Subjugation in Women

Throughout the novel, women are treated differently to men in the society. Women are oppressed and have to believe what they are told to believe. The men own and are in control of the women.
          An example of the way that women are owned is Offreds name. The fact that her name means "Of Fred" shows that she is his possession. The possessive term "of"shows her as an object, that she is "of" him because she is belongs to him because of her fertility. This is significant because his name features in her "name", but her real name is not specified. This makes her seem of a much lower status than him, showing the oppression she suffers.
          However, this point is contradicted in Chapter 38 when Offred is telling Moira about her commander. She says "He's my Commander". The possessive noun "my"makes it seem as if Offred is in possession of her commander, as if she's proud and showing him off to Moira. However, this is far from the truth as, previously stated, she is his possession and she's definitely not proud of him. If she had stated "I am his handmaid", it would have shown her acknowledgement of the fact that he owns her.
          In the society, women are assigned jobs and are only allowed to remain in those given roles. They are colour coded in their uniforms, objectified and restricted by the clothes they are told to wear. When Offred and her Commander are in the club and she questions the pasts of the girls, he replies "Well, we have quite a collection. That one there, the one in green, she's a sociologist. Or was. That one was a lawyer, that one was in business, an executive position; some sort of fast-food chain or maybe it was hotels." The term "we" shows that the Commander feels more powerful than these women, he doesn't speak of them as individuals, he groups them all as women he and the other Commanders own. He also doesn't describe them as women when speaking about them, he refers to each as "that one", this shows a lack of respect and courtesy. 
          Considering the fact that women are not allowed to have jobs other than their assigned roles in the society, it is shocking that there are still prostitutes at Jezebels. Offred is surprised to discover Moira working there. They escape to speak together and Moira comments on Offreds appearance. She says "You look like the Whore of Babylon." "Whore" is a derogatory term for a prostitute, this is ironic because Moira is a prostitute. However, Moira does not seem ashamed of this being her career as she can fulfil her sexual desires and it's acceptable for her to be a lesbian. This is also shocking because in the society, people are punished for being gay so it's surprising that there is somewhere that it is acceptable, the Commander also describes it as "Walking in to the past".


          
        

Subjugation in Chapters 37-39 (Henna and Rosie)

Chapter 37
Within this chapter, Offred describes what she sees including costumes and her surroundings. She also mentions seeing Moira.

• "Well, some of them are real pros. Working girls" - The Commander, page 249

The term "girls" connotes that the Commander thinks he's better than these women, making them seem inferior. The idea of "some" of them shows that he's addressing them as a group instead of giving them all their own identity.

• "Well, we have quite a collection. That one there, the one in green, she's a sociologist. Or was. That one was a lawyer, that one was in business, an executive position; some sort of fast-food chain or maybe it was hotels." - The commander, page 249

The term "we" gives the impression that the Commander feels he owns these women and they are his possessions. However, the women would rather be there than go to the colonies or be Handmaids, Moira is an example of this. The fact that he knows all of the previous professions of the women at the club shows how often he goes there and that he's important and higher in the hierarchy because he knows about peoples pasts.

Chapter 38

In this chapter, Offred strays from the Commander and goes to speak to Moira in private, which wouldn't have been openly allowed in the Red Centre. Moira describes how she escaped. Moira seems to try to convince and encourage Offred to get herself sent to the club.

• "You look like the Whore of Babylon." - Moira, page 254

The term "whore" connotes prostitution. The phrase is ironic because Moira is comparing Offred to a whore when Moira is a prostitute. She seems proud to be in this profession because she can fulfill her sexual desires and will not be condemned for being a lesbian, she tries to convince Offred to join her at the club because she will be 'free'.

• "He's my commander" - Offred, page 255

The personal pronoun "my" makes it seem as if the Commander is a possession of Offred, which is a juxtaposition because Offred is essentially his property and if he hadn't taken her to the club, she wouldn't have seen Moira. The sentence as a whole is ironic because she says "He's my Commander" as opposed to "I'm his Handmaid", which makes it seem as if she's proud. Claiming that she's his Handmaid makes her seem inferior to him and less important, like an object. The fact that other women are present when Offred says this, seems as if she's showing off about the fact that she's there with her Commander, because it's as if she's proud of her fertility. 

Chapter 39

In this chapter, the Commander takes Offred to a private room and Offred describes the events that occur. She also describes, in great detail, the surroundings while in the room and her feelings, as if remembering the past.

• "He shows it to me, slyly. I am to understand." - Offred, page 263

The use of the auxiliary verb "am" in this context is effective because it gives the impression that she's supposed to understand the implication, as opposed to actually understanding fully. The adverb "slyly" connotes that, even in his position of power, the Commander still needs to be careful with his actions and lower himself to the expectations of others. He treats Offred like a sexual object, as if she's nothing more to him than a prostitute, ironic as they are at the club. It is also disrespectful and undermining that he doesn't ask if she will go up to the room with him, he simply shows her the key which is clearly enough to show her that he has made the decision for her.

• "He stops at the foot, his fingers encircling the ankle, briefly, like a bracelet, where the tattoo is, a Braille he can read, a cattle-brand. It means ownership." - Offred, page 266

The noun "ownership" connotes that Offred has given into the oppression of Gilead. She accepts that she is a possession of him, contradicting the fact that earlier on in the section she gives the impression that she feels she owns him. The repetition of the personal pronouns "he" and "his" signifies that Offred is not enjoying him touching her, she's too aware and keeps reminding herself that he's the one touching her. The noun "cattle-brand" shows that she feels helpful, as if she's being hunted against her will. The fact that she feels branded shows that she feels that she only belongs to him.

Attitudes towards women and sex in chapters 37-39

Chapters 37-39 show a lot about the attitudes towards sex and the way women are seen and treated in the novel. These chapters are very significant as they go into a great deal of detail about what happens at the club called "Jezebels". The section that these chapters are within is also called Jezebels.
          Before even reading these chapters, we know that the word "Jezebels" is going to be relevant and significant from the fact that it is the section name that these chapters are within. From the beginning of the book, the section names have had significance to chapters within the sections. The term "Jezebel" immediately makes the reader start asking questions about why this term would be used as a title. A Jezebel is a term for an evil, promiscuous woman, possibly a prostitute. Therefore this noun seems to be completely contradictory to how women are supposed to come across in the book. Women, especially Handmaids, are supposed to be very modest, obedient and religious which is the complete opposite of a Jezebel. Atwood clearly chose such a shocking term specifically to raise questions.
          At the beginning of chapter 37, a reference to sex in the society is made. Offred is walking down the corridors of the club (previously a hotel) with her Commander and as they walk past the doors to the rooms, she says "From behind one of the doors comes laughter, a man's and also a woman's. It's a long time since I've heard that." Atwood doesn't mention sex, but the implication is there and it's clear that Offred is speaking of the couple having sex behind the closed door. The present tense quote "It's a long time since I've heard that" shows an attitude towards sex in the society. The fact that Offred hasn't heard a man and a woman laughing together, being intimate and spending time together in a "long time" shows that sex is not considered to be something done for love or pleasure, it's almost a business, something that has to be done for the sake of the future.
          When Offred leaves the Commander to go to the toilets to speak to Moira, she asks the Commander what to do if someone stops her. His reply says a lot about the way that the women are objectified. The quote "Just show them your tag...It'll be all right. They'll know you're taken." shows that women are considered as objects, something owned by the men in the novel. The adjective "taken" makes the women seem as if they belong to the men, she is taken by the Commander and no one else can have her. This shows a lack of respect for women and it seems as if they're taken advantage of. The fact that Offred only has to show her tag to show that she's taken is shocking, it shows that it's widely known that this tag means she's owned and she belongs to someone.
          Offred is shown off by the Commander to the other men at the club, she's put across like a piece of meat. She says "They review my breasts, my legs, as if there's no reason why they shouldn't." This shocking quote shows the way that the women are seen. They are expected to be aesthetically pleasing and the Commander is taking advantage of the fact that Offred is with him by showing her off and almost boasting about what he owns. She is displayed as if she's a piece of meat, as if she doesn't deserve any respect and it's acceptable for them just to judge her appearance. The term "as if" gives the impression that she doesn't agree with this action, because if "as if" was removed from the statement, it would read "There's no reason why they shouldn't." These two words are very effective as they completely determine what she's really saying and if they were not there, the sentence would be completely different.
          The women are seemingly compared to meat again later in the chapter. Offred is describing the costumes worn by the women at the club. She says "Attached to her head are two ears, of a rabbit or deer". The fact that she mentions rabbits and deers is significant because both are animals known for the fact that they are widely hunted. This is a strong comparison because it makes the women seem as if they are hunted by the men, helpless like the animals they are compared to. The women are hunted by the men, they're their prey. This could be why the costume is appealing to the men in the club because it makes the men feel in control and dominant.
          Later on in the chapter, Offred goes on to speak more about the way that women are owned by the men. When speaking about the prostitutes at the club, she says "It must be hard to stand there unclaimed". The adjective "unclaimed" objectifies the women again. This makes it seem as if the women are nothing until a man claims them as their own. The women are simply sex objects, waiting around until a man considers them good enough and takes them off to a room. This degrades the women and obviously shocks Offred, even though she agrees with the Commander that walking into the club is like "walking into the past", which gives the impression that she's seen this all before and it was once appropriate and accepted in society.
          In conclusion, the views on women and sex in the novel seem to be very negative towards women, objectifying and degrading them. Everything is in favour of men and they get what they want. Women are used by the men, especially at the club.

The Twelfth Symposium

An entry from Offred's secret diary

I'm going mad. I can't take it anymore. I don't know how I can go on, not knowing where Luke is. Not knowing where my family is. I feel so lost. I feel so useless. That sounds ungrateful, I have a use. I'm one of the lucky ones. I have a purpose, I've been spared. I should be thankful for the fact that I've not been sent to the colonies, I'm not an unwoman. I still have time. 

          I have far more freedom than the unwomen, than the women sent to the colonies, than the Marthas and probably even the Wives. It's just not good enough. I want to be with my family, with the people I love. Sometimes I think I'd rather be in the colonies. I don't know what happens there, I know not to believe gossip anymore.

           I long to feel love, to feel wanted. There's a difference between being wanted and being needed. I'm needed. Nobody wants me, they simply need me. I've just heard the Commander coming up the stairs, I'll have to hide this as usual. 

An entry from Nick's secret diary

I don't know what it is about her that makes me feel this way about her. I don't know why she's all I can think about. I wonder if she feels the same, I wonder if she can tell how I feel about her. I'm always wondering. Wondering about her, wondering about us, if they'll ever be an 'us'. I've never been so fascinated with someone. It's as if she's forbidden fruit, off limits to me.
           I could never do anything, I could never risk getting her in trouble. I can't help but wink at her sometimes, touch her foot with mine. I can't stop myself. I know it's dangerous, I know it could get her sent away. I would never want to get her in trouble, but I just don't know what to do with myself. I can't help but feel this way about her. She never returns my signs of interest but that may be because she knows how much trouble she could be in. I don't know what to do.

           

Top ten features

This is a novel about the exploitation of women
Women are exploited in many ways throughout the book. In Offred's case, she's a Handmaid, therefore meaning she's exploited for sex. However, she's not used for sex for pleasure, she's only used to become pregnant and carry children for The Commander. Chapter 16 is a strong, shocking example of this. This chapter revolves around the monthly rape Offred must suffer in an attempt to become pregnant. Offred says "It has nothing to do with passion or love or romance or any of those other notions", this shows how negatively she feels about what is called "The Ceremony", and the fact that she doesn't want to consent to such an occasion.


This is a novel about loss, e.g of freedom, mothers, children
Offred is a prime example of the extent of loss in the novel. She's lost her freedom, her husband and her daughter. At the beginning of chapter 18, Offred says "I want to be with someone" before going on to talk about times she spent with Luke, times she misses and wants back. She speaks as if she's still there, the way she often does when recalling fond memories. The collective term 'we' shows how at one she felt with Luke and as the readers, we feel sympathy for her and all she has lost. When describing her bedroom she says "There has to be some space, finally, that I can claim as mine, even in this time", this shows how little she has and how precious her bedroom is to her now as she feels it's her only possession, the only place she feels safe and peaceful. This shows the lack of freedom she has, the fact that she only feels peaceful when  alone, at night.

This is a novel of alienation and unbelonging

Research on The Commander

The Commander

• Called Fred
• Husband of Serena Joy
• The man who "owns" Offred, she is his Handmaid
• Kind to Offred
• Middle aged
• Reasonably powerful in the government of Gilead
• Acts as if he follows the rules and guidelines of the Gilead but breaks a number
• Gives Offred prohibited items and privileges (he lets her read and takes her to Jezebels)
• He invites Offred to his office to play Scrabble, breaking rules by doing so
• Comes across very kind and gentle, especially in comparison to Serena Joy

Chapter 18 Opening Analysis

The opening of Chapter 18 is a short paragraph written in the present continuous, narrated by Offred. The paragraph seems to show how fragile she is feeling as she's speaking this. The repetition of the word 'glass' reinforces this point, as glass is fragile and easily broken which is how Offred seems to be in the text. In contrast to this lexis of fragile words, the context is very different. After this paragraph, Offred goes on to talk about time with Luke and while she was pregnant with their daughter, describing happier times which goes against the first paragraph.

           The use of short sentences in the first paragraph is also very effective. The sentence "I want to be with someone" is a short, to the point sentence. The fact that this sentence is so short shows how bluntly Offred is speaking and the fact that she knows what she wants and she wants it very much, almost craves for it.

           The use of the word "shatter" as a noun is also interesting. "Shatter" is a present continuous verb, but strangely is used as a noun in the context and the way that Offred uses it. She also uses the word differently as she says "I feel like the word shatter". The use of this similie is odd as "shatter" is improper in the context; you cannot be a verb, therefore to say she feels like it is surprising.