Howis memory used in the novel? Atwood
How is memory used in the novel? (Timed essay typed up) We learn much about Offred through her own personal private thought. Atwood uses a technique of writing known as stream of conscientious which allows Offred`s thoughts to flow providing the reader with a real sense of intimacy with Offred as she reveals her innermost secrets and emotions to us. In Offred`s thoughts and dreams she is taken back to memories of when she had freedom to do as she desired, when she was in college with Moira, and times with Luke and her daughter Offred does most of her contemplating, she says ‘The night is mine.’ She is not withdrawn or examined at night. She frequently reminisces about the past, paralleling the experiences to her present state of mind. This is part of the exposition used by Atwood in order to help the reader understand how Offred came to where she is to provide us with background information of the plot.
Offred’s person is in addition revealed in flashback demonstrating that her female counterparts from the past generally influence her such as her mother and her best friend. Her best friend is a lively and bubbly character named Moira who is a key figure in Offred’s character development in the novel. Offred says of her, ‘Moira was our fantasy. We hugged her to us, she was with us in secret, a giggle; she was lava beneath the crust of daily life. In light of Moira, Aunts were less fearsome and more absurd’. She helps Offred in piloting her sexuality as she ...
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Offred’s person is in addition revealed in flashback demonstrating that her female counterparts from the past generally influence her such as her mother and her best friend. Her best friend is a lively and bubbly character named Moira who is a key figure in Offred’s character development in the novel. Offred says of her, ‘Moira was our fantasy. We hugged her to us, she was with us in secret, a giggle; she was lava beneath the crust of daily life. In light of Moira, Aunts were less fearsome and more absurd’. She helps Offred in piloting her sexuality as she herself is a radical feminist and dares to do what Offred would want to do but is scared to do so. Moira seems to be, in my opinion, a catalyst to many of the events that occurred with Offred as the story develops. She gives Offred courage inadvertently and represents a symbol of hope as she escaped from the centre. Offred`s oppression caused her to harbour a negative but understandable attitude towards men, including her husband Luke, as a lot of the negative feelings were projected onto him. However, at her conclusion she can excuse the men's behaviour because they are essentially just men. Offred’s memories of her mother provide her character with some inner strength as well. She describes a time when her mother took her to a burning of pornographic books. Offred’s mother was a feminist activist that took part in rallies as seen on video. Night is used as a chapter heading seven times in total. Offred was at first embarrassed of her mother in her youth, but in her memories or flashbacks, she understands her mother's wide mind and free spirit growing to admire these qualities. She too gives Offred courage. Offred’s mother says of men, ‘A man is just a woman's strategy for making other women.’ Offred keeps her mother alive much in the same way she keeps Luke and her own daughter alive, through memory, she asks rhetorically: ‘Where ever you may be. Can you hear me? You wanted a woman's culture. Well, now there is one. It isn't what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for small mercies.’ Offred seems to also use memory as a resource of keeping her mind active as she seems to be wandering through to the past recalling such events which link onto the stories in which we are told, ‘Here is what I believe.. I believe Luke is lying face down in a thicket’ through this quote we are informed of Offreds immediate emotions and she as a character shares her emotions with us and uses memory to escape time from her present situation. Offred seems to be trapped in danger, but she appears to escape this and relieves her tension by keeping her mind occupied relating back to the past as she informs us of the liberties which she used to have, where everything was ‘available to us’. From this we can see that the information shared from the past also helps us gain insight towards Gilead and its history it contains. Margaret Atwood seems to have used memory in this way, as we are given information of what Gilead is like, ‘this is the centre where nothing moves’. So concluding this we can see that memory is not just used for flashbacks, but also for giving information to the reader so we can gain insight to the history. Memory also in this novel seems to piece the story together slowly and links this novel up, as at times it seems to be confusing, but the stories or memories we are told, helps makes us understand the novels ideas and themes. As when we learn about Offreds childhood and her past, this helps us to understand what state she is in and how her past may of affected her attitude. Another use of memory throughout this novel is viewing this whole entire story through Offreds perspective, as memory takes us through how Offred likes to represent her stories and memories of the past time, we can observe Offred tells her stories through to how she would like to tell them. Concluding this, we can see that memory is used to show the past of Gilead as well as the stories in which Offred shares with us, this also seems to link the story together and we again can see how Offred uses memory to keep her mind active. Memory is used in many different ways and forms in this novel, as we can see that memory is an important tool which creates the effect of making us as the reader go into the deep thought of viewing this novel in the way it is told.
