Presentation on The Handmaid's Tale
Summary of the book
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel written by the Canadian author Margaret Atwood and published in 1985. In this book, we follow the life of a Handmaid named Offred in the Republic of Gilead. Throughout the story we will discover the previous life of the protagonist and also her position towards Gilead.
The Main Characters
1) Offred Offred is the protagonist. She became a Handmaid when the Republic of Gilead was created. The role of a Handmaid is to have babies for the Commanders and their Wives. In the past, she was in a relationship with Luke and they had a little daughter.
The Main Characters
2) Luke We don't know a lot of things about him but he was in a relationship with Offred and they had a daughter. He was married with another woman before but he cheated on her with Offred. We don't know if he is still alive or not.
The Main Characters
3) Moira She is the bestfriend of Offred even before Gilead. They went to college together. She decided to become a Handmaid like Offred but after she prefered to become a rebel and work in a secret club called "Jezebel" as a stripteaser. She became a legend for the other Handmaids because she managed to escape from the Rachel and Leah Center also known as the Red Center. Moira is a feminist and gender activist as we will see in the book. We don't know what happen to her in the end of the book.
The Main Characters
4) Serena Joy She is the Wife of the Commander where Offred is living. Her real name is Pam and Serena Joy is just a stage name because she was a famous gospel singer. She was the victim of 2 assassination attemps before Gilead because of her opinions on the place of women in society. She is a very cold character who is really antipathetic towards Offred. She doesn't like her and it's mutual.
The Main Characters
5) The Commander He is the husband of Serena Joy. On the outside he looks like a decent, well-meaning man, and almost comes across as a victim of Gilead. But as things progress in the story, we learned that he is involved in the design and creation of Gilead. In the way he treats his wife and the people below him, his cruel and violent side is revealed. The Commander has created a forbidden emotional relationship with Offred where he invites her in his office.
The Main Characters
6) Aunt Lydia Aunt Lydia works at the Red Center, the re‑education school where Offred and other women go for instruction before becoming Handmaids. She appears often in Offred’s flashbacks. She is the one that will have the most impact on Offred's mind with all of her slogans and maxims for the ideology of the new society of Gilead.
The Main Characters
7) Ofglen Ofglen is a Handmaid and a friend of Offred. They went for shopping almost everyday together. Later in the book, she is revealed to be a member of an underground resistance named Mayday. But at the end of the book, she is arrested by The Eyes (who are the spies of Gilead) so she decided to hang herself.
The Main Characters
8) Nick Nick is the Guardian of the Commander of Offred. At the start of the book, Nick is flirting with Offred but she doesn't seem receptive. But when Serena Joy proposed to Offred to have sex with Nick to have a baby, Offred becomes more interested in Nick, even maybe falling in love for him. She tells him all her life except for Luke and she places all her trust in him. But he doesn't seem interested by her life, he only cares about having sex with her (apparently).
Personal reaction to the book
I think its a very interesting book which is about very important themes. It gives us a point of view about a society that we never lived in. This book is maybe sometimes very touchy because it is about subjects that are taboo in our society. But I personnaly really like the book because this one is like no other book I have read so I really enjoyed reading it even though it was sometimes hard because it had some complicated words and phrasing of a sentence.
Passage that marked me
I think this passage is emblematic because first of all this is the first very shoking scene. Also I think this passage represents very well the role of all the categories of people in Gilead. The Handmaids are just bodies that are used by and for the Wives and the Commanders. The ceremony is done in such a way that the two bodies of the Handmaid and the Wife are merging. There is no emotional relation between the Commander and the Handmaid. I was very shocked at first by the description of Offred. She seems so indifferent that she looks creepy. This passage marked me the most.
Main Themes in the book
Gender role : Gilead is a strictly hierarchical society, with a huge difference between the genders. Quotations : "I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it’s shameful or immodest but because I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely." - Chapter 12 (Offred)
"You wanted a women’s culture. Well, now there is one. It isn’t what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for small mercies." - Chapter 21 (Aunt Lydia)
Main Themes in the book
Religion and Theocracy : Gilead is a theocracy, a government where church and state are combined. Religious language enters into every part of the society. There is a lot of biblical references. Quotations : "And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light." - Chapter 46 (Offred)
"But remember that forgiveness too is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest. Maybe none of this is about control…maybe it’s about who can do what to whom and be forgiven for it." - Chapter 23 (Offred)
Main Themes in the book
Fertility : Fertility is the reason for Offred’s captivity and the source of her power, Gilead’s major failing and its hope for the future. Quotations : "I'm taken to the doctor's once a month, for tests : urine, hormones, cancer smear, blood test ; the same as before, except that now it's obligatory." - Chapter 11 (Offred)
"We sit on our benches, facing one another, as we are transported ; we're without emotion now, almost without feeling, we might be bundles of red cloth. We ache. Each of us holds in her lap a phantom, a ghost baby. What confronts us, now the excitement's over, is our own failure." - Chapter 21 (Offred)
Main Themes in the book
Rebellion : Every major character in the story engages in some kind of disobedience against Gilead’s laws. Quotations : "Nolite te bastardes carborandorum." ("Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”) - Chapter 9 (The previous Handmaid)
"I’ve crossed no boundaries, I’ve given no trust, taken no risk, all is safe. It’s the choice that terrifies me. A way out, a salvation." - Chapter 11 (Offred)
Main Themes in the book
Love : Despite Offred’s general passivity in the face of the oppressive society, she has a deep and secret source of strength : her love. Quotations : "But this is wrong, nobody dies from lack of sex. It’s lack of love we die from." - Chapter 18 (Offred)
"We thought we had such problems. How were we to know we were happy ?" - Chapter 9 (Offred)
Work of Protest
Work of Protest
The illustration that you just saw is intitled "The Problem We All Live With" and was realised by the American painter Norman Rockwell in 1964. This painting is a work of protest because it represents a young black girl who is going to a school where only white children go. Because of the threats made against her, she is escorted by four deputies of the marshal in charge of her protection. The painting is framed so that the bodies of the representatives of authority are cut off at the shoulders and their faces don't appear. On the wall behind her we can see the word "nigger" which is a violent racial insult and also the inscription "KKK" which corresponds to the "Ku Klux Klan" which is a white supremacist terrorist secret society and therefore very racist. There is also a crushed tomato against the wall. All of these things show us that the girl receives hatred for her skin color. This painting is therefore a symbol in the history of the Civil Rights Movement in particular the integration of blacks and whites.
Song of Protest
Song of Protest
However the verses are very dark, we notice it from the first lines of the music. The title begins with the words of Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple: “All my life, I had to fight”. The theme is immediately set up, the rapper goes in the rest of the song to question the real advances in rights for African-American populations and the equality between the different ethnic groups living in the United States. While thanking the advances made by the various previous generations of African Americans. This song is the song of protest because it denouns the inequality between black and white people.
I chose this song because it is from an artist that I really love, Kendrick Lamar. This song is often linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, through its message of hope and its video clip, revealing the police violence that can be found in the United States. The lyrics focus on the situation of African-American populations in the United States and in particular the police violence suffered. Indeed, the United States knows many murders of African Americans perpetrated by white police officers. The single is upbeat and hopeful with this catchy chorus: "Nigga, we gon'be alright" with the usage of the term "Nigga", only used among African Americans. The sound is intended for them and pushes them to continue to struggle.
Presentation on The Handmaid's Tale
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Transcript
Presentation on The Handmaid's Tale
Summary of the book
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel written by the Canadian author Margaret Atwood and published in 1985. In this book, we follow the life of a Handmaid named Offred in the Republic of Gilead. Throughout the story we will discover the previous life of the protagonist and also her position towards Gilead.
The Main Characters
1) Offred Offred is the protagonist. She became a Handmaid when the Republic of Gilead was created. The role of a Handmaid is to have babies for the Commanders and their Wives. In the past, she was in a relationship with Luke and they had a little daughter.
The Main Characters
2) Luke We don't know a lot of things about him but he was in a relationship with Offred and they had a daughter. He was married with another woman before but he cheated on her with Offred. We don't know if he is still alive or not.
The Main Characters
3) Moira She is the bestfriend of Offred even before Gilead. They went to college together. She decided to become a Handmaid like Offred but after she prefered to become a rebel and work in a secret club called "Jezebel" as a stripteaser. She became a legend for the other Handmaids because she managed to escape from the Rachel and Leah Center also known as the Red Center. Moira is a feminist and gender activist as we will see in the book. We don't know what happen to her in the end of the book.
The Main Characters
4) Serena Joy She is the Wife of the Commander where Offred is living. Her real name is Pam and Serena Joy is just a stage name because she was a famous gospel singer. She was the victim of 2 assassination attemps before Gilead because of her opinions on the place of women in society. She is a very cold character who is really antipathetic towards Offred. She doesn't like her and it's mutual.
The Main Characters
5) The Commander He is the husband of Serena Joy. On the outside he looks like a decent, well-meaning man, and almost comes across as a victim of Gilead. But as things progress in the story, we learned that he is involved in the design and creation of Gilead. In the way he treats his wife and the people below him, his cruel and violent side is revealed. The Commander has created a forbidden emotional relationship with Offred where he invites her in his office.
The Main Characters
6) Aunt Lydia Aunt Lydia works at the Red Center, the re‑education school where Offred and other women go for instruction before becoming Handmaids. She appears often in Offred’s flashbacks. She is the one that will have the most impact on Offred's mind with all of her slogans and maxims for the ideology of the new society of Gilead.
The Main Characters
7) Ofglen Ofglen is a Handmaid and a friend of Offred. They went for shopping almost everyday together. Later in the book, she is revealed to be a member of an underground resistance named Mayday. But at the end of the book, she is arrested by The Eyes (who are the spies of Gilead) so she decided to hang herself.
The Main Characters
8) Nick Nick is the Guardian of the Commander of Offred. At the start of the book, Nick is flirting with Offred but she doesn't seem receptive. But when Serena Joy proposed to Offred to have sex with Nick to have a baby, Offred becomes more interested in Nick, even maybe falling in love for him. She tells him all her life except for Luke and she places all her trust in him. But he doesn't seem interested by her life, he only cares about having sex with her (apparently).
Personal reaction to the book
I think its a very interesting book which is about very important themes. It gives us a point of view about a society that we never lived in. This book is maybe sometimes very touchy because it is about subjects that are taboo in our society. But I personnaly really like the book because this one is like no other book I have read so I really enjoyed reading it even though it was sometimes hard because it had some complicated words and phrasing of a sentence.
Passage that marked me
I think this passage is emblematic because first of all this is the first very shoking scene. Also I think this passage represents very well the role of all the categories of people in Gilead. The Handmaids are just bodies that are used by and for the Wives and the Commanders. The ceremony is done in such a way that the two bodies of the Handmaid and the Wife are merging. There is no emotional relation between the Commander and the Handmaid. I was very shocked at first by the description of Offred. She seems so indifferent that she looks creepy. This passage marked me the most.
Main Themes in the book
Gender role : Gilead is a strictly hierarchical society, with a huge difference between the genders. Quotations : "I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it’s shameful or immodest but because I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely." - Chapter 12 (Offred)
"You wanted a women’s culture. Well, now there is one. It isn’t what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for small mercies." - Chapter 21 (Aunt Lydia)
Main Themes in the book
Religion and Theocracy : Gilead is a theocracy, a government where church and state are combined. Religious language enters into every part of the society. There is a lot of biblical references. Quotations : "And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light." - Chapter 46 (Offred)
"But remember that forgiveness too is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest. Maybe none of this is about control…maybe it’s about who can do what to whom and be forgiven for it." - Chapter 23 (Offred)
Main Themes in the book
Fertility : Fertility is the reason for Offred’s captivity and the source of her power, Gilead’s major failing and its hope for the future. Quotations : "I'm taken to the doctor's once a month, for tests : urine, hormones, cancer smear, blood test ; the same as before, except that now it's obligatory." - Chapter 11 (Offred)
"We sit on our benches, facing one another, as we are transported ; we're without emotion now, almost without feeling, we might be bundles of red cloth. We ache. Each of us holds in her lap a phantom, a ghost baby. What confronts us, now the excitement's over, is our own failure." - Chapter 21 (Offred)
Main Themes in the book
Rebellion : Every major character in the story engages in some kind of disobedience against Gilead’s laws. Quotations : "Nolite te bastardes carborandorum." ("Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”) - Chapter 9 (The previous Handmaid)
"I’ve crossed no boundaries, I’ve given no trust, taken no risk, all is safe. It’s the choice that terrifies me. A way out, a salvation." - Chapter 11 (Offred)
Main Themes in the book
Love : Despite Offred’s general passivity in the face of the oppressive society, she has a deep and secret source of strength : her love. Quotations : "But this is wrong, nobody dies from lack of sex. It’s lack of love we die from." - Chapter 18 (Offred)
"We thought we had such problems. How were we to know we were happy ?" - Chapter 9 (Offred)
Work of Protest
Work of Protest
The illustration that you just saw is intitled "The Problem We All Live With" and was realised by the American painter Norman Rockwell in 1964. This painting is a work of protest because it represents a young black girl who is going to a school where only white children go. Because of the threats made against her, she is escorted by four deputies of the marshal in charge of her protection. The painting is framed so that the bodies of the representatives of authority are cut off at the shoulders and their faces don't appear. On the wall behind her we can see the word "nigger" which is a violent racial insult and also the inscription "KKK" which corresponds to the "Ku Klux Klan" which is a white supremacist terrorist secret society and therefore very racist. There is also a crushed tomato against the wall. All of these things show us that the girl receives hatred for her skin color. This painting is therefore a symbol in the history of the Civil Rights Movement in particular the integration of blacks and whites.
Song of Protest
Song of Protest
However the verses are very dark, we notice it from the first lines of the music. The title begins with the words of Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple: “All my life, I had to fight”. The theme is immediately set up, the rapper goes in the rest of the song to question the real advances in rights for African-American populations and the equality between the different ethnic groups living in the United States. While thanking the advances made by the various previous generations of African Americans. This song is the song of protest because it denouns the inequality between black and white people.
I chose this song because it is from an artist that I really love, Kendrick Lamar. This song is often linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, through its message of hope and its video clip, revealing the police violence that can be found in the United States. The lyrics focus on the situation of African-American populations in the United States and in particular the police violence suffered. Indeed, the United States knows many murders of African Americans perpetrated by white police officers. The single is upbeat and hopeful with this catchy chorus: "Nigga, we gon'be alright" with the usage of the term "Nigga", only used among African Americans. The sound is intended for them and pushes them to continue to struggle.