general ideas

Question 1

is the ‘Tale’ a feminist novel: the symbolic neuturing of the female body

Answer 1

is the ultimate way for a woman to gain power and autonomy over her own body to effect a mental and spiritual dissociation from the very traits that are said to make one female - to reconceive oneself as a mass of flesh like atoms.
“I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am.’

Question 1

is the ‘Tale’ a feminist novel: untenable premise of the ‘feminist sisterhood’

Answer 1

chapter 13: Offred’s immediate suspicion and skepticism regarding how truthful Janine’s story during the Testifying ceremony does not display any ‘sisterhood’, compassion or empathy whatsoever. the women here are, ironically, united in their own individual needs for self-preservation as opposed to what is just. HOWEVER, this was a momentary mental lapse as Offred reflects shamefully upon her past behaviour - ‘I used to think well of myself. I didn’t then.’

Question 2

is the ‘Tale’ a feminist novel: the faults of women

Answer 2

powerful socio-religious institutions are enabled and propped up by both men and women, as seen through the aunts.

Question 3

narrative self-consciousness

Answer 3

what invigorates the world to live is an individual’s capacity for deep introspection, where the way we process the external world is done through a critical and active engagement with our inner mind, and a candid coming-to-terms with the state of our emotions and thoughts. the act of self-examination and reflexivity can be both uncomfortable and liberating

Question 4

scapegoating

Question 5

the egg

Answer 5

mock epic quality within this moment: egg’s surface described as a ‘barren landscape, yet perfect’.
describes mundane object in sublime terms
moving paradox to an egg: simplistic, minimalistic construct but contains all of the energy of a life force waiting to yield forth into the world. small yet extremely powerful and profound.
being exiled from society - can Offred learn to appreciate the mundane beauty and complexity of the natural world? the power of the oppressed. other complications however; we should not always settle for simplicity and minimalism because the world has so much to offer. we should not restrict ourselves to such a reality if we do not wish to. echoes ch25