Soul Scrolls X Flashcards
Key events
Offred vividly describes the garden
Offred describes her changing relationship with the Commander and how they are becoming more comfortable
Offred toys with the Commander using the power she has of vising him
Goes to Soul Scrolls and learns Offglen isn’t a true believer- Mayday
See how pointless the soul scrolls are- for public image rather than prayer
The catastrophe
How does the natural imagery on pg.151-2 present Offred
Garden is trying to grow but Serena is trying to chop it down
Detail description ‘the irises rising’- rich vivid description, the garden is becoming a source of hope for her, feel power
‘A tennissen garden’- a poet famous for elaborate descriptions, recall memories from the past
End 152 ‘did the sight of my ankle make him lightheaded’/gets the guard to pick up prompting her to be rebellious
Offred awakened to the power of knowledge and language, more reckless, think she’s got power
How does Offred describe herself with the Commander? pg. 183
‘My bodies relaxed cosy even’
‘I sense in him none of the animosity’- humanising him, starting to enjoy his company, see him more positively than Luke, Stockholm syndrome
Still questioning top pg.184- curious, lacks all the answers
Relaxed, curious, comfortable
How has her relationship with the commander changed?
‘I imagine freckles on him, a cowlick’
‘I force a smile’
‘I have not been the first then. To enter his silence, play children’s word games with him’
‘If your dog dies, get another’
‘Maybe I shouldn’t come here any more’
‘‘Watching me…with intent bright eyes. If I didn’t know better I would it was fear’’
‘You want my life to be bearable to me’/ ‘Yes he says. I do. I would prefer it’
Offred becomes more confident but realizes she’s not so special yet understands she can gain power from this situation.
Offred and Offglen at Soul Scrolls pg.165-166
A franchise in every city center which print prayers endlessly
You can go inside and hear them but they get deleted and then the paper is reused
No one ever sees them and no one is inside listening
5 different prayers: ‘for health, wealth, a death, a birth, a sin’
The prayers don’t directly go to the Wives/Commanders
Sign of piety and faithfulness to the regime
The wives do it to help their Commanders careers
Offred and Offglen rebel pg. 167-168
‘I’m so excited I can hardly breathe, but I keep a steady pace’
‘I thought you were a true believer’/ ‘I thought you were’
‘You can join us’
‘hope is rising in me like sap in a tree’
‘we have made an opening’
The catastrophe chapter 28 pg. 172 bottom onwards
President shot and congress machine gunned- blamed on Islamic fanatics
Suspended the constitution
Newspaper were censored; pornomarts shut down
Offred’s card doesn’t work
Offred loses job ‘some other army’ come to escort women
Small protest marches- Offred didn’t go (fear, people submit to those in power)
Highlights how something that used to be so vital to American life was easy to turnover
The women’s rights were slowly removed so not to cause a loud outrage immediately
