“It’s those other escapes, the one you can open in yourself, given a cutting edge.” (8) - What does the narrator means by this? “Where I am is not a prison but a privilege, as Aunt Lydia said, who was in love with either/ or?” - What does the narrator means by this? Is the narrator trying to say that Aunt Lydia believe that their situation are either prison or privilege? “I get up out of the chair, advance my feet into the sunlight, in their red shoes, flat heeled to save the spine and not for dancing.” (8) “I pick them up, pull them onto my hands, finger by finger. Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us.” (8) - Who are us? - Why is the narrator wearing this kind of uniform? - Is the narrator in sort of restricted place? “The white wings too are prescribed issue; they are to keep us from seeing, but also from being seen.” (8) - Why can’t they be seen? “The door of the room – not my room, I refuse to say my – is not locked.” (8) - Why the narrator refuses to say that is her room? - Is there some sort of secret?
To respond to you last question, I would say that the narrator refuses to say 'her' room because it is most likely not her room. Logically, it would be under ownership to the Commander and his wife since it is part of their household.
I think the narrator refuses to state that it's "her" room because this room is not actually her real home where she feels safe, and it's also not her actual property like Wai Wing said.
Responding to Yuris' first question, I think that the “cutting edge” means the glass which can be used to commit suicide or “escapes” they can open on themselves. Suicide would be an escape for the handsmaids because it would be the only way they could stop doing their jobs. Responding to your other question, Aunt Lydia told Offred, the narrator, that hers was “a position of honor” (Atwood 13). This means that she thinks it’s a privilege for her to be a handsmaid. As for your other question, I believe us refers to the women living there at that time. For example, Rita wore a dress that was “dull green” (Atwood 9), while the narrator wore a red one, “the color of blood” (Atwood 8). I believe that the narrator is in a restricted place because there are certain things she is allowed to do and certain people she is allowed to fraternize with (Atwood 11).
Yuris Ng Pang Period 4 “A window, two white curtains.” (7) “I can sit in this chair, or on the window seat, hands folded, and watch this.” (7) “Sunlight comes in through the window too, and falls on the floor, which is made of wood, in narrow strips, highly polished.” (7) “There’s a rug on the floor, oval, of braided rags.” (7) “On the wall above the chair, a picture, framed but with no glass: a print of flowers, blue irises, watercolor.” (7) “Think of it as being in the army…” (7) “A bed. Single, mattress medium-hard, covered with a flocked white spread.” (8) “Nothing takes place in the bed but sleep; or no sleep.” (8) “…this could be a college guest room for, the less distinguished visitors; or a room in a rooming house, of former times, for ladies in reduced circumstances.” (8) I can infer from these descriptions that the narrator is living in a poverty because she used the phrase “for ladies in reduced circumstances”, which means that the place was given for ladies with less money. In addition, I can infer that the narrator is living in a place without freedom because everything she has in her room seems to be assigned to her in purpose and it seem like she is not allowed to change it.
Well, I don't really think that the narrator is living in poverty. We have to consider that the Commander and his wife's house is supposed to be rather grand, and for the narrator to live IN their house, I don't think that you could say that she is living under poverty. However, I agree with you on the fact that the narrator is living under little independence for everything that you listed above shows how little freedom the narrator has.
"...we would talk, about aches and pains, illnesses, our feet, our backs, all the different kinds of mischief that our bodies, like unruly children, can get into" (Atwood 10).
The most important part of this quote was 'all the different kinds of mischief that [our] bodies...can get into.' This allow me to imply that these women, handmaids are forced under a system, where men have sex with them so that they can give birth to new children. These handmaids are not just suffering under the burden of chores and so forth, but also the sex they must endure from their captors.
"...Commander's Wife...a basket at her side with shears in it and pieces of string for tying the flowers into place. A Guardian detailed to the Commander does the heavy digging; the Commander's Wife directs pointing with her stick. Many of the Wives have such gardens, it's something for them to order and maintain and care for" (Atwood 12).
Through this, I can imply that many official's wives do not really do any work. 'Strenuous' work, such as gardening is not fit for the women and in their stead are lower class men who do as they are told. The reason why I believe the Guardians would be men is because the lower class women were regarded as handmaids who had to undergo sex and other less tenuous work, so it makes sense that the Guardians are male.
Angela Mendez Period 4 I agree with you Wai Wing, the wives barely do anything. The only thing I read so far that they do is knit scarves (13). This is one of the reasons the protagonist is jealous. She wants to only knit and do nothing more.
Some stuff to think about, I guess: "They've removed anything you could tie a rope to" (Atwood 7) and When the window is partly open - it only opens partly" (Atwood 7). - These are means of preventing inhabitants of the house to commit suicide. Clearly either the owner of the house or someone who designed this social system was aware that people were going to be depressed. They did not really care for other people's feelings, showing a lack of ethics among those in charge.
For anyone who maybe is still a bit confused: The narrator is a Handmaid, which are shown the cover. It is a totally different group from the Marthas, who are pretty much normal house servants, like Rita and Cora. One question I still had was who has more power, Handmaids or Marthas? I don't think it's very clear in the text.
A Handmaid's purpose wasn't really explained very clearly either. Judging by when Cora said "If I hadn't have got my tubes tied, it could have been me" (Atwood 10), a Handmaid might be used to have children. This would make sense, because the idea of using women solely to reproduce has been a recurring topic in this book and RLIT.
I also think a handmaid might've been used to have children because in the blurb it states that "handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable". I mean, if these women are valued for their ovaries, then they must have something to do with giving birth to children.
I feel bad for the Commander's wife. She used to be a really great singer. She now doesn't even sing (16). Imagine living your life without doing the thing you passionately love. It must feel tragic for her. Maybe this is why she smokes. I can also infer that the Commander's wife doesn't love her husband. For instance, she tells the protagonist that her husband is "just that", her husband (16). She does not describe her husband as her the love of her life or anything except husband. By doing this, I can infer that the wife only sees him as an object she is forced to be with who she does not even love.
I agree with your statement, BUT the Commander's wife is not the only one subjective to the harsh system. The narrator has to face possible expulsion as an Unwoman (woman who cannot give birth to children) (Atwood 10) and yet she has faced three failures. The three failures are described when Serena Joy (the Commander's wife) interrogates the narrator on a man the narrator was with, who as she describes was 'So old what's-his-face didn't work out...Tough luck on him...This is your second, isn't it? Third, ma'am...Not so good for you either..." (Atwood 14-15).
I never said that the Commander's wife is the only one who is suffering because of the horrible system. I'm just saying that she had a great career and now that she isn't singing anymore, her talent, well... it's something tragic. Also, what is even more tragic is that she is not referred anymore as "Serena Joy". I mean, the protagonist states that "the woman sitting in front of me was Serena Joy. Or had been, once. So it was worse than I thought" (16). I don't know. I just think she suffered a lot.
I think that the government has made certain restrictions on various things because the handmaids are so desperately needed. For example, the window "only opens partly" (Atwood 7) and "the glass in it is shatter proof" (Atwood 8), "thinking can hurt your chances, and I intend to last" (Atwood 8), and there "is no glass, in front of the watercolor picture" (8). Thoughts are what can influence the handsmaids to commit suicide. The windows that open all the way and glass are ways they can commit suicide. I believe that the reduced circumstances are made so that they will have the handsmaids because the commanders need them.
1.Take notes in a chart and try to figure out the setting, the conflict, the characters and the tone of the narrator. Who is the narrator? I don't need you to have the answers. I need you to question so don't look up the book on the internet. Seems like the author likes to roam the hallways. 9 Nobody really if they see a face of a Martha. 9 Being a Martha to be a big conflict for the narrator. 9 Characters: Aunt Lydia Rita Cora Conflict: it seems as if the narrator has problems with the “marthas”, because of the way they put things on them such as clothing. Rita for explain goes out side and she rolls up her selves to her elbows and shows her face, where as others do not do that. (9)
2. Write all the italicized words. My (8) I know what you mean (11) I hear where your coming from (11) “Stillborn, it was. Or, stabbed her with a knitting needle, right in the belly. Jealousy, it must have been, eating her up. Or, tantalizingly,was toilet cleaner she used. Worked like a charm, though you’d think he’d of tasted it. Must’ve been that drunk; but they found her alright” (11) Fraternize (11) Sororize (11) To behave like a sister (11)
3. Write what you think might be allusions to the Bible. “white wings” (9) The guardian (13) Angels (13) Scriptural precedent (16) Sunday mornings (16) Growing souls gospel hour (16) Hymns (16) 4. List any repeated words or images so you can start to identify symbols. My(8)
Wow. Angela, Wendolinne, Wai Wing, Yuris and Joe really had super thoughtful comments and questions. I learned a lot from them. I like your inferences and how you used evidence to support your ideas.
“It’s those other escapes, the one you can open in yourself, given a cutting edge.” (8)
ReplyDelete- What does the narrator means by this?
“Where I am is not a prison but a privilege, as Aunt Lydia said, who was in love with either/ or?”
- What does the narrator means by this? Is the narrator trying to say that Aunt Lydia believe that their situation are either prison or privilege?
“I get up out of the chair, advance my feet into the sunlight, in their red shoes, flat heeled to save the spine and not for dancing.” (8)
“I pick them up, pull them onto my hands, finger by finger. Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us.” (8)
- Who are us?
- Why is the narrator wearing this kind of uniform?
- Is the narrator in sort of restricted place?
“The white wings too are prescribed issue; they are to keep us from seeing, but also from being seen.” (8)
- Why can’t they be seen?
“The door of the room – not my room, I refuse to say my – is not locked.” (8)
- Why the narrator refuses to say that is her room?
- Is there some sort of secret?
To respond to you last question, I would say that the narrator refuses to say 'her' room because it is most likely not her room. Logically, it would be under ownership to the Commander and his wife since it is part of their household.
DeleteI think the narrator refuses to state that it's "her" room because this room is not actually her real home where she feels safe, and it's also not her actual property like Wai Wing said.
DeleteResponding to Yuris' first question, I think that the “cutting edge” means the glass which can be used to commit suicide or “escapes” they can open on themselves. Suicide would be an escape for the handsmaids because it would be the only way they could stop doing their jobs.
DeleteResponding to your other question, Aunt Lydia told Offred, the narrator, that hers was “a position of honor” (Atwood 13). This means that she thinks it’s a privilege for her to be a handsmaid.
As for your other question, I believe us refers to the women living there at that time. For example, Rita wore a dress that was “dull green” (Atwood 9), while the narrator wore a red one, “the color of blood” (Atwood 8). I believe that the narrator is in a restricted place because there are certain things she is allowed to do and certain people she is allowed to fraternize with (Atwood 11).
Yuris Ng Pang Period 4
ReplyDelete “A window, two white curtains.” (7)
“I can sit in this chair, or on the window seat, hands folded, and watch this.” (7)
“Sunlight comes in through the window too, and falls on the floor, which is made of wood, in narrow strips, highly polished.” (7)
“There’s a rug on the floor, oval, of braided rags.” (7)
“On the wall above the chair, a picture, framed but with no glass: a print of flowers, blue irises, watercolor.” (7)
“Think of it as being in the army…” (7)
“A bed. Single, mattress medium-hard, covered with a flocked white spread.” (8)
“Nothing takes place in the bed but sleep; or no sleep.” (8)
“…this could be a college guest room for, the less distinguished visitors; or a room in a rooming house, of former times, for ladies in reduced circumstances.” (8)
I can infer from these descriptions that the narrator is living in a poverty because she used the phrase “for ladies in reduced circumstances”, which means that the place was given for ladies with less money. In addition, I can infer that the narrator is living in a place without freedom because everything she has in her room seems to be assigned to her in purpose and it seem like she is not allowed to change it.
Well, I don't really think that the narrator is living in poverty. We have to consider that the Commander and his wife's house is supposed to be rather grand, and for the narrator to live IN their house, I don't think that you could say that she is living under poverty. However, I agree with you on the fact that the narrator is living under little independence for everything that you listed above shows how little freedom the narrator has.
DeleteWai Wing Lau
ReplyDeletePeriod 8: Honors Humanities
"...we would talk, about aches and pains, illnesses, our feet, our backs, all the different kinds of mischief that our bodies, like unruly children, can get into" (Atwood 10).
The most important part of this quote was 'all the different kinds of mischief that [our] bodies...can get into.' This allow me to imply that these women, handmaids are forced under a system, where men have sex with them so that they can give birth to new children. These handmaids are not just suffering under the burden of chores and so forth, but also the sex they must endure from their captors.
"...Commander's Wife...a basket at her side with shears in it and pieces of string for tying the flowers into place. A Guardian detailed to the Commander does the heavy digging; the Commander's Wife directs pointing with her stick. Many of the Wives have such gardens, it's something for them to order and maintain and care for" (Atwood 12).
Through this, I can imply that many official's wives do not really do any work. 'Strenuous' work, such as gardening is not fit for the women and in their stead are lower class men who do as they are told. The reason why I believe the Guardians would be men is because the lower class women were regarded as handmaids who had to undergo sex and other less tenuous work, so it makes sense that the Guardians are male.
Angela Mendez
DeletePeriod 4
I agree with you Wai Wing, the wives barely do anything. The only thing I read so far that they do is knit scarves (13). This is one of the reasons the protagonist is jealous. She wants to only knit and do nothing more.
Some stuff to think about, I guess:
ReplyDelete"They've removed anything you could tie a rope to" (Atwood 7) and When the window is partly open - it only opens partly" (Atwood 7).
- These are means of preventing inhabitants of the house to commit suicide. Clearly either the owner of the house or someone who designed this social system was aware that people were going to be depressed. They did not really care for other people's feelings, showing a lack of ethics among those in charge.
For anyone who maybe is still a bit confused: The narrator is a Handmaid, which are shown the cover. It is a totally different group from the Marthas, who are pretty much normal house servants, like Rita and Cora. One question I still had was who has more power, Handmaids or Marthas? I don't think it's very clear in the text.
A Handmaid's purpose wasn't really explained very clearly either. Judging by when Cora said "If I hadn't have got my tubes tied, it could have been me" (Atwood 10), a Handmaid might be used to have children. This would make sense, because the idea of using women solely to reproduce has been a recurring topic in this book and RLIT.
I also think a handmaid might've been used to have children because in the blurb it states that "handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable". I mean, if these women are valued for their ovaries, then they must have something to do with giving birth to children.
DeleteAngela Mendez
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
I feel bad for the Commander's wife. She used to be a really great singer. She now doesn't even sing (16). Imagine living your life without doing the thing you passionately love. It must feel tragic for her. Maybe this is why she smokes. I can also infer that the Commander's wife doesn't love her husband. For instance, she tells the protagonist that her husband is "just that", her husband (16). She does not describe her husband as her the love of her life or anything except husband. By doing this, I can infer that the wife only sees him as an object she is forced to be with who she does not even love.
I agree with your statement, BUT the Commander's wife is not the only one subjective to the harsh system. The narrator has to face possible expulsion as an Unwoman (woman who cannot give birth to children) (Atwood 10) and yet she has faced three failures. The three failures are described when Serena Joy (the Commander's wife) interrogates the narrator on a man the narrator was with, who as she describes was 'So old what's-his-face didn't work out...Tough luck on him...This is your second, isn't it? Third, ma'am...Not so good for you either..." (Atwood 14-15).
DeleteI never said that the Commander's wife is the only one who is suffering because of the horrible system. I'm just saying that she had a great career and now that she isn't singing anymore, her talent, well... it's something tragic. Also, what is even more tragic is that she is not referred anymore as "Serena Joy". I mean, the protagonist states that "the woman sitting in front of me was Serena Joy. Or had been, once. So it was worse than I thought" (16). I don't know. I just think she suffered a lot.
DeleteI think that the government has made certain restrictions on various things because the handmaids are so desperately needed. For example, the window "only opens partly" (Atwood 7) and "the glass in it is shatter proof" (Atwood 8), "thinking can hurt your chances, and I intend to last" (Atwood 8), and there "is no glass, in front of the watercolor picture" (8). Thoughts are what can influence the handsmaids to commit suicide. The windows that open all the way and glass are ways they can commit suicide. I believe that the reduced circumstances are made so that they will have the handsmaids because the commanders need them.
ReplyDeletekatheryn jean-baptiste
ReplyDeleteperiod 4
1.Take notes in a chart and try to figure out the setting, the conflict, the characters and the tone of the narrator. Who is the narrator? I don't need you to have the answers. I need you to question so don't look up the book on the internet.
Seems like the author likes to roam the hallways. 9
Nobody really if they see a face of a Martha. 9
Being a Martha to be a big conflict for the narrator. 9
Characters:
Aunt Lydia
Rita
Cora
Conflict: it seems as if the narrator has problems with the “marthas”, because of the way they put things on them such as clothing. Rita for explain goes out side and she rolls up her selves to her elbows and shows her face, where as others do not do that. (9)
2. Write all the italicized words.
My (8)
I know what you mean (11)
I hear where your coming from (11)
“Stillborn, it was. Or, stabbed her with a knitting needle, right in the belly. Jealousy, it must have been, eating her up. Or, tantalizingly,was toilet cleaner she used. Worked like a charm, though you’d think he’d of tasted it. Must’ve been that drunk; but they found her alright” (11)
Fraternize (11)
Sororize (11)
To behave like a sister (11)
3. Write what you think might be allusions to the Bible.
“white wings” (9)
The guardian (13)
Angels (13)
Scriptural precedent (16)
Sunday mornings (16)
Growing souls gospel hour (16)
Hymns (16)
4. List any repeated words or images so you can start to identify symbols.
My(8)
Wow. Angela, Wendolinne, Wai Wing, Yuris and Joe really had super thoughtful comments and questions. I learned a lot from them. I like your inferences and how you used evidence to support your ideas.
ReplyDelete