Boys will be boys - Dua Lipa It’s second nature to walk home before the sun goes down And put your keys between your knuckles when there’s boys around Isn’t it funny how we laugh it off to hide our fear? When there’s nothing funny here

THT “Don’t open your door to a stranger, even if he says he is the police. Make him slide his ID under the door. Don’t stop on the road to help a motorist pretending to be in trouble. Keep the locks on and keep going. If anyone whistles, don’t turn to look. Don’t go into a laundromat, by yourself, at night.” (ch 5)

These both are related to the rules of being a woman, you have to protect yourself everywhere and from every man. Both show women facing dangers in the world that constantly warns them about being harmed that mostly comes from men. The lyric talks about how being a woman it is not safe to be outside at night and having to be protected around men, as a woman you’re expected to always be safe and deal with male behavior. The handmaid tale women are shaped to fear danger all the time and the quote shows that women in Gilead have been taught to always be on guard from violence or being manipulated by men. This reflects on how women have to live with this constant fear about their safety so that why we have to live life with caution and fear of harm because of the things men feel like they can do towards women.

You don’t own me - Lesley Gore You don’t own me I’m not just one of your many toys

You don’t own me Don’t say I can’t go with other boys

THT “There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from.” (ch 5)

Both the song and book speaks about women being controlled and their independence being stripped from them. In the song, she says repeatedly “you don’t own me” refusing the idea of being controlled by someone else and that relates to the handmaid tale by the fact that the handmaids don’t have control over their bodies, gets treated like their the commanders property then forced into things without their consent. The song being about a woman reclaiming herself while removing the chains men tried to put on us is what the handmaids struggle trying to reclaim their freedom and resist being owed to Gilead, an oppressive system. The Handmaid’s Tale is about women fighting to regain their choice in a world/society that wants to strip them from it so they can be in a world like Lesley’s where women have the right to make their own decision and control their own path.

Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke I know you want it But you’re a good girl

THT “How can he think this is better? Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some.” (ch 11)

In the song Blurred Lines they sing about men being dominant while women have to be submissive, normalizing these gender roles that connect to the power that men have over women in Gilead. The quote from the handmaid’s tale shows that men know that the role of being an oppressor in gilead means they have power that is best for them but is not good for the women that are powerless. Both shows that women are there for a man and their use, a woman’s choices don’t matter about what the men want. The same as robin is seeing a woman as someone to be control is the same as how gilead control woman lives and bodies and having that power is unfair but men try to justify it behind their idea of doing what best or good for women, when it really only benefits for those who are in charge like the commanders.

Take Me To Church - Hozier Take me to church

I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

Offer me that deathless death

THT “Under His Eye,” (ch 8)

The song is about desire being judged by religion or society and the lyric shows how people are told or taught to believe in a higher power and follow the rules or beliefs that are not truth or right. In the handmaid tale the eyes are the eyes of god, people who undercover cops for the government have a higher power that what they use in Gilead to control people and make them believe they’re always meaning watch by god then if they see you doing something wrong that means death. The leaders in gilead use their religion to defend the cruel laws especially against women. Both the song and book prove how religion can twist a person from taking away people’s freedom then control over their lives being forced to follow the rules in society and fighting against false beliefs to find truth in order to get their freedom back.

If I Were A Boy - Beyonce If I were a boy Even just for a day I’d roll out of bed in the mornin’ And throw on what I wanted,

THT “Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us.” (ch 1)

The lyric from the song says how men have more freedom that women often do not have. In the handmaid tale the red costume is a symbol of a way Gilead controls women by marking them as their property “Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us.” shows that women have no choice over their clothes or appearance, just like the song mentions the simple things of freedom that men take for granted. Both the song and book highlight the gender inequity between men and women and how society limits freedom for women but gives men all the power. It’s unfair that the gender roles in society are that a woman’s life is controlled and dominated by others, while men have all this privilege living their life without restrictions. This makes a women life more harder and less equal in the world

This is my art piece. What inspired me to put all these components together to make this final product was the quote in chapter 7. “ Where is she? What have you done with her? There was no night or day: only a flickering. After a while, there were chairs again, and a bed, and after that a window. She’s in good hands, they said. With people who are fit. You are unfit, but you want the best for her. Don’t you?” Pg. 39. This quote is Offred having a memory of her daughter. She visualizes the people who took her daughter, and she imagines them saying that she wasn’t fit and that now her daughter is with a fit family. I chose this quote because I felt like it was a good quote to express Offred’s emotions. I also feel like her daughter is a key person in this chapter. A breakdown of my art piece is a photograph of Offred, her daughter, and Luke. The deeper meaning and idea of this is that the photograph signifies her memory, which could be due to trauma or drugs, and the person in this specific quote was her daughter, but Luke also appears throughout the book. As you can see, the photograph isn’t complete. The reason for this is that, as we have seen throughout the book, Offred has vivid flashbacks but doesn’t completely remember. This signifies trauma and memory loss, which prevents her from remembering everything. And the pieces that are present are the memories that she remembers. In this chapter, it’s the memory of her daughter and also her mother. She talks about her mother saying, “or in a park somewhere, with my mother. How old was I? It was cold, our breaths came out in front of us, there were no leaves on the trees: gray sky, two ducks in the pond, disconsolate.” Pg 38. It’s memories like this that make my art piece come to life. Another definition of the photograph is that it represents the destruction of Offred’s family. The second part of my story is the black background. I didn’t take this picture with a black background just because. In my art piece, this background signifies the emotional distance and the unreliability of her memories, the reason for continuing to fight and staying alive. It also represents the memory of her daughter being particularly painful. Overall, the main concept I want viewers to get out of my artwork is how Offred went through a mental warfare to remember some of her memories, but she struggled to regain all her memories due to her life events and trauma. She also remembers her daughter, but the thought that her daughter was taken away from her still haunts her. She doesn’t know when she’ll see her daughter again and doesn’t even know if her daughter is alive. But the thought of her family is what’s keeping her moving forward. Although she´s unsure, she still has a bit of hope and faith that she’ll reunite with her family and that her daughter is waiting for her.

At the start of Chapter 41, Offred begins the chapter by saying, “I wish this story were different” (Pg. 267). This makes me start thinking about how Offred had a dream to have a different type of reality, but unfortunately had to live in this one. A world full of inequality, cruelty, and being enslaved, and only being seen as people to benefit Gliead’s needs. As I was reading this, I also started wondering what Offred’s “perfect” reality was to her.
On the same page, Offred says, “I wish it were about love, or about sudden realizations important to one’s life, or even about sunsets, birds, rainstorms, or snow” Pg.267 The first thought that came to my mind was thinking about how Offred only wants to be seen and loved. And some emotions I felt whilst reading this were compassion, as well as feeling a bit concerned and uncomfortable. The reason for this is that throughout the book, Gilead is seen as a cruel world. And the feeling of being “loved” doesn’t exist in this world. So whenever Offred thinks certain things like these, it reminds me of what Offred goes through, making me visualize the uncomfortable stuff that happened and was described in the book. Another key thought for me was the second part of the quote, “Or about sudden realizations important to one’s life” pg. 267. What I interpreted from this part of the quote was two different ideas. One is being able to realize who you really are and finding a reason for you to be here. The second idea that I understood was that Offred hoped that the people from Gilead would realize that each person who was enslaved was human just like them.
Just from this paragraph, I also realized that Offred breaks the fourth wall. She begins by talking about her story. And even goes as far as apologizing for not having a better story. I think this was a really nice touch from the author because it feels as if the reader is really listening to Offred. I felt like I was listening to someone’s story, and they were just venting. For a moment, this didn’t just feel like reading but felt like a conversation. Meanwhile, Offred kept on venting, and she made some deep connections with her own story. Saying “I’m sorry, there is so much pain in this story. I’m sorry it’s in fragments, like a body caught in crossfire or pulled apart by force. But there is nothing I can do to change it. I’ve tried to put some of the good things in as well. Flowers, for instance, because where would we be without them?” Pg. 267. It’s surprising to me how hard she’s trying to see the good in all the bad she’s gone through just to try and have a decent story to tell. I feel like a ton of people are similar to this. It may not be a whole story, but it could be a day where people go through the worst days possible, but because of their mentality, they’re trying to find a bit of positivity to keep moving forward and not let any bad moments ruin their mood. But in Offred’s specific moment, it’s impressive that she’s trying to do this when her whole life has been bad. Going back to my previous thought of Offred breaking the fourth wall. Another example of this was in Pg. 268 when Offred says “because after all I want you to hear it, as I will hear yours too if I ever get the chance, if I meet you, or if you escape”. I really like how the author continues using this type of writing. But what stood out to me the most was the last part, “If I meet you, or if you escape,” I can tell her tone had switched. Because she kept showing determination by including good memories in a cruel story, to now saying “if I meet you or if you escape”. In this part of the story, she doesn’t show any confidence, almost as if she doesn’t think she ever will. It can either mean she’s hoping for a moment to be set free or she’s accepted the fact that this is her fate. Overall, the first and second pages of Chapter 41 are what really had me engaged in the story. Reading this section of the chapter really made me feel like this was more than a book and as if I was really listening to Offred.

Left Side: The Ceremony The left side of the art work is repressing the ceremony that contains Offred, the commander, and Serena Joy. The room is suffocating, filled with darkness. It has tones of purple and black as well. The room has this type of energy coming from it because it represents the awkward and uncomfortableness of the ceremony. The ceremony is a sexual experience but there is no love coming from it. In the center of the art work there is a red handmaid’s cloak that is crumpled up. The cloak symbolizes Offred’s body being used as an object rather than a human being. Above the cloak you can see the silhouettes of the commander, Serena Joy, and Offred. They’re faceless because it represents the loss of individuality in Gilead.

Right Side: Nick interaction after the ceremony The right side of the art work represents the interaction between Nick and Offred. The room is dimly with the help of a candle. Nick stands in the doorway with half of his face hidden, while Offred looks in his direction. The exchange between them envokes many tones such as a forbidden connection, humanity, and danger. It symbolizes the creation of rebellion and desire that resides in Offred and Nick because they know they shouldn’t be interacting with each other the way they are.

Far Away by Clara La San: As readers follow Offred’s life in Gilead, they learn that she has a young daughter who was captured while trying to escape America with her and Luke. Her daughter is the main character in many of her memories; she wonders if she remembers her, where she is and if she is even still alive. Later in the book, Serena becomes more eager to have a child so she proposes a solution: Offred has sex with another man to better her chances of getting pregnant in exchange for a picture of Offred’s daughter. Offred accepts the offer. “I take it from her… My treasure. So tall and changed… I am only a shadow now… You can see it in her eyes: I am not there” (Atwood 228). The song Far Away by Clara La San expresses a distant love such as what Offred is experiencing. “If I’m far away, I will prescribe you something, something to give you, the strength, my love” is a message to her daughter to motivate herself to stay strong for her.

Willing to Trust by Kid Cudi: The sexual encounters between Offred and the Commander were strictly professional until he requested to see her in person. As they spent more time together, he grew more of an emotional liking to her, asking her to kiss him like she meant it as a goodbye after seeing each other. She complies because she knows that he is the key to having a more comfortable life in Gilead but this does not mean that she feels the same way about him. One night he gives her an outfit to wear to the Club, a place in a hotel where men go to gawk at women. The Commander believed he was thoughtful as he took her to a hotel room to have sex: “‘I thought you might enjoy it for a chance”’(Atwood 254). Willing to Trust by Kid Cudi is a perfect song to describe his delusion of Offred truly enjoying their forced sex. “I’ve been willing to trust someone, Is this really love what it’s becomin’?” The Commander believes they have a connection when in reality, Offred is taking advantage of him to better her wellbeing in a living hell.

Palaces by Lupe Fiasco: Throughout the Handmaid’s Tale, there are numerous instances where the reader can see how Gilead uses objectification and manipulation to control its Handmaids. Janine, one of Offred’s peers, tells her story about being gang-raped at only fourteen years old at Testifying. Aunt Helena is then quick to demean her by saying, “But whose fault was it?” (Atwood 72) and making the other Handmaids chant, “Her fault, her fault, her fault…” (Atwood 72). Janine breaks down into tears. The next week she takes the initiative to repeat the words to herself, “It was my fault, she says. It was my own fault. I led them on. I deserved the pain.” (Atwood 72). Aunt Lydia and Aunt Helena know that by degrading yourself, you start to lose your identity, strength, and confidence. Lyrics from the song Palaces by Lupe Fiasco write, “We think we’re fortresses, made of stone, But we’re just palaces made out of flesh and bone, waiting for our time to come on home”. When Lupe says “home” he could be referring to heaven, or somewhere with God, in this context. I recognized these lines as something the handmaids say to themselves to break any mentality of rebelling.

Cool Grey 11s by Marlon Craft: Marlon Craft said, “Country of compulsion in a world of illusion”. As the new laws and new government began to take over, women were slowly stripped of their basic rights. It began with the army declaring a state of emergency but escalated to suspending the Constitution. People did not question anything that was happening, there were no protests,“There wasn’t even rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction” (Atwood 174). From firing all women from their jobs to forcing banks to transfer women’s earnings to their husbands. America quickly and easily folded into a life of inequality. While genuine Jewish people were able to escape to Israel because they were seen as special: “Sons of Jacob”, most, like Offred, attempted to escape through the Canadian border. Canada and Israel have not interfered with America’s new system. Why weren’t people questioning the government shutdown? Why didn’t other countries recognize the devastation? “Country of compulsion”.

Where did the day go by Wet: Living through the manipulation of Gilead is similar to moving through water: each day that goes by feels slow and endless to Offred. Readers often find her pondering her past but also her surroundings: “the shell of the egg is smooth but also grained; small pebbles of calcium are defined by the sunlight, like craters on the moon” (Atwood 110). If their minds haven’t broken yet, imagination is the only freedom the Handmaids have access to. Where did the day by Wet embodies their experience, “I see a field below, and when I’m feeling low, I open my eyes, and to my surprise, there’s no one inside, I never arrive”. These lyrics serve as a reminder that their fate lies within Gilead’s laws and traditions as it is nearly impossible to escape alive.

For my visual representation I choose to highlight a moment between Offred and the commander. Throughout the last couple of chapters we see their moments of them playing scrabble, reading, writing, talking and other experiences. My piece of artwork highlights their scrabble games. Using my creativity I choose to have them in either element of emotion rather than the actual scene. To show what is in their minds as they have their intimate meetings. While we can’t actually know, I can infer the mental state of both Offred and the commander.

I made very specific artistic choices while creating this. To start I have the commander with his back facing to Offred, this shows the complicated relationship between them. Even though this is rather unusual for a commander and a handmaid to have these private moments they continue to do so. The bubble above his head shows his thoughts of Offred. His enjoyment of the time they spend together and her as an individual rather than her as a handmaid. It’s a confusing feeling which is why he stands with his arms crossed. Across the room is offered. While we know she never actually lays on the floor with her head buried in her knees I made her in this position to signify her upset feelings towards the whole situation, her emotions as a handmaid and being this new version of herself. In the bubble above her head we see the name Luke. In all this time they spend together Offred can’t help but just think of Luke. Where he might be, their memories together, their child together and him as she can’t forget their love. On the floor between the two we can see scattered prices of scrabble. The game the two of them play together. The reason I scattered it was to signify the unwillingness to want to play on Offred’s part. How she doesn’t enjoy it like he does and how she wishes to be freed of this isolating life. It’s confusing for both of them. The game is nothing but an object in their unique relationship. It doesn’t signify any fun. That is the reason for that chosen element in my art work. Finally I drew a window behind Offred. I don’t know for sure the layout of this room. Although I added this to represent the distance between the outside work of nature and fun and the house she finds herself always in. The wanted feeling of freedom lingers behind her. The path of stones is to be seen in the Commander’s Wives garden.

The reason I choose this scene is because as I read these moments between them tend to stick out to me. In a world full of confusion, despair, mayhem it is easy to get lost in a small down to earth moment. To me I see the commander as not a bad guy. It’s easy to see him as the villain but we can see guilt he carries for the role Offred was put in. These moments they spend together I believe relieve him of the guilt. We don’t get to see many one on one moments between any two characters for long periods of time. Although with these two it has made me confused and curious to how this will turn out. Whether they will continue to have time together or not. The confusion on if either party truly likes one another in a friendship sense or if the commander feels more. I enjoy reading to see the development between these two characters and not in a sense of romance but to wonder why all the sudden he is curious about Offred and why he is so open to her being more than just a handmaid but a companion.

These two photos are from a park near my house. I took these photos because of the relation I noticed to The Handmaid’s Tale. When first looking at them, it may not look like they have much relation to the book. These two photos don’t represent a specific moment or scene from the book. Rather, they represent the whole book. The photos show freedom and privilege. Two things that Offred and the other handmaids don’t have in Gilead. If you take a deep look at the photos, you can notice a handful of ordinary things that women in Gilead don’t have. In the photo on the right, the first thing that I notice is the woman riding a bike in the right center of the frame. That alone is something that would get you in trouble in Gilead. All she is doing is outside by herself, but in Gilead, that is something that people wish they were able to do. If you look closer at that photo, you can see a man and a woman walking together behind the flowers. This is another basic thing that you don’t think about that wouldn’t be allowed in Gilead. Everywhere you look, you can see something that would get you in trouble if you were living in Gilead. You can see even more of this in the photo on the left. This is just a photo of an ordinary day on a playground, but if it were Gilead, none of this would be happening. The first thing I would like to point out in the photo is on the left, behind a light pole. There is a mother with two children in a stroller. The first thing is that she is allowed to have children that are hers, and she is allowed to keep them. She is also able to take them outside and spend time with them. Something that seems so simple, but isn’t allowed in Gilead. All of these things are things that Offred dreams about. She is constantly wishing for her old life back. She is always thinking about old things that we see every day and don’t even think twice about them. Something as simple as going for a bike ride or spending time with your kids is a luxury that Offred had been taken away from her. Offred is also thinking about her old family. Her daughter and Luke. She is thinking about the life she wanted with them, and what she wants is so simple. She just wants to have a normal life. Have a house and a family. “Luke and I used to walk together, sometimes, along these streets. We used to talk about buying a house like one of these, an old big house, fixing it up. We would have a garden, swings for the children. We would have children. Although we knew it wasn’t too likely we could ever afford it, it was something to talk about, a game for Sundays. Such freedom now seems almost weightless,”(23).

When I first read Chapter 23 of The Handmaid’s Tale, I didn’t expect such a quiet scene, just Offred and The Commander playing Scrabble, to affect everything so deeply. The more I thought about this chapter, the more unsettling it became. This chapter is not dramatic in the usual sense: no chases, no violence, no public Ceremony. But for me, it became one of the most emotionally charged moments in the book. Atwood uses small gestures and ordinary words to expose the terrifying connection between power and language. My emotional experience with this scene moved from curiosity, to discomfort and to an awareness of how fragile freedom really is, especially the freedom to remember who we are.

Offred’s narration begins with a quiet shock: “I want to laugh, shriek with laughter, fall off my chair” (Atwood Page 138). The Commander has just invited her to play Scrabble, an act that would seem harmless in any normal world. But in Gilead, words are contraband, and literacy for women is forbidden. What struck me here was how physical Offred’s reaction is. Her laughter isn’t joy. As a reader, I felt the tension between her desire to act freely and her fear of being punished for it. When she writes, “I can feel the laughter inside me, like a bubble,” I imagine the pressure she’s holding inside. My own reaction was confusion mixed with dread. Why is this simple act so dangerous? And yet, why does it feel almost sacred?

As the scene unfolds, Offred’s awareness of the past mixes with the awkwardness of the present. “Now of course it’s something he can use against me, later if he chooses”(Page 139). Here, I felt myself recoil. What seems like a human connection, a man offering a woman to play a game, is actually built on a threat. Offred knows every interaction can be used as leverage. I started to realize how Atwood blurs the line between affection and control, making it impossible to know whether intimacy in Gilead is ever real. My emotional response shifted from curiosity to unease. I wanted to trust the commander’s gesture, but Offred’s inner voice reminds me not to: “He looks like a midwestern bank manager, but he’s not.” That line, quiet as it is, made me pause. Offred’s ironic tone, the way she reduces him to a type, becomes her only form of resistance. It’s language used for survival

I also found myself haunted by how much memories show through this scene. As Offred recalls life “in the time before,” she says, “We used to exchange jokes, with the man in the bar, with strangers. We were a society dying of too much choice” (P 140). I remember rereading that line and feeling both fascinated and uncomfortable. “Too much choice”, it’s such a bitter paradox. Offred recognizes how the past had its own kind of emptiness, carelessness with freedom. When I first read it, I felt a sting of recognition. I thought about how we take our own choices for granted. Atwood doesn’t just criticize Gilead here, She criticizes and critiques complacency. This made me feel uneasy because it felt directed towards me living in a world that still struggles with power and control(mostly race).

The Scrabble game itself becomes a metaphor for rebellion through memory. Each word Offred spells “Valance,” “zygote” feels like an act of resistance(P 141). I love how Atwood chooses words that are reproductive and domestic, echoing the world Offred has been reduced to. I noticed how the language becomes: “The letters feel like dried out bones under my fingers”(P 142). That image stopped me. Bones and remains symbolize what’s left of the old world. I felt grief and admiration at the same time. Offred isn’t just touching wooden tiles; she’s touching a ghost of her past identity. For me, this is one of Atwood’s most powerful moments. A scene that turns something as mundane as a board game into a confrontation with history.

When the Commander tells her, “You can’t cheat fate,” and she replies, “Maybe you can,”(P 143) I felt a sense of triumph. It’s one of the only times in the novel where Offred pushes back. Yet it’s also heartbreaking that her rebellion takes place in whispers, in private, within the walls of a man’s study

By the end of the scene, I felt hollow. Offred’s final reflection, “I want to steal something… It would make me feel like I have power”(P 144) stayed with me. I understood that this wasn’t about scrabble or about the commander. It was about reclaiming the self in a world determined to erase it.

1) Blood Sweat Tears Revenge- Kodak Black

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z89gOZ0oOEY

“I done lost a lot of friends, shed plenty tears Could’ve hung me by my throat and cut my fucking ears Stay solid, had to do my bid, now I’m here”

Both the title and lyrics within this song connect to The Handmaid’s Tale in various ways. To begin, the line about losing friends and shedding tears mimics Offred’s time in Gilead, where nearly everything was taken away from her, whether it be friends, family, or possessions. This line shows Offred’s profound sense of loss and isolation within the state of Gilead.

The second line illustrates the physical and mental torment that the handmaidens have to endure. The line about hanging by the throat echoes themes from The Handmaid’s Tale, where many handmaids chose to take their own lives to escape Gilead. Additionally, this whole line sums up the violence inflicted on the handmaids, whether it be torture for misconduct or violence in ritual.

The last line about staying solid directly relates to the endurance of the handmaids and their ability to persevere in this harsh environment. Offred is the embodiment of resilience within Gilead as she navigates the oppression without giving in.

2) No surprises-Radiohead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CVsCnxyXg

“A job that slowly kills you Bruises that won’t heal You look so tired, unhappy Bring down the government They don’t, they don’t speak for us.”

These specific lyrics connect to the many themes in The Handmaid’s Tale. The first section of the song connects to the demeaning job of the handmaiden, as their role in Gilead is to bear children. This job represents the handmaids’ physical and emotional degradation because of their unjust role in society.

The next lines, “Bruises that won’t heal” and “You look so tired, unhappy,” illustrate the physical and emotional toll that their lives take on them. These lyrics also describe their feelings of general unhappiness, as Gilead’s laws make their lives rather unbearable.

The last 2 lyrics were my personal favorite from this song, as these lines symbolize both rebellion and individuality. These lyrics represent the overall disdain for the state of Gilead. I also like how these lyrics can mirror individual characters from the book. As an example, the character Moira symbolizes rebellion and hope for the handmaidens, just as the lyrics do.

3) Stop trying to be god-Travis Scott

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqvCptqhHfs

“Stop tryna be God Almighty (Hm) Fuck the money, never leave your people behind, yeah It’s never love, no matter what you try Still can see it comin’ down your eyes Cause they did not create commandments.”

This is another song where both the lyrical content and title mimic themes from the Handmaid’s Tale book. The title and first line of the song are “Stop trying to be god”. These four simple words represent the handmaid’s disdain for Gilead and those in power as they bestow an almost god-like complex in their way of controlling others. Those in power control over everyone in Gilead with almost god-like power. However, this lyric directly represents the Handmaid’s wish for Gilead to “Stop trying to be god.”

The second line shows how Gilead betrayed the people within its society. The line about leaving your people behind you is exactly what Gilead did as they created an extremely unjust system that negatively affected the women within it. While Gilead didn’t do this for money, as said in the lyric, it did this for power, which can be attributed to money.

The next line symbolizes the relationships and emotions of the people in Gilead. It has been made clear throughout the book that there is a clear lack of both love and emotion within the oppressive state of Gilead. This lyric shows how hard it is to find love within Gilead. We have seen direct examples of this from Offred as she and the other handmaidens are forbidden from having those kinds of emotions.

The last line about commandments is a testament to the unjust laws and morals of Gilead. While Gilead does have religious commandments, they are harmful and only benefit those in power.

4) Breath In The Air-Pink Floyd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcz0YxYl6Ac

“Long you live and high you fly Smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry And all you touch and all you see Is all your life will ever be

Run, rabbit, run Dig that hole, forget the sun When, at last, the work is done Don’t sit down, it’s time to dig another one

Long you live and high you fly But only if you ride the tide”

These 3 verses were intentionally broken up as their lyrical content represents a different theme in The Handmaid’s Tale. The first verse symbolizes the bland reality in which the handmaids dwell. This lyric that says “all you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be” connects to the Handmaid’s life as a whole. The handmaids are subjected to a very oppressive society where they are constantly controlled. This line shows how the handmaids are permanently stuck in Gilead and that this was going to be their reality forever.

The next verse represents rebellion and the constant strain of life in Gilead. The lyric about a rabbit running and digging a hole connects to Moira’s attempt at escaping this regime. The following lyrics tell us not to sit down and to continue digging. This mirrors the constant labor that handmaids have to endure as they have to keep on digging to survive. The last verse of this song stuck out to me because of how blatantly they connect to the major themes in The Handmaid’s Tale. ¨Long you live and high you fly,” these lyrics preach long life and flying high, which is the life promised to the handmaids by Gilead. However, this promise will only come through if you “ride the tide, ” referring to the handmaids being controlled and forced to fit a certain standard.

5) Nutshell- Alice in Chains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq9MBnX00hs

“We chase misprinted lies We face the path of time And yet I fight, and yet I fight

This battle all alone No one to cry to No place to call home¨

This song is packed to the brim with lyrics that are intertwined with The Handmaid’s Tale. The first verse is about chasing lies, which is a theme that I have noticed throughout the book. We see that Gilead tends to misinform and lie to its subjects, constantly keeping them in the dark. The following line about the path of time refers to the handmaid’s limited time left in Gilead, as they could be deemed infertile and would be forced to go to the colonies. The last line in this verse represents the perseverance of the handmaids despite the restraints of this society.

The next verse represents the isolation experienced by the handmaidens. We have seen throughout the book that the handmaidens have almost no one to call a friend and have to deal with this reality on their own. Despite Offred making some friends, most of the battles she fights are fought alone without any help from others. The last line symbolizes Offred’s loss of self-identity as the place she had once called home was abruptly stripped away from her.

Bad Religion - Frank Ocean - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMpypbtrcCg

In Frank Ocean’s 2012 song “Bad Religion”, Ocean uses the song to express anguish and pain from an unrequited love. Ocean uses the theme of religion, as well as societal pressures of the time, as a metaphor for chains stopping him from loving the man that he wants to. This relates to “The Handmaid’s Tale” because, just like in Ocean’s song, Offred faces a system that stops her from loving who she wants to love. In the song, Oceans sings, “Ooh-hoo, this unrequited love To me, it’s nothin’ but a one-man cult.” When Ocean says this, he emphasizes how he isn’t able to love because of this system put in place. In “The Handmaid’s Tale”, Offred isn’t able to love who she wants or even be able to have relationships with any man who is not the Commander.

Snow White - Laufey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeG3jPeeMec

Laufey’s single from 2025 titled “Snow White” is a song about the struggles of being a woman in our modern world. With lyrics like “A woman’s best currency is her body, not her brain”, Laufey highlights the objectification of women in society. They are often not seen as actual people, with men often reducing them to symbols of sex or pleasure. This connects to The Handmaid’s Tale’s overall theme and setting of the oppression and objectification of women. Offred, along with most other women in the book, is not seen as a person anymore but instead, objects, means of fertility, or, in the case of unwomen, trash.

Sign of the Times - Harry Styles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4ooNx77u0

The hit single from 2017, “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles, is understood to be inspired by two different things: a mother passing shortly after childbirth and the political and economic state of the world at the time. In Styles’ song, he says in the chorus “we’ve never learn, we’ve been here before”, which talks about how humans have not learned from the past, repeating mistakes from before. This relates to The Handmaid’s Tale because, as seen in the book, mistakes of the past have been repeated and expanded upon. The oppression of women, as in the past, is expanded upon in the worst way possible in the book.

A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4

“A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke is one of the biggest songs of the 20th century to carry a message about social change and provide commentary on society at the time. While the song talks about societal reform in a more racial sense, it still applies to any and all groups being oppressed, no matter the reason. I believe this song in particular connects to Offred and her society. Offred is depicted very heavily to be a resilient Handmaid. Although she reluctantly follows her duties as a Handmaid, she stands firm in the belief that one day, she will see her family again and society will change. She states multiple times in the book that the thought of seeing her daughter again is often the only thing keeping her going. Offred’s mindset throughout the book is often an embodiment of this song.

What Was I Made For? - Billie Eilish - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW8VLC9nnTo

In Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For,” she explores themes of self-exploration, questioning one’s identity, finding her place in the world, and being objectified. Eilish says, “Takin’ a drive, I was an ideal. Looked so alive, turns out I’m not real, just something you paid for. What was I made for?” This song alludes to the larger meaning of feeling not as a person, but as a doll. This relates to how almost, if not all, the women in “The Handmaid’s Tale” feel. Offred often says how she feels like less than a person, just something to be used to make babies. She’s been stripped of her freedom and her self-autonomy.