The Handmaid's Tale Final Response

Atwood's society in The Handmaid's Tale portrays that of a negative utopia in which women are very heavily oppressed. The U.S. Government has been overthrown, and new policies have been implemented in which women are divided by class and forced to perform tasks according to the group they are placed in. The Handmaid, which is the group of the main character, serves the function of childbearing. During certain ceremonies, the handmaids have sex with commanders while the wives are present, as to retain the sanctity of marriage. This is to imply that the wife is the person being impregnated, rather than the handmaid. The main character, Offred, gives her accounts of the actions which took place prior to the regime throughout the book. Offred tells of her and her husband's attempted escape and capture. Her husband and daughter were taken from her and she was implemented into the new policies of the regime. Due to the Commander's liking of her, Offred is able to get away with many things and is granted many privileges. She is called into the Commander's room many nights simply for conversation. Women in the regime cherish any luxuries they are able to come by, as they are very few and far between. Throughout the book, many events are similar to those that have occurred throughout history. A theme of history repeating itself is present in nearly every aspect of the regime. The heavy oppression of women is a theme which has been present in many governments throughout history, and it has once again taken place in the futuristic utopia that America developed into.

Fahrenheit 451 Final Response

Fahrenheit 451 is a very interesting and insightful read. The themes contained within it are very applicable to society today and the direction in which it is headed. Technology is slowly taking over every aspect of human life, and, depending on the direction in which future generations choose, society may be very similar to the one within Fahrenheit 451. In addition, the theme that history is very important is portrayed in Fahrenheit 451. The society in which the book is based is full of citizens who have no knowledge of historical events which have occurred, and therefore, they are very ignorant and gullible. Also, the importance of thought is outlined in the book. When people cannot think for themselves, society never advances. The inhabitants of the futuristic America were stuck in a rut, as they had no knowledge of prior events, and they had no ways of gaining knowledge, as books were outlawed. The power within the society is held by the few that are educated and have read books. The book gives a very good view of what the conditions of a utopia would be and how its inhabitants would function. Everyone is equal in the futuristic society, but the level of equality is that of many uneducated people who are not able to make their own decisions, and they do not have the ability to think for themselves. The end of the book portrays the concept that for things to progress, they must first be worse, or they must be taken down and rebuilt completely, as is the case for the city.

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 10

" She's nothing to me; she shouldn't have had books. It was her responsibility, she should have thought of that. I hate her. She's got you going and the next thing you know we'll be out, no house, no job, no nothing."


This is Mildred's response to Montag's actions following the burning of the house with the old woman. She knows that the events of the day bothered Montag. Also, she knows that he does not wish to continue with his duties as a fireman. Due to this, she attempts to convince him with reasoning based on the attitude of society. 


P. 51

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 9

"Are you happy?" she said. "Am I what?" he cried. But she was gone- running in the moonlight. Her front door shut gently." 


This is the conversation that plants the original seed of doubt in Montag's mind that the society he lives in is correct. Clarisse asks him if he is happy, and her simple question results in hours of Montag pondering his life. From this, he comes to the conclusion that he is not happy, and every event following throughout the book is a result of this question. 


P. 10

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 8

"Kerosene," he said, because the silence had lengthened, "is nothing but perfume to me."


Montag gives further evidence as to how much he loves his job as a fireman. Kerosene, used as fuel for a book fire, is a smell that never completely leaves a fireman's body. He speaks of the kerosene as perfume, because he considers his job to be very noble and enjoyable. 


P. 6

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 7

"The sun burnt every day. It burnt Time . . . Time was busy burning the years and the people anyway, without any help from him. So if he burnt things with the firemen and the sun burnt Time, that meant that everything burnt!"


Montag speaks of the sun as he has just escaped the city by way of the river. He finally enjoys the leisure to think, which Faber told him he would need to obtain his life back. Montag concludes that if he and the firemen continue to burn, eventually everything will burn, leaving nothing. He decides that since the sun will never stop, he and the firemen must stop. 


P. 45

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 6

"It’s perpetual motion; the thing man wanted to invent but never did. . . . It’s a mystery. . . . Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences . . . clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, 
practical."


These are the words that Beatty spoke to Montag just before Montag burned him to a crisp. He speaks of fire. He describes fire as beautiful, and he loves its ability to burn away responsibility and consequences. 


P. 41

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 5

"Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores".


Faber is explaining the importance of books to Montag when he makes this quote. He is telling Montag that he is not looking for books, but he is looking for the meaning within them. The word "texture" is used with the connotation of "quality."


P.26

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 4

"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal . . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind."


Captain Beatty has many contradictions in his speech. He is in support of equality to all, while he is to remain educated himself. Beatty uses his words very often to manipulate Montag, as he is using his "loaded gun." His 
knowledge is his best weapon against Montag, and he uses it very often. 


P. 58

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 3

“Established, 1790, to burn English-influenced books in the Colonies. First Fireman: Benjamin Franklin. Rule 1. Answer the alarm swiftly. 2. Start the fire swiftly. 3. Burn everything. 4. Report back to firehouse immediately. 5. Stand alert for other alarms.”


This is the response that Montag was given when he inquired as to whether firemen had always served the same purpose, or if they originally put out fires. Montag's fellow firemen swiftly read this rule from their rule book. From this, it is apparent that the men have been brainwashed by the new society. 


P. 34-35

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 2

"It was a pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed."

This is another example of foreshadowing in the very beginning pages of the book. Montag speaks of his enjoyment of the burning of  books, and he enjoys the change that results. From this, the reader may gather that a change will take place at a later time in the book.

P. 3

Fahrenheit 451 Quote 1

"So it was his hand that started it all... His hands had been infected, and soon it would be his arms... His hands were ravenous."

Montag stole the book from the old woman's house by impulse. He didn't think at all before he acted. Due to this, his realization is described as if it were an infection, and he knew It would not go away. This quote foreshadows Montag's future actions in the book.

P. 41

Fahrenheit 451 Post 10

Montag's new group explains that they are a member of thousands of old professors who have stored sections of books in their memories. They are waiting for humanity to become prepared for books again, and they will help when the time comes. The men put out their fire and walk downstream in darkness. Suddenly, jets fly over the city and bombs are dropped vaporizing the entire city. Montag suddenly realizes that he and Mildred met in Chicago. The men head toward the city to help rebuild it from ashes.

Granger welcomes Montag back to life from death, symbolizing his attaining of a more meaningful life. The idea of transforming was forshadowed from Montag's fascination with the changing of books when they are burned. Montag now has exposure to nature, leisure to think, and freedom to act. Granger compares mankind to a phoenix, as the bird rises from fire to a new life. Granger remarks that the city should build a mirror factory to take a long hard look at themselves. Mirrors symbolize self-understanding. The last line of the book, "As we walk to the city," implies a symbolic connection to the burning of the city and the apocalypse of the Earth.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1155642/Worcester-city-Britain-twinned--Gaza.html

Fahrenheit 451 Post 9

Montag watches the Hound track him through people's windows, and he heads for the river, as to prevent the hound from catching his scent. He washes up on the countryside, and he encounters a circle of homeless men. They invite him over and give him some clear liquid, which they say will disguise his scent. On the TV, they see that the police found a scapegoat, and the Hound pounces on an innocent man walking alone, who they claim is Montag.

Bradbury uses many dramatic pauses to heighten the tension during the chase. Montag ponders his life, and thinks of it as having a different purpose now. In the countryside, Montag becomes a whole person for the first time.

http://www.chumpysclipart.com/illustration/21/mean_aggressive_dog_chasing_an_unaware_man_jogging_with_headphones_over_his_ears

fahrenheit 451 Post 8

At his house, Montag watches Clarisse's old house and Beatty notices, after which he chastises him. Mildred comes out of the house and is taken away in a taxi. Beatty forces Montag to burn his house on his own. After he is done, Beatty places him under arrest. Montag burns Beatty to a crisp with his flamethrower and knocks the other firemen out. The Hound is able to inject Montag with anisthetic before he is able to destroy it. Montag runs into the backyard and recovers four books that Mildred missed. He stashes them at a coworker's house after discovering that there is a police report out for him. Montag travels to Faber's house, where he is instructed to leave town following the railroad tracks and meet Faber in St. Louis in the future at an old printer's house. Montag instructs Faber to remove his scent from his house so the new Hound can't track him there, and he departs.

Mildred completely betrayed Montag, and he knows that she will soon forget him. Fire has two contradictary meanings. It stands for Montag's liberation, and he feels remorse later for his actions. Bradbury uses figurative language heavily in this section. He uses many sentence structures, varying from fractures to a long, lengthy sentence.

http://www.123rf.com/photo_3611730_businessman-being-handcuffed-and-placed-under-arrest.html

Fahrenheit 451 Post 7

Montag travels to his home, where two of Mildred's friends are. He turns the TV off and attempts to hold a conversation with them. After a failed attempt, he discloses a book of poetry. After both women are upset, Montag casts the book into the incinerator. He orders both women to leave. Montag discovers that Mildred has been burning his books one by one, and he has to find a new hiding place. He heads to the fire station, where he hands his book over to Beatty. Beatty takes the book without looking and throws it in the trash can. At the station, the alarm goes off, and Montag travels with the firemen. When they arrive, Montag realizes the address was his house.

Religious imagery is used very heavily in this section. To encourage Montag, Faber reads to him From Job, telling him to continue, although it is not easy. Montag becomes critical of Faber's orders, after which Faber praises him for developing independent thought. Mildred's friends seem meaningless to Montag, and he does not understand them. Faber calls himself water and Montag fire, and he says together they will make wine. At the fire station, Montag washes his hands, because he feels they are "gloved in blood," which is a reference to Macbeth. Beatty seems satanic, as though he and Faber are fighting over Montag's soul. Beatty makes attempts at winning Montag over by using literature to deter him from literature, which is the best weapon he could use.

http://top-10-list.org/2009/09/11/erroneous-beliefs-about-catholicism/

Fahrenheit 451 Post 6

Montag is reading the books, and he is not able to comprehend them. He remembers meeting an old English professor, and he calls him. The professor fears he is trying to trap him, and hangs up. Montag travels to the professor's house, and upon showing him his copy of the Bible, the professor is no longer afraid. The professor tells Montag that he is not looking for the books themselves, but the meanings within the book. Montag decides that something has to be done to bring books back, and he persuades the professor to help him. The professor agrees to visit his friend who has a printing press to have more copies of the Bible made, and Montag decides to give Beatty a substitute book, as to keep his copy of the Bible.

Mildred refuses to talk about Clarisse, because she is dead. This shows a denial of death. Montag openly accepts and ponders death. Montag fears that Beatty will appeal to the joy he felt in the transformation by burning, and persuade him to return to his old way of life.

In the title of this section, an important symbol is expressed. "The Sieve and the Sand." It is in reference to an event in Montag's memory in which he tried to fill a sieve with sand as fast as he could in order to get a dime from his cousin. He connects this memory with his attempt to read the Bible as fast as possible, with hopes of retaining some of the knowledge within it.Truth is elusive and impossible to grasp in any permanent way.

http://www.123rf.com/photo_3259704_a-childs-hand-sieving-sand-with-a-sieve.html

Fahrenheit 451 Post 5

Captain Beatty comes to check on Montag, as he figures he is sick after the experience the day before. He tells Montag that his curiosity of books is something that every fireman eventually goes through. Beatty recounts the real history of firemen to Montag, saying that books became obsolete, as technological advances allowed for information to be given much faster and that books caused many problems. Soon, people began to burn their books, and the only ones that remained were the simple ones that deliver instant gratification. He also tells that he has had a file on Clarisse's family for years, and that she is better off dead. After Beatty leaves, Montag is determined to search the books he has stolen for something to make him happy again, and he begs Mildred to help him.

Censorship began with the people, and the government acted accordingly, according to Beatty's recount of history. He claims that people quit reading long before books were every burned, due to technology.

http://reading-programs.info/?cat=4

Fahrenheit 451 Post 4

Montag hides the book he stole under his pillow at home. He talks with Mildred, but she seems very far away and strange, as she is wrapped up in her TV "family." He asks her if she remembers where they met, but neither of them can remember. Montag asks Mildred if she knows where Clarisse is, and she says the family moved away and Clarisse was hit by a car. The next morning, Montag is sick, and he tells Mildred he is thinking about giving up his job for a little while. This sparks an argument, which ends when Captain Beatty is seen walking up to the front door.

Montag blames his theft on his hands, but Bradbury implies that the force is actually his instinct, and it has been covered up by the ignorant culture that he has lived in. Montag realizes that he does not truly feel connected with his wife. Montag begins to dislike his job severely after the experience with the old woman. Montag realizes that books are the truth.

http://www.ronmartin.net/blog/archives/1857

Fahrenheit 451 Post 3

At the station, Montag attempts to pet the Hound, and it growls at him. He reports the situation to Captain Beatty, and he insists that it has not been tampered with, but says he will have it checked out. Montag is teased by the other firemen about the Hound. He begins to talk with Clarisse every day, and she asks him many questions. On the eighth day, Montag does not see her, and does not get the chance to investigate because his bus arrives to take him to work. Montag begins to have more interest in books, and almost reveals that he read the first line of a book of fairy tales before they burned a library. Guy asks if firemen ever prevented fires, and Montag is shown a rule in the rule book that tells of the Firemen of America being founded in 1790 to burn British books. The alarm sounds, and the men travel to an old house with books hidden in the attic. Montag hides a book under his shirt before the men soak them. Once ready, the old woman to whom the house belongs refuses to exit the house. After Montag exits, she lights herself and her books on fire, leaving everyone speechless.


A theme is displayed by the Hound of being living but not living. The possibility that someone set the Hound to attack Montag foreshadows trouble with someone at the station. Montag feels set apart from the other firemen, as he no longer fully enjoys his job. He has a thoughtless action occur, similar to Mildred's suicide, when he grabs the book without thinkiing.

http://instructors.dwrl.utexas.edu/mitchell/node/127

Fahrenheit 451 Post 2

Montag is not accustomed to discussing personal subjects with others. Due to this, his conversation with Clarisse disturbs him. He realizes that he is not happy. Guy walks into his room to find his wife, Mildred, laying in her bed listening to earbuds. He knocks over an empty bottle of sleeping pills. Following this, he immediately calls the hospital. Immediately, a crew shows up and pumps her stomach and replaces her poisoned blood with fresh blood. Montag takes a sleeping pill and dozes off. The next day, Mildred does not remember her attempted suicide. When Montag leaves for work, he finds Clarisse outside in the rain, catching raindrops on her tongue. He tells her to hurry to her psychiatrist appointment. Before departing, Montag catches a few drops on his tongue.

The new world, although very uninterested in nature, has many references to animals, as in the machines named Snake and Hound. The only part of nature that people are interested in is fire, which is used primarily for entertainment. Mildred suffers from a hidden sadness that causes her to commit suicide and not recount it. In the book, blood is used as a symbol to represent a human's repressed soul or primal instinct. Many examples of foreshadowing exist throughout the book, although they are very vague and do not give many hints as to the future events.

http://www.welchok.com/tag/blood-drive/

Fahrenheit 451 Post 1

Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a futuristic America in which many things have changed. Guy Montag, a fireman, is the main character. In the new America, the term fireman has taken on a new meaning. Buildings are now fireproof, and the main task of a fireman is to burn books. Montag's uniform consists of a helmet with 451, the temperature at which paper burns, printed on it. On the sleeve is a salamander, and a "phoenix disc" sits on his chest. Montag experiences much pleasure while performing his job, and he has a smile on his face from it that rarely fades.
On Montag's walk home, he meets his new neighbor, Clarisse. She is fascinated by Montag and his uniform. She begins speaking of things very unfamiliar to Montag, asking if firemen extinguished fires in the past, rather than starting them. Montag laughs at the question. Clarisse claims that she is crazy, as she and her family talk to each other and walk. Clarisse makes Guy nervous, and she reminds him of a candlestick, a clock, and a mirror. Montag is fascinated with Clarisse, and she ends their conversation by asking if he is happy and disappears into her house. Guy proceeds inside his own house and ponders his encounter with Clarisse.

The beginning section of the book, The Hearth and the Salamander, has a very symbolic title. The hearth is a traditional symbol of the home, and the salamander is an animal very closely related with fire. Montag is very happy with his job as a fireman, and Clarisse's questioning forces him to ponder his job and his life.

http://www.elfwood.com/~aelfwyn/Fire-Salamander-Dragon.2485735.html

Quotation 10

"Every night when I go to bed I think, In the morning I will wake up in my own house and things will be back the way they were. 

It hasn't happened this morning, either."

Offred keeps hope alive that everything has been but a dream, and that she will wake up back in normality. She hopes that everything will return back to normal in a matter of time, and that the crazy world she lives in will be taken away. She adds that it hasn't happened this morning, either to add a note of humor and deceit into her words.

Quotation 9

"Moira was like an elevator with open sides. She made us dizzy." 

Offred is contemplating on the events following Moira's escape. She thinks of her bravery and her cleverness in the operation. Now that she has escaped, Moira is a marvel to all the other women. But, due to being accustomed to limited lives, the idea of freedom scares the other women, and they will not follow in her footsteps. p.133

Quotation 8

"I wait. I compose myself. My self is a thing I must now compose, as one composes a speech. What I must present is a made thing, not something born."

Offred is thinking to herself before she participates in the Ceremony. She reflects on what will happen shortly, and what it has done to her and what it means to her. Her feelings are that she must present willingness to bear a child for Gilead. She knows that her purpose is to bear children, and the Ceremony is where measures are taken for that to happen.p.66

Quotation 7

"Blessed is the fruit. May the Lord open."

This quote demonstrates the strict society in which women live. The greeting and response featured demonstrate how restricted women are. Handmaids have a standard greeting which they must offer and a response which must be given in return. Consequences result if any other type of greeting is used. In addition, the quote demonstrates the purpose of the handmaids, which is to bear children. The reference to blessed fruit is a clear reference to conception and pregnancy. p.19

Quotation 6

"It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the president and machine-gunned the Congress and blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time.

Keep calm, they said on television. Everything is under control.

I was stunned. Everyone was, I know that. It was hard to believe. The entire government, gone like that. How did they get in, how did it happen?

That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put your finger on.

Look out, said Moira to me, over the phone. Here it comes.

Here what comes? I said.

You wait, she said. They've been building up to this. It's you and me up against the wall, baby. She was quoting an expression of my mother's, but she wasn't intending to be funny."

This quote describes the overthrow of the US Government, an event that seems very unlikely. The series of events seems very unlikely and unusual. Society was kept overall calm and collected, and very few actually saw what the future held, which is the Republic of Gilead. This is where everything began, and everything went downhill. The quote is very important for the explanation of the book, as it gives the background of how the changes went into effect. p.174

Quotation 5

"The problem wasn’t only with the women, he says. The main problem was with the men. There was nothing for them anymore . . . I’m not talking about sex, he says. That was part of it, the sex was too easy . . . You know what they were complaining about the most? Inability to feel. Men were turning off on sex, even. They were turning off on marriage. Do they feel now? I say. Yes, he says, looking at me. They do."

This was from the commander's attempt to explain the creation of Gilead. He suggests that men were left without a purpose in life, due to feminism. The quote from the commander is the closest thing to reason offered pertaining to the creation of Gilead, although it does not exactly justify it. He claims that Gilead restored meaning to their lives by making them soldiers, providers, and caretakers.  p.210

Quotation 4

"He was not a monster, to her. Probably he had some endearing trait: he whistled, offkey, in the shower, he had a yen for truffles, he called his dog Liebchen and made it sit up for little pieces of raw steak. How easy it is to invent a humanity, for anyone at all. What an available temptation."

Offred recalls this from a documentary featuring a woman who's lover was a Nazi. She insists that he is not a monster. Offred compares this situation to that of her and the commander. She speaks of his gentleness. Yet, she says he must still be regarded for his part in the evil operations of Gilead, and therefore, he is somewhat a monster. p.145

Quotation 3

"I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will . . . Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping."

She speaks of the use her body used to have, and now it only has one use, which is her womb. No other aspect of her body is of any use in Gilead. She feels that she is a sort of resource now, rather than a woman. She no longer is respected as a woman, and she is not regarded as special. Offred is used for her reproductive organs, and her feelings about herself are no longer relevant. p.73

Quotation 2

"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’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending. Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will come after it. I can pick up where I left off."

This suggests that Offred is not telling of what is happening from a perspective from affar. She is living the events every day. Gilead oppresses women, and denies them very many liberties. Offred suggests that, because this is a story, she can create her own ending. She says that how it all turns out is in her hands, because she is telling it to her listener. She has found that no matter what, she can always rebel within herself. p.39

Quotation 1

"Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary."

This quote is taken while standing at the Wall and looking at all the bodies that have been hanged. Offred has to fight her feelings while looking at the sight. She remembers these words, and understands that life in Gilead will become ordinary. This means that she will learn to turn horrific scenes like this into normality, and she will be able to accept them. The torture becomes normal, because she will get used to seeing it everyday. In addition, she will become used to the oppression she faces.   p.33

Chapters 41-46

Offred says her story is almost too painful to bear. She continues to see Nick, and she confides in him. She tells him she believes she is pregnant, but it is just wishful thinking. She spends her time thinking about him.
A woman's execution is held in Harvard Yard. Two handmaids and one wife were hanged. After the hanging, handmaids form a circle, for which most stay to watch. A guardian is beaten and killed. Following the hanging, Offred goes on a shopping trip. She is met by a new woman named Ofglen. The new woman is not part of the resistance, and she says the original Ofglen committed suicide. In this, Offred finds relief. She feels that she will do anything to live. Serena confronts Offred about the club, and she calls her a slut. She waits peacefully in her room. Offred hears the van coming for her. Nick opens her door, and she feels betrayed. He tells her The Eyes are in Mayday and have come to save her. Offred follows the men into the van, and is taken away. The book ends with a cliffhanger, and it is not apparent whether Offred was saved or taken to the colonies.

Offred has to try to convince herself that she is pregnant to achieve any hope at happiness. This is due to the conditions under which she must live. The thought of a pregnancy being the only thing upon which a single person may look forward to for happiness is a very unsettling thought. Offred has reached the point to which she will do seemingly anything to live, but she is caught as a member of the rebellion. The fact that she was caught may have paid off for her, or it may have resulted in her exile. The book leaves a cliffhanger, after which the reader must use his imagination to determine her fate.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prison_Van_MX56DFE.jpg

Chapters 36-40

In their next visit, the commander seems drunk. He gives Offred a skimpy outfit, and takes her to a club. At the club, Offred spots Moira. The two meet in the washroom and exchange stories. Moira was caught, and now works as a prostitute. After this meeting, Offred never sees Moira again. The commander takes Offred to a hotel room. He is disappointed that Offred is not excited about a real sexual encounter, so she has to fake it. Once back at the house, Offred changes back into her handmaid's clothes. Serena decides to take her to have sex with Nick. The story is told twice, once filled with passion, and once with very awkward. She feels as though she betrayed Luke.
Offred is taken to a club dressed as a whore. By this, she is portrayed in a way that women hate to be seen. She has sex with the commander and Nick, which brings about a very understandable feeling of betrayal toward her husband.

Chapters 31-35

Two new bodies appear on the Wall. One was a Catholic, and one was marked with a J.
After no sign of pregnancy, Serena suggests that the Commander may be sterile. She decides to look for a new man, and she gives Offred a cigarette. Offred considers eating the cigarrette and saving the match.
The Commander has taken to drinking while with Offred. He asks for her opinion of the republic. Offred and Ofglan attend a Prayvaganza. Wives sit in one section with their daughters, Marthas and Econowives sit together, and handmaids kneel in a corner. Janine brings in a new wife. Janine's baby was deformed, and she reveals that she slept with a doctor to get pregnant. At the prayvaganza, the wives' daughters are married.
The commander insists that the republic has provided protection, saying that arranged marriages are much better than falling in love.
Yet again, the book portrays history repeating itself. The conditions under which Offred lives resemble that of a prisoner. She savors things that remind her of some sense of normality, and she does her best to make them last as long as possible. Also, handmaids attend mandatory events in which they are further brainwashed. The concept of arranged marriages exists in the republic, which is a concept that has been overcome many times throughout history.

http://poojadfp.wordpress.com/

Chapters 26-30

Moira was the only woman to resist Gilead directly. Her escape was very cleverly planned.
Offred is beginning to notice that the Commander is almost likeable. He seems to want Offred to like him, as she begins to. He still acts as an enforcer of rules, but he does not agree with the treatment of the handmaids. Due to their friendship, Offred is embarrassed to have sex with him. Offred continues her shopping trips.
Moira was a lesbian. It is strange to her that women used to have jobs.
Offred reminisces on the overthrow of the US government. The president and all of Congress were shot. Conditions for women steadily grew worse. She continues to reminisce through the night.
Offred and the Commander continue to grow more informal. She discovered that the former handmaid in her room had similar relations with the Commander, and she ended up hanging herself.
Offred continues to remember the day she and Luke tried to escape, and considers suicide.
The conditions that are taking place seem very unrealistic. The overthrow of the US government is a seemingly impossible task, yet it was executed successfully. As I read this, I wondered how anybody could do such a thing with such little opposition. Many governments have been overthrown throughout history, but none were as powerful and stable as the United States government.

http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/National_Symbols/USA_Seal.html

Chapters 22-25

Offred thinks about Moira's escape from the Red Center. She killed an aunt with a piece from a toilet assembly, and she snuck out in her uniform.
Offred hopes to have a child soon. She meets the Commander in his office, and he simply asks her to play a game of Scrabble. Before Offred leaves, the Commander asks her for a kiss. He is dissappointed, because he wanted her to kiss him.
The following day, Offred decides to forget her past and her old name. She decides to live in the present. She has always been taught that men are sex machines, and they should be manipulated with sex. She recalls a Holocaust documentary, and it gives her an idea to escape. She falls asleep on the floor with her head in the closet.
When she discovers Offred on the floor asleep, Cora screams and breaks her dishes. She covers for her, saying she fainted. Offred continues to meet the Commander at night, and the Commander makes no further physical advances.
Due to the conditions, Offred insists that she must forget her past. This would be a very upsetting situation. She has had everything taken away, and the only way she can find any relief is to betray everything she had before the republic.

http://www.forgetthepast.net/

Chapters 16-21

The Ceremony continues with its events following the Bible reading. Offred is taken to the Commander's bedroom, and he has very formal and impersonal sex with her, for the simple purpose of conceiving a child. From dinner, Offred stole a stick of butter, which she uses as lotion to keep her skin soft. This demonstrates the desperate sense that overwhelms the women to achieve some sense of normality.
That night, Offred cannot sleep, so she travels to another area in the building, and steals a daffodil from a flower arrangement. The Guardian Nick is behind her, and once she discovers him they kiss. He informs her that the Commander wishes to see her the following day. That night, she dreams of her daughter and her husband.
Offred is taken to a birth the following day. Birth in the republic is completely natural, with no painkillers given. The handmaids gather to watch the birth. The baby is born with no visible defects, meaning the mother will not be sent to the colonies.

http://ninnys1.wordpress.com/author/ninnys1/

The Handmaid's Tale: Chapters 13-15

Before the current conditions, women were kept in the Red Center. The had to testify about their past lives and what the were involved in. Offred speaks of how her body used to be her tool, and now it is viewed as nothing more than a uterus. Her only function is childbearing.
After bathing and eating, Offred must attend the Ceremony. At the ceremony, the Commander reads from the Bible and the women eat. Mainly, the verses read are pertaining to childbearing.
The main theme expressed in these chapters pertains to the removal of Offred's happiness, and the implementation of one purpose which consumes her daily life, rather than leading an average life. Offred's freedoms are taken away, and she has a certain way of life forced upon her, as has occurred many times to different groups throughout history.

http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/teaching/jamestown/affairs.html

The Handmaid's Tale: Chapters 10-12

Offred often sings in her head. Most music is forbidden in the republic, so that is mainly all that she is allowed. Offred often thinks about the times before the republic, in which women used to sunbathe in very little clothing. Women were also raped before the protective measures were implemented.
Every month, Offred is escorted to the doctor to be examined for pregnancy and diseases. The doctor is not allowed to see her face, but her lack of pregnancy makes him suggest that he and her have sex. This simple action shows the oppression that women face within this republic. On certain days, Offred takes a mandatory bath. She is in a bathroom with no mirrors, no razors, and no lock on the door. Women live in very difficult conditions, and as the story continues, the reader is given more details into the horror they face.
I am reminded of many societies in which women were and still are oppressed throughout history. The Handmaid's Tale is a very good example of a case in which history repeats itself.

http://www.fazeteen.com/issue01/afghan_women.html

The Handmaid's Tale: Chapters 7-9

Offred reminisces about the past at night. Her memories are very spotty, as she has forgotten much that happened. She believes this may be due to some sort of treatment given to her by the authorities when the changes occured. She remembers having her daughter taken from her, and she was told she was an unfit parent. The very thought of this is enough to make one sad. Taking someone's child is a very devastating event, and it makes the reader very connected with the cruelty that took place. In the new world, writing is forbidden for women. Also, homosexuality is forbidden, and it is punishable by death. Offred very often thinks of the affair her husband had with her while he cheated on his first wife. She realizes that she and her husband were truly happy together.

http://www.bakingshop.com/weddingcaketoppers/bridalcouple.htm

The Handmaid's Tale: Chapters 4-6

Offred goes to the market, and she must be accompanied by another handmaid. This aspect reflects the sense of protectiveness over women in the new society. A war is taking place against those who represent the values that are held today, as the book mentions the conquering of a group of "rebel baptists." Guardians are introduced as the men who are unfit for the military, whether too young or too old. This aspect of the new society reminds me of Sparta. Anyone who is able to serve in the military must, and those who are not capable must serve another purpose which will benefit society. The name of the republic, The Republic of Gilead, is given. As more details are given as to the measures taken to protect women, I am reminded of the conditions African slaves lived in, as women are not allowed to read. A wall is set apart in the town, on which the bodies of those who oppose the new republic are hanged, resembling a practice often done as a warning to snakes.

http://granitegrok.com/blog/racism/

The Handmaid's Tale: Chapters 1-3

The book immediately dives into a world that is filled with the oppression of women. The first chapter describes a flashback, in which women are confined to a gymnasium, and are not allowed to speak amongst themselves. Twice daily, the women are allowed to take walks, and are guarded by men. The women desperately wish the men would look at them, as they could use their bodies to convince them to help. This world seems completely insane. The thought of it seems very unrealistic. It shows the potential cruelness in human nature. As the story continues, Offred speaks of the present tense, in which she is kept in a small room with very little in it. Women are divided into classes, and they dress accordingly to their class. These circumstances remind me of a situation similar to the keeping of animals. Each class serves a different purpose.

http://www.ravica.com/blog/sensorprobes/dog-kennel-temperature-monitoring/