Sanctuary Or Cell?

When making this piece, there were two key things that came to mind. The wall for me is one of the most significant aspects of the entire story. We hear about the restrictions from other places, but we rarely hear about the restrictions that the wall has. When we hear of the wall in the story, we may think that it is a way to protect the people, but for me, it’s the opposite. The wall is used as a way to oppress the people of Gilead and to keep them in. It is also meant to serve as a warning of what they can and cannot do. 
I also believe that this scene is one of the key scenes from this story, and definitely one that can be visualized the most often. As it is a very big reveal, and is noticeable throughout the story. So I wanted to make sure that I was picking an important scene, where readers made a big realization, and many made a big connection. 
When I went to draw, I wanted to show how they were being oppressed. That’s why I chose to draw the birds on the outside of the wall, showing that the birds are free while the people inside the walls are not necessarily free. When I drew the hanging people, I wanted to draw them similar to prisoners. Showing how they were hanged to make an example, just as it's done in prison. My main goal with this piece was to showcase how the inside of the wall is basically a prison, and everything that happens within it is just as it would happen in prison. 
The handmaids are drawn in a way to be leaving the scene, while still slowly observing the people hanging from the wall. This is meant to showcase that they know they are in a prison, but they also know that they cannot do anything about it. I believe that this view was very powerful since it showcases how oftentimes humans may know that something is wrong or askew, but they do not have the power to do anything about it.
The eye is one of the ideas I wanted to add to the scene; it is meant to represent how they are always being watched in every situation. Similar to the idea of  “Big Brother” and how he is always watching. I wanted to show how they are always being watched in Gilead by the eye from the sky. Just as there may be “Eyes” anywhere around them, they must always be careful of what they say and do. 
This scene signifies the reality of Gilead; for some, it may be a job, and a place of power, such as how the Commanders could represent the Warden in a prison, while the Angels could represent the prison guards. The handmaids and others would be considered the prisoners; they are kept under strict control. The eye is meant to signify cameras basically, and how they are always being monitored while they are in this prison. This was my main goal behind this piece: I wanted to showcase how Gilead, in all actuality, is just a prison, meant to keep them in, and they will never be free like the birds outside.   

Sanctuary Or Cell?

When making this piece, there were two key things that came to mind. The wall for me is one of the most significant aspects of the entire story. We hear about the restrictions from other places, but we rarely hear about the restrictions that the wall has. When we hear of the wall in the story, we may think that it is a way to protect the people, but for me, it’s the opposite. The wall is used as a way to oppress the people of Gilead and to keep them in. It is also meant to serve as a warning of what they can and cannot do. 
I also believe that this scene is one of the key scenes from this story, and definitely one that can be visualized the most often. As it is a very big reveal, and is noticeable throughout the story. So I wanted to make sure that I was picking an important scene, where readers made a big realization, and many made a big connection. 
When I went to draw, I wanted to show how they were being oppressed. That’s why I chose to draw the birds on the outside of the wall, showing that the birds are free while the people inside the walls are not necessarily free. When I drew the hanging people, I wanted to draw them similar to prisoners. Showing how they were hanged to make an example, just as it's done in prison. My main goal with this piece was to showcase how the inside of the wall is basically a prison, and everything that happens within it is just as it would happen in prison. 
The handmaids are drawn in a way to be leaving the scene, while still slowly observing the people hanging from the wall. This is meant to showcase that they know they are in a prison, but they also know that they cannot do anything about it. I believe that this view was very powerful since it showcases how oftentimes humans may know that something is wrong or askew, but they do not have the power to do anything about it.
The eye is one of the ideas I wanted to add to the scene; it is meant to represent how they are always being watched in every situation. Similar to the idea of  “Big Brother” and how he is always watching. I wanted to show how they are always being watched in Gilead by the eye from the sky. Just as there may be “Eyes” anywhere around them, they must always be careful of what they say and do. 
This scene signifies the reality of Gilead; for some, it may be a job, and a place of power, such as how the Commanders could represent the Warden in a prison, while the Angels could represent the prison guards. The handmaids and others would be considered the prisoners; they are kept under strict control. The eye is meant to signify cameras basically, and how they are always being monitored while they are in this prison. This was my main goal behind this piece: I wanted to showcase how Gilead, in all actuality, is just a prison, meant to keep them in, and they will never be free like the birds outside.   

In Margaret Atwood’s critically acclaimed novel The Handmaid’s Tale, we see the idea of sanity and what mentality truly is brought up. It made me wonder what Atwood was trying to convey about one’s sanity and how differing situations impact it. As I read back, I felt as if Atwood was trying to tell us that oftentimes reality is the very reason that we lose our minds. I felt the same as Atwood when I was confronted with this. As oftentimes one’s circumstances are the very reason that they lose touch with reality, and not necessarily what is going on with their heads. At the same time, it made me wonder about how your past comes back to haunt you and ruin your current sanity. I felt that this was the perfect way to describe what was happening to Offred throughout the story, and specifically on page 109. I was able to notice this idea immediately when Atwood wrote about the idea of living in a “paranoid delusion.” On page 109, Atwood writes, “After these dreams I do awake, and I know I’m really awake because there is the wreath, on the ceiling, and my curtains hanging like they drowned white hair. I feel drugged. I consider this: maybe they’re drugging me. Maybe the life I think I’m living is a paranoid delusion.” This made me think of how Atwood continuously discussed the ideas of Offred’s dreams and how they make her feel. We see this throughout the entirety of the text, when she’s dreaming about her past with Nick or her friends. Every time she gets one of these dreams, it continues to add to her trauma. She mentions multiple times how her dreams make her distracted from reality, which is often a sign of being mentally ill or losing oneself. I believe that by Atwood adding these details, she keeps showing us readers that Offred is slowly losing her mind due to her current situation and her being unable to do anything about it. As Angel brought up in our discussion with the phrase “Don’t let the bastards grind you down,” was ingrained into Offred’s mind, as if she was trying her hardest to resist her mind being torn down by her current state. Which honestly makes sense to me due to how hard Offred was trying to resist. We can tell she was trying to resist because Atwood discusses how Offred is paranoid, and oftentimes paranoia is a sign that one is trying to gain awareness or control of their situation. It also made me think of Batman, how the villain was always afraid that Batman was watching from the shadows. Offred is constantly afraid that the dreams will get worse and keep haunting her, and also afraid that she will be destroyed by her current situation and lose all her sanity. In fact, in the very next paragraph, Offred talks about her own sanity. Atwood writes, “Not a hope. I know where I am, and who, and what day it is. These are the tests, and I am sane. Sanity is a valuable possession; I hoard it the way people once hoarded money. I save it, so I will have enough, when the time comes.” This was what solidified my belief that Offred was slowly losing her sanity. I feel like she is trying her hardest to just save a little bit for the future when she may need it, or in case she tries to escape. She knows that she is slowly losing it and is only trying to keep the bare minimum. She says, “So I will have enough, when the time comes.” Which tells us that she just wants enough, not anything more and not anything less than what she needs. It really shows how desperate Offred is to maintain a part of herself and not let Gilead fully take her over. I think that it really shows the desperation and willpower of someone who is trying their best just to survive. I feel like Offred’s main reason for her strength is just to try to survive and live another day. I also believe that she has some ounce of hope that she will one day be able to escape, which is why she is trying to maintain her sanity. I feel as if Atwood is trying to convey the true depth of one’s mind and how humans have a tendency to try to save at least a shred of themselves, even when they are slowly losing it all. For me, the thing about this section that stood out the most was the line “Sanity is a valuable possession.” It made me wonder how valuable sanity truly could be in a world where you must abide by a strict set of rules and do not truly have any rights of your own. I believe that Atwood is trying to show us that no matter what, you must always maintain at least a shred of dignity, at least a shred of yourself. No matter what situation you have to go through. So in the end, it truly makes me wonder, what is peace of mind? How can we achieve it? Will our minds ever know peace?

Hello. My name is Shoeb, and this is my multi-narrative. About a man and his talking dog.