Power Flashcards
Who created the four ways power can be expressed?
A new weave
Robert Dahl Concept Of Power
‘A has power over B that he can get B to do something B would not otherwise do’
Who has power over Offred?
The commander
‘Commander could give me away so easily’
Commander’s power dictates Offred’s survival.
‘my silence does not deter him’
Commander ignores signals and forces Offred to have sex.
Who has power with Offred?
Offglen
‘But find out and tell us’
Gaining information can be an act of resistance, withholding it a form of control. Using their power with eachother to gain power together.
Who gives power to Offred?
Moira
‘Dont think that way Moira would say’
Offred is able to hold on to her identity with a small sense of power given to her from her conciseness of Moira.
‘Moira was like an elevator with open sides’
Moira gives power and hope to the handmaids through her escape.
‘The balance of power was equal between woman so sex was’
Contrasts with Gilead’s ideas of sex which is coercive
Language in relation to power examples
Only men and aunt can write and read
Handmaids forbidden from watching or reading news
Handmaids language controlled
Effect of controlling language
Deducts each person within Gilead to simply following their role.
Power within Offred through
Memories
Ritual
Possessions
‘If its a story I’m telling then I have control over the ending’
Able to regain control through storytelling.
