Chapters 13-15 Flashcards
In chapter 13, what does Offred say which is further indication of the cruel way in which Handmaids are treated in Gilead?
“I wait, washed, brushed, fed like a prized pig.”
Offred’s internal monologue indicates that her daily routine parallels that of a “prized pig” most closely; as pigs are used solely for their appearance and are later slaughtered. Similarly, Offred’s life is maintained for the sole purpose - reproduction, ie. she has no value as an individual apart from that.
(Can be linked to how Blanche feels like she has no purpose if she isn’t young or beautiful, and tries so hard to fulfil that purpose only to be sent away to a mental asylum by the end of the play.)
In chapter 13, what does Offred say which demonstrates how societal expectations have affected her own expectations of herself?
“I have failed once again to fulfil the expectations of others, which have become my own.”
Offred’s awareness of how the greater societal expectations and AUTHORITY are becoming crucial to her own view of herself and her own success.
In chapter 14, what does Offred say about the commander which demonstrates his power?
“Household: that is what we are. The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds. To have and to hold, till death do us part. The hold of a ship. Hollow.”
This demonstrates how the commander is valued by society and is the most powerful and prominent member of the household. This also further demonstrates Offred’s attempts to rebel, as she doesn’t hesitate to state how “hollow” the commander seems.
(Can be compared toe Stanley ‘s “Every man is a king” quote in streetcar.)
What does Offred say about the commander in chapter 15 which shows her desperation for a sense of control and/or power?
“To be be a man watched by women. It must be entirely strange. To have them watching him all the time. To have them wondering, what’s he going to do next?”
Here Offred is essentially switching the roles and trying to put the commander in the role of a victim, like some kind of fantasy that helps her to cope with the fact that in reality it’s her that’s the victim. Can be linked to previous ideas of Offred having control over the stories in her head.
(Can be linked to how Blanche treats Stanley in desperation for control or power. Could also be linked to how Blanche uses her imagination as a form of control.)
