Margret Atwood is about how the government chose to control the way the community was run and control the lives of men and women. The novel tells the story from the perspective of a middle-aged woman named Offred who questions society's accepted beliefs and conventions. Offred is a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead who is constantly questioning the government beliefs and rules. Her character pushes the limits set out by the government. This is thoroughly illustrated through her defiance of against the social conventions, her methods of challenging them and the final outcome of her challenge. Firstly, Offred challenges many laws within The Handmaid's Tale including socializing with the commander and Nick, and being in the sitting room. Handmaids are a class who are not to socialize with the commander; Offred explains, "It's forbidden for us to be alone with the commanders" (Atwood 128). She spends a large amount of time with the commander although she is well aware of the laws within the community. Being a handmaid Offred is not allowed into the sitting room. One night she wanders down to the sitting room to try something new, she is there to be independent; she likes to be on her own. "I like this. I am doing something, on my own. The active Tense. Tensed. What I would like to steal is a
The Handmaid's Tale. Chapter 10 - Textual Analysis.
English Literature. The Handmaid's Tale. Chapter 10- Textual Analysis. Atwood begins by establishing a dismal atmosphere, '...something lugubrious, mournful, presbyterian'. Offred explains that the Gileadian regime has outlawed any form of contact with music; singing or listening to. The totalitarian regime sees music as a threat to its existence, '...especially the ones that use words like free. They are considered too dangerous.' Music has immense power; the messages behind the music being of great strength. Gilead has not only outlawed songs about freedom but also songs about love; 'I feel so lonely, baby. I feel so lonely I could die. This too is outlawed'. In prohibiting music, Gilead in essence, has banned feelings of love, compassion and desire, companionship and celebration. Gilead exists to rid the world, or its society at the very least, of such feelings. However, music proves to be much more powerful as, like the narrator, not all abide by the laws set down by the legislators. Evidence is given to show that there is resistance to this regime, minute may be, but resistance nonetheless. 'Such songs are not sung anymore in public...' suggest that they are sung in private. However, interestingly enough, it is not only the handmaids which show this resistance; through Serena Joy we see another form of resistance. 'And sometimes from the sitting room
"The Handmaid's Tale" Societies Assignment.
Diego Pérez 10-2 August 29, 2003 "The Handmaid's Tale" Societies Assignment "The Handmaid's Tale", written by Margaret Atwood, is set in two different times simultaneously, both being separate societies, with unlike moral principles. While Atwood describes the pre-Gilead society as one dealing with an unmanageable amount of injustices regarding women, since pornography, prostitution, and violence against women were getting out of the government's hands. Nevertheless, women were allowed to read in the pre-Gilead society, and had a wide amount of liberties compared to the ones handmaids in Gilead receive. Also, the society before Gilead was formed suffered from conflicts between religions and racial tensions, also known as the "Sect Wars". On the other hand, Gilead, being the present society in the novel, shows a much more distant difference in liberties between both sexes. Women are used as procreation tools, and cannot have privacy whatsoever with the laws enforced by the system, such as not letting handmaids close their bedroom's door completely. Also, women aren't allowed to read, like in the previous society, so that they cannot gain any knowledge. Ironically, it seems that both genders were having a better life in the previous society, which is described as chaotic, rather than in Gilead,
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood, 'Discuss the Gileadean concept of "Freedom from, freedom to".
English Literature The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood 'Discuss the Gileadean concept of "Freedom from, freedom to" The dystopian novel, 'The Handmaid's Tale' implies the fact that there are two types of freedom, freedom to and freedom from. It is the paradox between 1980's America and Gilead that is examined continually throughout the novel and it's the ideas of 'freedom to' being a society of broad-minded morals and 'freedom from' the more controlled, restrictive society with an imposition upon individual freedom that are most prominent. In Atwood's thought-provoking novel, two societies with conflicting ideologies and concepts of liberty are juxtaposed through a series of flashbacks in an attempt to examine how people would cope when society suddenly deprived its people of freedom and denied them of information. The first society of modern America with its liberal customs, is compared and contrasted to the second society of Gilead, a totalitarian Christian authority which has taken control over America in the 1980's to save it from its declining birth rate and high levels of moral corruption. The protagonist of the novel, Offred, documents the history of the two contrasting societies as she recounts with both sentimentality and clarity, the images and memories of her past life as an American women and those of her present life living under the Gileadean regime as a
What contribution to the novel is made by the character Moira?
What contribution to the novel is made by the character Moira? Moira is a main influential character throughout the novel especially to Offred. During this novel I am going to look at the importance of Moira and her as a character, focusing on her opinions, rebellions and her relationship with Offred. Also how the role in Gilead leads to her feministic actions to escape to a better place that most women only fantasize about. As Offred's best friend from college, Moira is an opinionated, strong lesbian and a dependable feminist. She is an important symbol that embodies female resourcefulness and independence. This is seen through her defiant nature contrasts so obviously with the behaviour of the other women in the novel whom simply let Gilead society rule them blocking out their own opinions and freedom. Margaret Atwood chooses a character like Offred to be the narrator as she is simple and average women who is appreciative of past times whilst lacking imagination. This is done so that characters such as Moira are able to stand out as a symbol of strong feminism contrasting to the normal situation. We see this when Offred when meets Moira who has been recaptured and is working as a prostitute at Jezebel's, servicing the Commanders. Margaret Atwood by placing Moira not as a handmaid but as a prostitute represents an alternative to the lower subservience and acceptance of
Compare the ways in which narrative perspectives vary in 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' and 'Hawksmoor'.
Compare the ways in which narrative perspectives vary in 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' and 'Hawksmoor' Although there are many different perspectives taken in the two novels that shape the overall theme of each plot, comparisons can be drawn between them to show that they share a few fundamental similarities in the way that the authors present their narrative. By looking at the this presentation, it is possible to extract that the authors share common ground in the role that they take in the novel, the post-modernist way they seem to perceive their own role as a novelist and their perspectives on the theme of time in a novel. These factors combine to suggest that the novels, which have very different stories, actually are very similar in the way that they break the conventional moulds of story telling. Without a doubt, the author plays the greatest role of all in construction of a novel but it is not often that this role is furthered by involvement in the plot, or questioned in the way that these two authors do. Both novels have aspects of this but show it in different ways: for example, in 'Hawksmoor', Peter Ackroyd adopts multiple narrative voices and presents himself to the reader in different ways, whereas John Fowles literally places himself in the book and also hides behind some other subtle characters. Ackroyd creates three different narrative voices that appear and
Compare and contrast the narrative structures in 'White Teeth' and 'Beloved' and how the past affects the present.
Sarah Lister 13KW Compare and contrast the narrative structures in 'White Teeth' and 'Beloved' and how the past affects the present. The novels 'White Teeth' by Zadie Smith and 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison both explore many different issues. However, a principle theme that appears to be common in both is the way in which the past influences the present profoundly and both authors use the narrative structures of the books to present this idea to the reader. The exploration of the relationships between characters through time, the past haunting the present and the way in which history and culture is revealed through the past are important devices used to show the emotions and further the plot. Each author does this in a very different way though and this is the power of the narrative structure and the way in which it can be used in a variety of different manners in order to achieve a similar effect. The narrative structure of 'White Teeth' is very logical. The novel is divided decisively into sections in order to present the reader with the emotions and views of the main characters. The four sections 'Archie 1974, 1945', 'Samad 1984, 1857', 'Irie 1990, 1907' and 'Magid, Millat and Marcus 1992, 1999' provide the reader with a clear cut structure to the novel, with the past and present accurately intertwined. The separate 'books' in the novel help the reader to understand how