The Handmaid's Tale

Essay question: Compare and contrast the ways Atwood in "The Handmaid's Tale" and Chaucer in "The Wife of Bath" explore status in society.

Introduction:
Status in society is explored in the books, The Handmaid's Tale and The Wife of Bath. In the Handmaid's Tale, Atwood explores status in society through language which shows subjugation of women, colour coding (clothing), role, name of characters, the past and present life of Offred. In the Wife of Bath, status is explored in the Prologue through the wife's control over marriage. The Tale which presents the status of women through the queen's orders and the Witches commands. I will be exploring the different ways Atwood and Chaucer explore status in society.

Main Body:

1. In the Handmaid's Tale, the status of women and men are explored through their roles in society. This can be seen in character of Offred (who is a Handmaid) used for the bearing of children when Offred says, "I am a walking womb." The use of women in society in the section about Salvaging when the Handmaid's are told to pull the rope to kill the Handmaid accused of "cheating". "I've leaned forward to touch the rope in front of me, in time with the others... placed my hand on my heart to show my unity with the salvagers and my consent..."
2. Although women such as the Handmaid's are used for the bearing of children, there are other women who have different roles and status in society. Women such as the Commander's Wife called Serena Joy has a higher status comapred to the Handmaid's. The different status between these two categories can be seen in the actions and attidues of the Wife to the Offred. When Offred first meets the Commander's wife and she describes her attitude, "She dosen't speak to me, unless she can't avoid it. I am a reproach to her; and a necessity."
3. Despite the status of the Wife in the Handmaid's Tale, the status of women in the fouteenth century and the views on women are shown by Chaucer through the Wife either contridictory or corresponding to the Wifes Prologue and Tale. A corresponding quote for the views on women in the fourteenth century about women being troublesome is when the Wife describes herself as, "Stiborn I was as is a leonasse."
4. Depending on the views on women in Chaucer's era, the wealth of the woman would be passed onto the man once they are married. A quotation from the Wife portrays that women's wealth is passed onto the husband, when the Wife says, "Hath wedded me with greet so lempritee, And to him yaf i al the lond and fee."
5. In the Handmaid's Tale society, women are dominated by men,the Commander is a man, who commands everyone below his status (the Handmaid's, the Aunts and their Wife). The society of the book is based on patriarchal society and this can be seen through the power men have as a Commander. This can be seen when Offred describes the Commander when she says, "The Commander has a room key. He shows it to me, slyly. I am to understand."
6. Whereas, in the Wife of Bath's Tale, women are shown to be in control of and have power over men. This can be seen in the Tale when the Wife says, "And yat him to the queene, al at hir wille, To chase wheither she wolde him save or spille." The queen's commandes to the Knight which shows her status when she says, " I grante thee lyf if thou thanst tellen me what thing is it that women most desiren."
7. In the Handmaid's Tale, the Handmaid's are used to ear children and are colour coded like the others, the colour they have to wear is red. Therefore Offred decribes herself as, "the colour of blood, which defines us."

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I believe that in both "The Handmaid's Tale" and "The Wife of Bath", the topic status has been explored in many ways. In the Handmaid's Tale through hierachy and colour coding. In the Wife of Bath, through Prologue and Tale describing the status of women through the queen status and the Wife's life.

The Handmaid's Tale - Chapter 28 -

Subjugation of women:

"I have to let you go, it's the law, I have to. You can't work here any more."

This quote is taken from the past before Gilead Regime, the time when women were allowed to work and working was seen as normal for women. The manager tells them to leave or else they will kill me. Offred loses her job at that stage and that is when subjugation begins. The term subjugation is defined as oppression of women, making women the subject. In the quote, the word law which is a noun, this phrase justifies the reason they have to leave their jobs and shows that the subjugation was brought by the new law. Everyone needs to follow the law, therefore when the manager mentions the decision made by them affects the reason they leave the workplace immediately.

The modal verb can't shows they no longer have the choice to stay there, they have to leave to survive. The choice is been taken away from the manager himself, its the choice that is taken away from all of them by the law which needs to be followed at all times. The fact that the person telling them is a man suggests the difference between the gender at that moment, the man controls and commands the women, as this will happen in the future, the commander's role in the Gilead society.

In this chapter, the whole society begins to change. It starts with Offred's bank card not working, then she loses her job by the law. These suggest how the new society is building and women's freedom from doing such things.

The Handmaid's Tale-Jezebel section

Explore attitudes towards women and sex

Throughout the book of the book of the Handmaid's Tale, attitudes towards women and sex are explored in many different ways and Atwood has used a female voice as the narrator of the book to show us these attitudes. The use of woemsn who are fertile and can bear children, the symbol of the colour red worn by the Handmaid's meaning they are fertile. Along these attitudes towards women and sex, the section Jezebel explores many things about the actions towards women and sex. I will be exploring these attitudes towards women and sex in the section of the book.

In the section of the Jezeble's, attitudes towards women and sex is explored through many denotations, connotations and symbolisim of animal skin worn by women in the club. In the beginning of chapter thirty seven, the Commander mentions something to do with the nature of men. He says to Offred, "Nature demands variety for men... it's natures plan." This quote contains the word nature which cannotes God's creation meaning that men would stillhave the same actions towards women eventhough the society has changed. The Commander raises this issue because he is maybe against the Gilead's Regime. The club is built against the Gilead Regime that is built in the society and is against the nature of life. He says this to show is inner feelings for his duty and the situation he is in. The nature of men is shown in a similar way to the Commander when Nick winks at Offred which also cannotes the love and passion men have towards women and not ven the Gilead Regime can stop God's creation and how he created it. This explanation can be linked to the question about attitudes towards women and sex.

Another attitude towards women and sex is shown through the symbol of animal's skin worn by the women in the club. This is described by Offred and her thoughts and qestions herself about the past when she says, "Girls dressed for Easter, in rabbit suits...why are rabbits supposed to be sexually attractive to men?" In this quotation, the animal "rabbit" is worn by the women, so the rabbit costume cannotes cute and prey, these connotations shows how a women is seen by others and prey for men (as the predators). Offred is in the club, the question she raised in her mind is something to do with the place she is at, in this case it is the club and she sees women dressed in these costumes which is against the Gilead Regime. Interior monolgue is used by Offred eventhough she is in a place where there is some freedom and everyone would be equally punished if they were found out. The reason she uses this is because she may be afraid of the place, the people, salvaging and The Wall, she might be unsure of the Commander and his wife accusing her of something whci hmay cause her death penalty or taken to the colonies. The rabbit suits is a use symbol of attitudes towards women and sex by men which relates to the question.

In addition to that, the attitudes that may be given to women in the club shows how women are treated everywhere in the society. This can be seen when Offred wants to meet Moira and asks the Commander what she should say is anyone stops her and the Commander says "Just show them your tag...they'll know you are taken." This shows that women are used as possessions of men and their property in the Gilead Regime and shows us that the society is a Patriarchal society which means women have no freedom, therefore they are only commanded by their husband's or Commander's. The word "tag" cannotes marriage ring as a object to show a married couple, in this case, the Coomander and Offred.

In chapter thirty nine, the Commander command's Offred to have sex with him alone without his wife, this can be seen when Offred narrates "He pulls down one of my straps... I lie there like a dead bird." This quotation portrays patriarchal society, where men are in control of women and the power they have over women. Offred describes herself as "a dead bird", which is an animal, the same as the animal costumes worn by women in the club. A dead bird cannotes death which shows Offred's inner feelings towards the force of having sex with the Commander.

In conclusion, Atwood has used Offred as the narrator of the story and describing the section of Jezebel's. The section is against the Gilead Regime, and the attitudes that are given to women in that section. The reason a female narrator is describing the scene and situation is to show how women are treated and what they symbolize for men and sex.

Offred's monologue

Today was the most strangest day of my life! Well, Nick came up to me and said the Commander wanted to see me. I was really scared at first because of the Wall and the Aunts, but I had to go, because he is the Commander.
Well, after the lights were out and the Aunts were not around, I sneakly went into the hallway, towards the Commander's office. I have never been to his office before, ever. I felt scared, my heart was beating very fast. At last I came to a door which said in capital letters "THE COMMANDER'S OFFICE". My hand was shaking and I couldn't knock on the door, after I had calmed down, I lightly knocked on the door and heard his voice saying "come in". I wanted to go back, wanted to escape into thin air because of the fear I have of The Wall, but then I felt very excited to be the only one the Commander wants.
After closing the door, I looked at the room. The room looked very old and dirty, but there was books everywhere, I thought they had burn them all. The Commander asked my to come forward and sit on the chair. He was sitting on a big chair behind his desk. He began talking to me, by asking how I am and other things, I didn't dare look at his face because it is forbidden at all times.
The reason he wanted to see me was to play SCRABBLE, I couldn't believe it at first, but after a while I got used to it, eventhough I hadn't ever played it before and could hardly remember any spellings.
At the end he came upto the door of his office with me to say good night, and he asked my to kiss him. "Kiss me like you mean it". This is what the Commander commanded me to do and I think he really meant what he said, so I did as he aksed, eventhough I was scared of the Eye watching eveything we do.

Commentary:

I chose Offred's character to do a monolgue, to show the risks she takes which leads to the ending of the book itself. I also got the Commander to show the two different status of the characters, the Commander's high status and the handmaid's lower status. The situation Offred is at is when she is meeting the Commander for the first time in his office and the way she feels about meeting him on her own, unlike before, when she had the ceremony with Serena Joy holding her hands.
The setting of the monologue is set in the Commander's office with Offred seeing herslef in the office for the first time and her reactions to the place. The Commander is sitting at his desk when Offred goes into the office, then they start playing scrabble, as the Commander had decided to do when she comes.
The message this monologue of Offred is to show the Commander's status and the duty of Offred as a handmaid, being commanded at by higher status. I have also included Offred's fear of The Wall, which is echoing in her mind at every step of the way to his Office and meeting him. I used a language technique called capital, I used this to show the important titles as Offred reads the sign on the door. I also used a wide variety of punctuation to show the pauses and feeling of Offred in her situation.

The Handmaid's Tale

An entry from Offred's secret diary:

Dear diary,

Today, I went shopping with Ofglen, we brought all the food we needed inclusing ORANGES, it has been a long time since I had an orange so I was tempted to buy it straight away! After buying the list one of the Marthas gave me, we went past the church through the Wall. To be honest, the reason I wanted to pass the Church is to see the Wall. Today bodies six bodies were hanged by the necks, their hands tied in front of them, their heads in white bags. I felt scared and I was shivering because seeing my future in front of me is something hard to accept. It was men's Salvaging today and I wanted to see if Luke was one of the dead bodies, I always look at the Wall as I pass it, in the hope of seeing him, not hanged and dead, but because I miss him so much I want to see his face again.

The Handmaid's Tale

A letter from a Commander's wife to Serena Joy: An invitation to a 'Birth Day'

RE: An invitation to a 'Birth Day'

Dear Serena Joy

I would like to invite you to a Birth Day we will be having, as one of the Handmaid's is due to have a baby after nine long months. A blue Birthmobile will come and bring you to the Centre where the birth of the baby will take place. I am so greateful that one of our Handmaid's pregnant because it is a miracle to bring life to a child for the future. I will be looking forward to seeing you there.

Yours Sincerely
Commander's wife

The Handmaid's Tale:
Character: Aunt Lydia
Aunt Lydia, as all the other Aunts, are assigned to indocrinate the Handmaid's with the belief of the new society and make the Handmaid's accept their fates. Aunt Lydia works in the "Red Centre" where women like Offred go for instruction before becoming Handmaid's. Aunt Lydia's flashbacks are only seen by Offred, the instruction haunt Offred in her life. Aunt Lydia's slogans drum the ideology into the women's heads, they hear Gilead's words echoing in their heads as Offred remembers what Aunt Lydia said about Gilead. Aunt Lydia has once said to Offred that "Gilead is within you".

The Handmaid's Tale

The top three features that I believe best describes the book are:

• About loss of freedom to speak

Evidence from the text:

"If only we could talk to them" and "We learned to whisper almost without sound". These two quotes are both about freedom, about the loss of freedom to speak. These quotes are what Offred said at the beginning of the book, this tells me, as a reader that the society she lives in, they are not allowed to speak to each other unless they are been spoken to. The pronouns used in both quotes show that all the Handmaids are forbidden from speaking, so the pronouns shows how much they want to speak. The other pronouns used is the word 'them', this word describes another group of characters that are separate from another group, in this case, offerd and the other Handmaid's are forbidden to talk to the men. This is what she means when she says, them.

• About the control of language and therefore thought

Evidence from the text:

"I don't want to look at something that determines me so completely", this is what Offerd says when she is having a bath, what she means by this is that she refuses to look at her own body because she does not want to face the fact that she has no role in life except being used as a breeding-machine to bear the Commander's wife children. what she means in this quote is that her body is what protects her from death, it is what she can survive with otherwise she has to go to the Colonies which are for the Unwomen, women who are not fertile to bear children. She may be refusing the role she has as a handmaid. The quote contains personal pronoun which is believed to be Offred's own state of mind, directing the reader about her feelings.