How appropriate is the ending to "The Handmaid's Tale"?
How appropriate is the ending to "The Handmaid's Tale"? The ending of The Handmaid's Tale, although is not a satisfactory ending for the reader, suits the novel very well. Its ambiguity follows the same ambiguous themes which we have already seen permeate the whole text. Atwood uses the last sentence of the text "the darkness within; or else the light" deliberately, to continue with the ambiguity, and to act as a device to not actually end the novel, but to keep the reader guessing. The "darkness" and the "light" obviously represent Offred's death or escape, but we never find out which one becomes of her, so we are continuously left wondering. The intentions of Nick's character are never fully understood during the novel, and even at the end we are still unsure as to whether or not he is a genuine character "Nick, the private eye". When he calls Offred by her "real name" during her removal, this hints that Nick is in fact helping her to escape, and not sending her to her death, as through out the book, she has used her real name as her code for survival, and as a way of clinging on to the past. Nick's character can also be linked to that of the commander, who is perhaps one of the most ambiguous characters of the whole book. This linking of these two can also help the reader to recognise the doubles theme, which permeates the whole text. Offred's doubts towards Nick, are
Compare the mental state of the unreliable narrators of "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Tell-tale Heart." Why do both narrators perceive surveillance as a constant threat?
1. Compare the mental state of the unreliable narrators of "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Tell-tale Heart." Why do both narrators perceive surveillance as a constant threat? An unreliable narrator is a narrator which may not know all the relevant information of the story, may be drunk, high, or mentally ill or may even lie to the audience. Although they have their differences, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Yellow Wallpaper are both stories written by first person, unreliable narrators who also perceive surveillance as a constant threat. The Yellow Wallpaper is written by an unnamed protagonist who gives the reader access to only her thoughts and emotions. The reason the protagonists is considered an unreliable narrator is mainly due to the fact that she is suffering a mental breakdown, making the reader unsure whether what she is saying is true or not. This also lets the reader relate more emotionally to the story since the reader is given an intimate account of the narrator's growing feelings of depression and confusion. Most of the story seems to be written in the style of a journal which the narrator secretly writes as she lays in bed. The way the authors writing style changes as the story progresses gives the readers a clue to the protagonist's deteriorating mental condition. Throughout the story the narrator's sentences seem to get shorter and more cut. There
The handmaid's tale: chapter 2 commentary
The handmaid's tale: chapter 2 commentary This passage from `The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Attwood uses stream of consciousness as a narrative technique to portray the thoughts of the main character, Offred, is going through. Attwood does this very realistically; in the sense that she writes in the way a human mind works, by describing the setting of the room. Thus the setting of the room is vital as it is through the setting that the themes are explored. The main theme of freedom in the passage is shown through the objects described in her room. The style of writing is structured in a way which reflects the minor details of the human mind with the lack of movement in passage to put emphasize on how Offred refuse to let her mine wonder from the things that are around her, in her room. The tone of the passage changes, first it is more uncertain and unsure but later changes to a more certain tone, this shown through the diction used. Attwood structures her narrative technique in such a way that it creates a uniform setting and creates a sense of everything being controlled or repressed. The sense of freedom that Atwood restricts from Offred in the passage is shown through the description of the room. The narrator focuses on what she `can' do rather then what she can not do. "I can sit in the chair" This is ironic because although she is focusing on what
Offred's tale has been described as "a resistance narrative". Is this appropriate given that Offred herself is neither a member of the Mayday resistance movement nor an obvious social dissident?
Offred's tale has been described as "a resistance narrative". Is this appropriate given that Offred herself is neither a member of the Mayday resistance movement nor an obvious social dissident? A resistance narrative is a story about an individual who is resisting showing that they do not agree with a social or political view. In this novels case we have Offred who is trying to resist the tyrannical society she is in. This is a recurring theme in "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood as we see Offred battle to survive and cope in an oppressive society where she is the victim. Resistance is used by many different people and for many different purposes throughout the course of this novel. I believe that it is more than just Offred's resistance that makes her tale a "resistance narrative" but in fact a resistance of most characters connected to her and the ways in which they carry out this. Each caste in Gilead has its own group of rebellious people and share of rebellious doings. "It must have been a Martha who got it for her. There is a network of the Marthas, then, with something in it for them." To all these rebellious acts there are of course consequences. Consequences such as being scolded, beaten, tortured, being exiled as an unwoman sent to live in the colonies, even death. Ofglen, who was part of the Mayday resistance, Serena who acquired cigarettes and the
How far do you agree that Atwood has created not a real person but a mouthpiece for her ideas in the characterisation of Offred?
How far do you agree that Atwood has created not a real person but a mouthpiece for her ideas in the characterisation of Offred? 'The Handmaid's Tale' clearly demonstrates elements of Atwood's ideas such as gender politics and concerns with the environment. How far Atwood manipulates the characters in order to express her ideas will be explored and whether this makes Offred an implausible character. The narrative style used in the novel, a discontinuous and short-scened structure with time shifts, echoes the concept of a memory. The narration often delves into the past as Offred remembers her life before the oppressive theocracy was set up. These elements enable the reader to relate to Offred and her monotonous life as a handmaid. As the narration is a voice it becomes plausible that this is a real person retelling her story and not just a mouthpiece for Atwood's ideas. The intricate, feminine details included in the narrative such as smells and how things feel demonstrate a valid existence as the emotional elements of the character Offred are revealed; "Soft and dry, like papier poudre, Pink and powdery, from the time before." These images create emotion and a real person of Offred as Atwood establishes an emotional quality in her and thus makes the reader believe her to be real. This is also due to the past that Atwood establishes for Offred which gives her an
Women and their roles in society.
Women and their roles in society This is the largest area of study, really; it informs the others, and is an all-pervasive theme in the novel. Some knowledge of the feminist movement, its history and arguments would be useful in approaching the novel and the themes that it explores. It is only recently that women have been allowed to vote, own property and work on an equal level to men. The status of women in The Handmaid's Tale is not that different from how they were viewed in England during the Victorian era. The novel itself points out the similarities between Gilead and Islam in their treatment of women. Offred has taken her freedom and supposed equality for granted, and now suffers for knowing that. The (rather lame) justification for dispossessing women again is that it is for their own good - to rescue them from the objectification of their bodies and the potential for unhappiness in life. These reasons are fundamentally oppressive as they deny women the right to choose and live their own lives. Protection becomes oppression very quickly. The subtext of this reasoning is that men felt threatened and redundant as women moved into the public arena. (Think about the reactions to girls achieving slightly better than boys at exams this year.) As well as this, there seems little sense of unity between women. What chance there is for solidarity is quashed by the regime
Comment on the way in which Atwood has constructed 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
Comment on the way in which Atwood has constructed 'The Handmaid's Tale' Through the course of 'The Handmaids Tale', Margaret Atwood uses an unconventional and ostensibly unordered form of plot construction to present Offred's tale and certain major themes effectively to the reader. The construction of 'The Handmaid's Tale' is strongly linked to the prime theme of time running through the novel, as well as other more subtle themes such as that of Offred's passive rebellion. In this essay I will explore the use of the novel's structure and its effectiveness in conveying the novel's thematic threads to the reader. The fragmented progression of plot and seemingly disjointed structure of the novel is made evident from the Table Of Contents where the predominant sections of 'Night' are interspersed with various singular sections, implying a cyclic and repetitive dimension to life in the patriarchal Gileadean society. While the other sections provide a reflection of the mundane nature of Gileadean life, Atwood utilises the 'Night' sections in presenting Offred's reminiscences on the past time, through which the majority of character and plot development takes place. Offred uses the night to express subversive notions such as the theme of re-ownership and independence in the quotation, 'the night is mine...to do as I will', as well as the significant reclamation of her body: 'I
Stories and story telling has many purposes in 'The Handmaids Tale.' Discuss how and why Offred tells her stories.
Stories and story telling has many purposes in 'The Handmaids Tale.' Discuss how and why Offred tells her stories. Offred tells stories in 'The Handmaids Tale' to take herself away the reality of the regime in Gilead. Offred constantly drifts away into memories of the past to be able to cope with everyday life. She sees things as she wants them to happen but things will probably never be the way they were. Although her memories are not detailed or extensive, it does become clear that 'The Handmaids Tale' is a dystopia. Offred can remember the days before, when she lived with and made love to her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter, when she had a job, her own money and access to knowledge. But all that is gone now. Many of Offred's stories are about her past life and she is obsessed by the contrast between her present life and her lost freedom. In chapter 7, Offred explains her storytelling as a survival tool "I would like to believe this is a story I'm telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance.... If it is a story I'm telling then have control over the ending, to the story, and real life will come after it." She explains that what she is telling is not a story but it is what is going through her head. She then explains how she can only 'tell' as writing is
How does Atwood present the commander throughout "The Handmaid's Tale?"
How does Atwood present the commander throughout the novel? Throughout the novel the commander is presented as a complex and changing character to the reader, which is fitting as the readers perception of the commander constantly changes. His position in Gilead presents the rebellion along the chain of command as he is among the elite of the country yet is ruthless in his manners. The first perception that the reader is presented with to feel towards the commander is contempt and disgust, this becomes from the ceremony where he appears focused on the simple means of his duty, and seems unfazed by the whole event to the readers disgust, who is shocked and dismayed by the ceremony. This is portrayed by Offreds description of the Commander seemingly preoccupied as if he is 'drumming his fingers on the table' this quote illustrates the customary approach of the commander who appears to take the event as normal every day life. The next perception that the reader is presented with is the commander's façade of asking Offred to his office, it is clear who has real supremacy and how far they intend to use it to manipulate people, especially those in the range below themselves. He knows it is against society yet still takes the risks, Offred describes their meeting as illegal but for her to 'refuse to see him could be worse, there is no doubt who holds the real power' The
Compare and contrast the ways these authors present the oppressive society of their dystopias and the effect these techniques have on the reader.
Atwood: 'The Handmaids Tale' Orwell: '1984' Compare and contrast the ways these authors present the oppressive society of their dystopias and the effect these techniques have on the reader. Both novels stimulate the reader's anxieties and fears as they explore the dystopic worlds of 'Airstrip One' and 'Gilead'. All of the aspects and issues that are portrayed in the societies are conveyed using a number of techniques such as the manipulation of the familiar and comfortable with the alien and unnerving that Airstrip One and Gilead come to represent. The basic literary techniques and depth of detail are paralleled in both of these pieces of prose and go someway in highlighting the similarity in style yet the backgrounds and eras of the authors set the texts apart and the means (characters, motifs, symbols and experience) they use to deliver the chilling messages behind the novels. '1984' is a political novel written with a purpose of warning readers about the dangers of totalitarian states and in one part says that if you want to see a picture of the future ' imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever'. It is a horrific view of the destruction of totalitarianism. Some of what Orwell prophesised came true in Russia, to some degree. In Stalinist Russia, documents were destroyed as in the 'Ministry of Truth' and there was a 'beautification' of a leader, like there is