THE HOME Flashcards
1
Q
Give an overview of home in relation to Gilead.
A
Handmaid’s are placed in other people’s homes, which to them are just houses. There’s no reason for them to feel at home there.
2
Q
Which quote suggests early signs of patriarchy in relation to the household?
A
I wandered through the house… I remember touching things (28.65)
- In her shock at losing her job and her money—in short, all her rights—the narrator “wander[s] through the house” and touches random objects. Notice here, significantly, that it’s no longer “her house,” it’s “the house.” Already her ownership seems to be slipping away.
- Just as Offred loses job, Blanche loses marriage and Belle Reve and is forced to roam around being promiscuous.
3
Q
Give a quote in relation to rooms and the home.
A
‘My room, then. There has to be some space, finally, that i can claim as mine, even this time’ (9.1.2)
- The idea of having personal space seems to become necessary to hold onto her sanity (links directly to Blanche who is always in the bathroom).
