Theme - Storytelling And Memory Flashcards
The structure of the handmaids tale is characterised by many different kinds of storytelling and fiction making. For one, the title itself and the fictional “historical notes on the handmaids tale”, frame the entire novel as offreds storytelling , that she’s said into a tape recorder. For another, her whole story is also punctuated by shorter stories she tells herself, of the time before Gilead. These small flashbacks can be triggered by the slightest impression and they occur so often through the novel that it appears that offred is living in several worlds, the terrible present, the confusing but free past and the Rachel and Leah centre that bridged them. Adding to the overlap of past and present the tenses are always shifting with some memories in the past and some in the present. With more stories and memories than current time actions, the book is profoundly repetitive. It forms its own kind of simple, quiet hell - we, like offred, are trapped within the echo chamber of her mind.
“We yearned for the __________. How did we learn it, that talent for _____________?”
Future
Insatiability
• the novel opens with offred recalling the time she spent inside a building that was formerly used as a school. Offred has described the gymnasium. Activities that invoke lively, happy and carefree spirits of youth. She says that the atmosphere is now a one of “yearning”, although it’s not clear what for. This abstract longing is explained by the fact that people of offreds age and older were alive before the transition into Gilead. And thus remember what the world was like before; however, their memories are vague and their nostalgia for the past turns into a desire for an unknown future. The word “insatiability” is a word to explain a meaning of hunger or desire that cannot be satisfied. Indicating the shame associated with the desire in the world of the novel. Indeed, “insatiable” is often used in a sexual context and offreds words thus evoke disgust and condemnation of women’s sexuality. A phenomenon that exists in our modern world, yet is vastly exaggerated in Gilead. In this context, the women’s “insatiable” desire is simply for a world which they are free and equal.
“I try not to ________ too much. Like other things now, thought must be __________”
Think
Rationed
• offred has continued describing her room in the commanders house, and recalled aunt lydia telling her to “think of it as like being in the army”. Offred claims that she “rations” her thoughts. This statement highlights the austere, dull scarcity of life in Gilead. Not only has offred lost access to the material pleasures, intimacy with others and freedom, but even her thoughts are restricted and impoverished by the oppressive world in which she lives. Offreds admission that she tries not to “think too much” suggests that too much thinking is dangerous, especially for women who, like her, live such tightly controlled lives.
“I would like to _________ that this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I _______ believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a __________ chance”
Believe
Must
Better
• offred is lying in bed and has recalled hazy memories from different moments in her life, featuring moira, her mother and her daughter. She has recalled waking up from a drug induced sleep to find that her daughter had been taken away from her and assigned to another family. She confesses that she wants to believe that “this is a story I’m telling”, as this will help her survive. There are several layers of meaning to offreds wish. On the surface, she seems to be referring to the importance of storytelling as a way to preserve one’s dignity and to feel loved and valued. Though on a deeper level it may appear to readers that offreds attempt of storytelling is actually a coping mechanism, almost trying to manipulate the horror events she goes through in reality and create it into fiction. This can be somewhat supported by the idea that every story must have an end, whether that be offered escaping from Gilead or the eradication of Gilead as a whole. However, although the reader does not know it yet, the novel is a story that offred is telling. The “historical notes” at the end of the book reveal that the narrative was found on a cassette tape in Maine. Thus enforcing she wishes to believe the events are only a story in her head in order to preserve her sanity and dignity.
“But this is wrong, nobody ______ from lack of sex. It’s the lack of _______ we die from”.
Dies
Love
• while offred has been sneaking downstairs to steal a daffodil, offred runs into the nick and they share an erotically charged moment. While back in her she remembers lying down with Luke while she was pregnant and thinks that if she thought she’d never have sex again she’d die. She then corrects herself and reinstates that it is not lack of sex but love that we die from. This view resonates with the ambiguous events of the novel. Despite the sexual repression by the state, Gilead is a world filled with sex. This indicates that people’s drives to have sex with survive even the strictest repression of sexuality. On the other hand, all that sec doesn’t seem to make people very happy or provide meaning to their lives. And for offred, sex has become to play a rather negative role in her life. Yet she is sustained by her memories of love. Those memories of love is what keeps her identity intact emphasising that even the strongest and strictest repressive states of affair cannot control or wear people down fully. As we, as people, have memories of our own which mould us into the people we become to be. Which can be worn down, however not fully. Both strategies highlight the fundamental importance in trusting that there are people out there in the world who love and care about you, whether you are near or not.
“You wanted a _________ culture. Well, now there is one. It isn’t what you meant, but it exists. Be __________ for small mercies.”
Women’s
Thankful
• this passage shows when offred is at janines house while janine is giving birth and she recalls the moment she was shown videos of “unwomen”. One of the videos shows offreds mother at a feminist rally, and she remembers the fights her and her mother used to have about feminism. The red centre, where she seen the videos - along with the whole structure of handmaids wives and other castes of women - is, as offred reflects in this passage, a “women’s culture” of sorts. Socialisation is segregated by gender, so women spend mostly their time with other women. This passage suggests that offred believes radical feminism was part of a chain of events that lead to the establishment of Gilead. While she acknowledges that the hyper religious world she now lives in is far from what her mother and other feminists intended. It seems that the backlash against radical feminist activity helped bring about this new, ultra traditional era. Her comment “be thankful for small mercies” is largely ironic, a reference to the religious imperative that offred be grateful for the hellish world in which she now lives. Although, the “women’s culture” offred now lives in is misogynistic and oppressive there are several moments when she finds strength and solidarity through her connections to other women. Thus highlighting that, even in the worst of circumstances, union can always be accomplished through secrecy. Even offred herself, the novel being first person limited, is uniting with herself to preserve her dignity and solidarity.
“But people with do anything rather than admit their lives have no ___________. No use, that is. No ______.”
Meaning
Plot
• offred and ofglen have gone to a prayvaganza and ofglen observes that janine has been moved to another family because the baby she had turned out to be a “shredder”. Ofglen reveals that janine thinks she has been punished by god for having sex with the doctor in order to get pregnant. Offred reflects that Janine only thinks this way to give her life a sense of meaning, a coherent “plot”. This thought draws an interesting parallel between religion and storytelling. Just as Janine and other true believers convince themselves that they live in order to please god, offred gives her own life meaning by making a story out of it. The comparison allows offred to feel sympathy towards even the most reprehensible characters, as she believes their actions are motivated by their own fear and suffering.
“Humanity is so _________, my mother would say. Truly amazing, what people can get used to, as long as there are a few ___________.”
Adaptable
Compensations
• offred has started seeing nick, enjoying her time with him and even idolising him. She reveals that she no longer really wants to leave. At time, she feels that she loves nick, but on other occasions she reasons that it is not love but simply necessity. She remembers her mother saying that people are “so adaptable”. The world depicted in the novel proves offreds mothers words to be true, despite how quickly society has changed, and despite how oppressive life now is, people find ways to keep going and survive. However, it is debatable whether or not this is really a good thing. While adaptability and survival skills are impressive, they are also shown to be selfish. After all, now that offred is making life more enjoyable she has lost interest in rebelling. Adapting to one’s circumstances can also, then, be interpreted as acquiescing to being controlled by others, as well as ignoring the plight of those who are in a worse position.
