The tale is narrated by Kate, also known as “Offred”, her handmaid name. Though Offred knows far more about the weaknesses of the regime and the presence of subversive elements (such as the Mayday network), she seems less certain than ever that she will be able to escape. She tells Offred that Ofwarren's baby was conceived with a doctor. Serena Joy asks Offred whether anything has happened yet, and Offred tells her "no". eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of But maybe boredom is erotic, when women do it, for men. Compared to Moira and now Ofglen, Offred seems unwilling to take any real risks to escape her circumstances. When she returns home, she notices that Nick's hat is askew - the sign that the Commander wishes to see her alone. She remembers the night before she and Luke left. She remembers what love was like, and the things that lovers did. Moira becomes a Jezebel after getting caught following her escape from Handmaid training. Moira is a strong-willed woman who is not intimidated by the Once again Offred wakes up only to remember that she is not at home. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ A reference to this is made in the first of the three epigraphs in the book with the phrase, "Give me children or else I die". Offred sits at the window, watching as night falls. He tells her that the problem had been with the men and the women. The supermart in Gilead where Econowives, Marthas and sometimes the Handmaids shop for everyday groceries is called 'Loaves and Fishes' a reference to the Miracle of Loaves and Fishes in Matthew 14:13-21. All rights reserved. These phrases can also be considered a reference to Luke 1:42 which is, "In a loud voice she exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!'". Once again, it seems that the Commanders are at the center of this net, for in order to forgive them, it is first necessary to articulate their crimes, which are so gross, so base, and so selfish that to articulate them would make forgiveness impossible. She wonders where he got it, since all pieces of lingerie were supposed to have been burned. The handmaids in the dystopian tale are only a vessel that helps the top commanders procreate and produce heirs. She wonders who it was that turned them in. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Offred wonders how Ofglen found out. They moved her to the house of some friends, a house that was "a station on the Underground Femaleroad." The novel is based around one of the Handmaids, Offred. Sometimes the idea of a network seems almost silly to Offred - childish, even. Women’s rights are stripped away in Gilead’s male-dominated society. Offred goes to the Commander's room, and can tell that he's been drinking. At earlier Prayvaganzas they would sometimes have a "nun...recant", although most of them chose the Colonies. The Handmaid's Tale literature essays are academic essays for citation. She remembers Moira telling her about this building, and about how women used to not be allowed in. Ofglen whispers that this is where the Eyes hold their banquets. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Handmaid's Tale. She wishes she could have a fight with Luke, a fight over something unimportant. Of course, "Blessed be the fight" is the term that has replaced the term "Blessed be the fruit" in season 3 of 'The Handmaid's Tale'. What do you think about her comments on boredom as erotic? She looks around and sees women everywhere, some wearing outfits like hers, others in bathing suits, and others in exercise costumes. She is a part of Offred's life in all eventAction: 'view' Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale paints a picture of a dystopian society named the Republic of Gilead, where a bunch of religion-driven fascists take complete control and resort to unethical means to get what they want. They couldn't just leave her, but they couldn't bring her, and they couldn't give her to anyone. When she learned she would be murdered by General Jeju, she dressed up in finery before she was thrown over the balcony and eaten by the dogs. Millman, China. As strange as it may seem, Offred feels more like Serena Joy's equal than ever before. Please check out the theme of "power" at the link below: https://www.gradesaver.com/the-handmaids-tale/study-guide/themes. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. He tries to get Offred to tell him what she thinks, but she knows better. Offred suggests that rather than being about power, the current state of affairs is really about forgiveness - about who can forgive whom. }); Ofglen tells her that the baby was a shredder after all, and that Janine blames herself because she used doctor. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' She feels no desire to risk her own life in order to help others, and she's not even sure that she would risk what she has now for the possibility of escape. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); hitType: 'event', ga('ads.send', { Offred's mother wasn't there, and the apartment had been torn apart, but Luke told her not to call the police. In order to create Gilead's idea of a more perfect society, they have reverted to taking the Book of Genesis at its word. Moira is steadfast in her beliefs and is a strong individual whom tries her best to not to succumb to the programming at the center, a place where handmaid’s, foundations that precipitated the Second-wave feminism movement, defining late-twentieth-century feminist thinking. This is a recurring theme since the first season of the show and in the book authored by Margaret Atwood as well. The sky is gray. The also are not allowed to read or even chose who they want to marry. Later, Offred lies in bed, wishing it would rain. They pass through the checkpoints without delay, but as they approach their destination the Commander tells Offred to get down on the floor of the car. ga('ads.send', { Handmaids of Gilead, a reference to Genesis 30:1-3. She thinks about how she can't remember the last time she saw her mother. In the Book of Kings - 1 Kings 16:31, Jezebel is the Phoenician princess, the daughter of Ithobaal I, king of Tyre. She thinks about something else Moira told her: that she had seen Offred's mother in one of the videos about the Colonies. And even the reference to Marthas who is the domestic help treated as servants in Gilead is from the Gospel of Luke. Offred tries to imagine herself with a baby, but she cannot. Coming back to the present, Offred stares at the ruin of her appearance in the mirror. She wonders if she should save the match instead. While it seems clear that the regime truly believes that drastic measures are necessary to ensure the survival of this population, it does not seem clear that the new rules are actually better for anyone. She knows that the "J" doesn't stand for "Jew", because the Jews had been allowed to flee to Israel. The prostitutes of Gilead live in a place called Jezebel which is a reference in the Old Testament. Offred wishes she had not seen the picture, and that night when she eats, she thinks about the knives that they do not bring her. She washes her hands and goes outside. ga('ads.send', { The mart is washed in white and looks sterile from the inside, like rooms in a hospital. Center. Offred tells Moira how she came to be here, and Moira comments that Offred's Commander "is the pits." reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader.