Silver Springs - Fleetwood Mac: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwi-8n054s This song is meant to reflect the idea of never getting over someone after breaking up. I think this idea of never being able to move on connects with Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. It is demonstrated mostly through Offred’s references to a time before Gilead and her relationship with Luke. When exploring her new room she makes multiple references to how she longs for her past. Initially, she connects her and Luke’s hotel visits by stating that, “Before we were married [Luke and Offred] and I solidified, I would always get there first, check in. It wasn’t many times, but it now seems like a decade, an era; I can remember what I wore, each blouse, each scarf.” (50) This shows not only how Offred continues to tie her current experiences to her past, but also the way that even the details of these precious events weigh on her mind. Additionally, she states that, “I looked up at the blind plaster eye in the ceiling. I wanted to feel Luke lying beside me. I have them, these attacks of the past, like a fairness, a wave sweeping over my head.” (52) This quote is one of the best examples of Offred herself explaining the ways in which her past contact haunts her current situation.

Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=cNd4eocq2K0 Despite being a song titled Personal Jesus, the song itself references religion as a means to fulfill personal whims and the reflection of religious power onto others. These are ideas that, while not as extreme, referenced in the song apply to the religious foundation of how Gilead, and their propaganda, operate. Specifically, in the novel we see the Aunts use their twisted sense of religion to indoctrinate the Handmaids in the Red Center. One such example is given right before the ceremony where we are given an anecdote about the Bible reading the Commander gives before the event. Offred explains, “It’s the usual story, the usual stories. God to Adam, God to Noah. Lie fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Then comes the moldy old Rachel and Leah stuff we had drummed into us at the Center. Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And so on and so forth.” (88) This is an example of how religion in Gilead is often used for a Personal benefit/excuse of action, which directly connects to how religion can be used for personal fulfilment as mentioned in the song.

American Wedding- Frank Ocean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrin3JE4HhU This song is meant as an analogy of how America views Eastern culture and women’s lives in other countries. I think that this song is a good allegory for the way that the perception of modesty and the condition other women live under are perceived by outside groups. In The Handmaid’s Tale, we get to see Offred interact with some Japanese tourists. In that interaction Offret comments that, “Their heads are uncovered and their hair too is exposed, in all its sexuality and darkness.” (28) This is a really interesting parallel to the song as it references hijabs and the perception of women being forced into modesty, whereas in Offred’s comment we get to see the reverse of a perceived modesty. Additionally, it could serve as a viewpoint of how people outside of Gilead view the wills imposed on the women there, which we get to see a little of in that small interaction where the Handmaids are asked to smile and asked about their practices/culture.

Girls on Film- Duran Duran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7cpevw_6-E Although Girls on Film is an arguably more upbeat song than anything mentioned in The Handmaid’s Tale, I think it offers a good reflection of the way in which the past is shown and how women’s lives were pre-Gilead. This is particularly true with the way the reader is shown Offred’s mother or the Films of the Red Center. Specifically, the film is described, “First comes the title and some names, blacked out on the film with a crayon so we can’t read them, and then I see my mother. My young mother, younger than I remember her, as young as she must have been when I was born. She’s wearing the kind of outfit Aunt Lydia told us was typical of Unwomen in those days, overall jeans with a green and mauve plaid shirt underneath,… She’s in a group of other women, dressed in the same fashion; she’s holding a stick, no, it’s part of a banner, the handle. The camera pans up and we see the writing, in paint, on what must be a bead sheet: TAKE THE NIGHT BACK.” (119) While the song itself is a commentary on exploitation of girls in the fashion/film industry. I think that the lyrics can also be applied to how film is used as both a tool of control through the violent film they show, but also as a means to see pre-Gilead women’s freedom and how to film through the lens of preservation and propaganda.

Army Dreamers- Kate Bush: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOZDKlpybZE The song Army Dreamers by Kate Bush is about a mother grieving the loss of her son who died in war and how his life was too short. While we are told about the ongoing war in Gilead and the Angel soldiers who fight in it, I think this song can also be seen as a reflection of the women affected by this war, not just the Handmaids, but even women in ‘”higher” ranking positions. One such example is during the group wedding where it notes, “The twenty Angles enter, newly returned from the fronts, newly decorated, accompanied by their honor guard, marching one-two, one-two into the central open space. And now the twenty veiled daughters, in white, come shyly forward, their mothers holding their elbows, not the fathers, who give away daughters these days with the help of arrangement of marriages.” (219) I feel this connects to Army Dreamers because in the song the mother is not only mourning the loss of her son, but also how his early death prevented him from so many other things. This is reflected in the young brides, despite not being engaged in the military formally, it is controlling their lives, and in doing so, preventing them from following their dreams.

It’s a very natural response to connect music to emotions or memories. When reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Attwood I was able to connect specifically with the characters and their relation to one another with certain songs. I made a playlist of 5 songs that relate to the plot, characters, and overall feeling of reading the emotional novel.

Not A Lot, Just Forever- Adrianne Lenker Every character has a want or desire in this story. Offred wants her old life back, she wants her daughter, Luke, to have freedom. Serena Joy wants a child, she wants to have a purpose and take care of something that she doesn’t have the ability to create. In this song the line “Your dearest fantasy is to grow a baby in me.” speaks loudly to Offred and Serena’s relationship. In chapter 31 Serena pulls Offred aside to propose a different path in impregnating her. She is willing to risk punishment for the both of them by asking Offred to try to conceive a baby with Nick in secret. This surprises Offred and makes her realize how deeply Serena wants a child. “This idea hangs between us, almost visible, almost palpable: heavy, formless, dark; collusion of a sort, betrayal of a sort. She does want that baby” (205). “not a lot, just forever” is a song that speaks about a repetitive small action that happens again and again, over time that holds a great amount of meaning and power. This could be seen as the ritual all handmaids must go through. So not only does this specific line connect to the characters in “The Handmaid’s Tale” but the overall meaning is a clear theme in the book as well.

The Other Woman- Lana Del Rey The relationships between the Commander, Serena, and Offred are all very complex. The Commander doesn’t seem to hold much interest in Serena anymore. And has then tried to make a special connection with Offred in private, an emotional connection. The theme of affairs comes up quite frequently, looking back on the relationship between Offred and Luke we learn that Offred was “The other woman.” And once again, she is cheating with the Commander in a way. In this song the line “The other woman will never have his love to keep” stuck out to me in particular when studying the connection between the two pieces of media. This could connect both to Offred and the Commander or Serena and the Commander. Offred doesn’t get to pursue a real relationship with the Commander, she can’t fall in love with him and doesn’t get to know she is loved either. Serena has now lost a connection with the Commander. She cannot provide a child for him and therefore they are bridged by this gap in their relationship. Offred notices that Serena is often held up in different rooms of the house keeping busy. “Many of the wives have such gardens” (12). She doesn’t yet have the role of mother and because her relationship is so structured and his emotional connection is going straight to Offred she is stuck trying to fill her need to contribute to her marriage.

Pushing It Down and Praying- Lizzy McAlpine This song describes sexual guilt in quite a blunt way, walking through the mind of the artist craving the want to be needed, and the guilt that may follow. Margaret Atwood uses a similar technique when walking the reader through Offred’s relationship with sex in the new world. Offred and Ofglen are walking through the small town when they pass two Guards. Offred knows the guards are watching them closely, she knows that she is off limits and uses this power. “I move my hips a little… it’s like teasing a dog with a bone held out of reach, and I’m ashamed of myself for doing it.” (22). This quote reminded me of the line of my chosen song; “I wanna feel guilty, I wanna feel that it’s wrong.” Offred holds little power in her life, but because everything is surrounded by her body’s purpose she can use her “forbidden fruit” to feel like she is in control. Just like how Lizzy McAlpine is describing how she wants to feel like what she is doing with her body is “wrong”, she describes how she holds that same power.

Mother- John Lennon Throughout the book the reader gets small snippets of the relationship between Offred and her mother. When she has flashbacks she recalls usually upsetting memories of her mother and her strong views. In this song the line “I wanted you, but you didn’t want me” connects to a particular memory Offred shared. When she was a young her mother took her to the park but ended up spending time with her friends instead, burning magazines. Offred says “Saturdays were supposed to be my day” (38). She wanted her mother but her mother didn’t want her. John Lennon also wrote “I couldn’t walk, I tried to run.” This reminded me of how Offed made the decision to be a handmaid when her mother would have been an unwomen. Her mom was known to protest -as she came up in the video shown to the Handmaids of the old world- and always wanted Offred to be more outspoken. Offred was too young but more responsible than her mom. And when the new world began she didn’t fight back but became a handmaid.

Savior Complex- Phoebe Bridgers The Commander’s relationship with Offred evolved into a deep emotional connection. At first this was quite confusing to both Offred and the reader. Considering it is dangerous for them to meet privately it seems odd that he would go out of his way to play scrabble with her, and let her read old magazines. It wasn’t until later that Offred learns that the handmaid before her killed herself. The Commander was immensely guilty for her death and wanted to do everything in his power to make sure Offred could bear her experience a little more. In this song, Bridgers states “emotional affair, overly sincere”. I felt that this line couldn’t describe the relationship between the Commander and Offred better. The Commander has a strong savior complex from his past experiences and is now trying to “save” Offred from the miserable world she is forced to live in. He tries to do this by giving her special treatment, and small glimpses into her past life.

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5iU8NV6mbCotyDzsqFwi1O?si=YuG3JZyYRdGaAbwiUGTNBw

Lit Log #2 - Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJcR1aq5UqI Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan The tone of the song “Kid Charlemagne”, although originally written about a Chemist-turned-drug dealer, fits well with the story of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood. The lyrics “Did you feel like Jesus?/Did you realize that you were a champion in their eyes?” remind me of the switch from government to complete control, and focus on the Bible and how things “used to be”. On page 220, the Commander says, “Those years were just an anomaly, historically speaking, the Commander said. Just a fluke. All we’ve done is return things to Nature’s norm.” The men in power feel that they are returning things to the way that Jesus intended them to be. They are making decisions for women, without regarding how they feel about it. Later in the song Kid Charlemagne, the lyrics “’Cause the man is wise/You are still an outlaw in their eyes” remind me of how the way that women behaved before is outlawed. Now, they’re under total control of men.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJWYTetgsns Tha Crossroads - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony The song “Tha Crossroads” by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is very similar to the story happening in The Handmaid’s Tale. The lyrics “Now tell me whatcha gonna do/When there ain’t no where to run (tell me what)/(When judgment comes for you, when judgment comes for you)” remind me of Offred’s experience with trying to escape Gilead. On page 74, the reader sees a small vignette of Offred’s experience running with her daughter. “I’m running, with her, holding her hand, pulling, dragging her through the bracken, she’s only half awake because of the pill I gave her, so she wouldn’t cry or say anything that would give us away, she doesn’t know where she is.” In this scene, readers begin to understand how Offred attempted an escape, but it was futile. Just like in Tha Crossroads, “When there ain’t no where to run”, they are left with no other options but to run into the woods to get away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN1aV4ZwAg8 What It Feels Like for a Girl - Madonna The song “What It Feels Like for a Girl” by Madonna is a great representation of society’s pressures on women in Gilead. The lyrics “Strong inside, but you don’t know it/ Good little girls, they never show it/When you open up your mouth to speak/Could you be a little weak?” reminds me of how the consensus towards women is that it is their fault that rape and sexual assault happen. When they open up about it, they should remember that it was their fault for dressing provocatively, for making the man do what he did. Later in the song, Madonna sings “Hurt that’s not supposed to show/And tears that fall when no one knows/When you’re trying hard to be your best/Could you be a little less?” which reminds me of how women are expected to hide how they really feel, putting on a front to show up correctly for men. Even when they’re upset about something, they should mask that and pretend to be less, to not be so emotional. When the handmaids give birth, they are not given any medicine. They are expected to feel that pain, to bear through it. In a conversation in class, Mara mentioned this happened when tourists from Korea were introduced to the Handamids. She said that when the tourist asked “are you happy?”, Atwood was suggesting that they know that the handmaids are probably unhappy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNgIz0b5lHU Everything Reminds Me Of Her - Elliot Smith The song “Everything Reminds Me Of Her” by Elliot Smith explores themes of loss, yearning, and mourning past relationships. The name of the song, along with the lyrics repeated across the song “Everything reminds me of her,” are similar to the feelings that Offred has as she thinks about her daughter, and the life that she had before the change in government power. To add, the lyrics “And I gotta hear the same sermon/All the time now from you people” is reflected in Offred’s experience with the Handmaid bootcamp, learning about all of the changes in rules. Everything was explained through biblical references; everything could be explained by the bible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSqYsmmfbCI Incomprehensible - Big Thief The song “Incomprehensible” by the band Big Thief delves into society’s expectations of women as they grow older. The songwriter Adrienne Lenker hits the nail on the head of how it feels to physically age and change, while struggling with the idea of still loving herself and appreciating her beauty. “‘I’m afraid of getting older’, that’s what I’ve learned to say/Society has given me the words to think that way” Lenker is describing her experience of fear of aging. This is similar to Offred’s fears, although not explicitly expressed. There is knowledge that all older women, apart from the wives, end up getting sent to the colonies for forced labour and pollution hazards. On page 112, Atwood wrote, “Your flesh may be polluted, dirty as an oily beach, sure death to shore birds and unborn babies.” This references how pollution is affecting their landscape and health. Later in the song, Lenker sings “The message spirals, ‘Don’t get saggy, don’t get grey’/But the soft and lovely silvers are now falling on my shoulder”, a reaction to society’s expectations. She is showing she has found peace with her physical appearance changing. Offred doesn’t have this privilege, as she knows that the loss of physical youth can be lethal to her. Once her eggs are no longer of use to the commanders, she has no more use.

When reading Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, there are many central themes. One of the themes that I have picked up the most on is escapism, attempting to push down the feelings of wanting to get out and being unhappy with the current state of the world. Offred experiences this a lot, even thought the aunts try to sway her the other way, trying to convince her that she is safe and better off in this world. She finds herself trying to justify her life, and trying to be appreciative but she can’t help but want to get out.

Be Quiet and Drive Far Away- Deftones- Offred slowly starts to notice that the world in which she lives is irregular; therefore, she attempts to adjust to this new normal. The aunts tell her she needs to adjust, like when in the book it says, “Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after some time it will.” This quote shows that in Gilead, they attempt to make the scenario seem normal. After all of this, Offred still longs to get away. This song expresses a longing to escape from one’s current life. Offred also experiences similar feelings. She is having trouble adjusting to this new normalcy and thinks about her life before, and longs to go back similar time to the song.

Exit Music For a Film- Radiohead- This song encapsulates a plan to escape, and, similar to the last one, shows the longing for escape. This theme is central throughout the whole book, wanting to escape the current system. Offred soon starts to acknowledge that she will have to forget her past life and loses all hope in escaping the world in which she lives now. She says, “Time’s a trap and I’m caught in it. I must forget my secret name and all ways back.” This presents a very important plot point in the story, in which she officially gives up her past life, and turns to acceptance in the life in which she lives now, similar to the song.

Back to the Old House- The Smiths- To add onto my previous point, Offred soon moves to accept her current situation and says she cannot go back to the world she once lived in. In the song, it says, “I would rather not go back to the old house. There are too many bad memories, too many memories.” This is very reflective of Offred’s mental state as well, trying to cope by saying her son had died, trying to recall bad memories from the life she lived before, to attempt to comfort herself that she is in a better place right now. She tries to tell herself that she is safer in Gilead than she ever was in the real world, even though she knows it’s not true. She thinks that thinking like this will ease the pain of reality.

Mask Off- Future- In the beginning of the story, Offred says, “In the night is when I can be myself.” This is similar to the lyrics of this song because the artist talks about how he is tired of faking things, and he wants his metaphorical mask to come off. Similar to this, Offred describes how in the night she is unchained by everyone around her, that she can be herself no matter what others want her to do. However she is still restricted to a certain extent, she can be free to think what she wants and to move how she wants during the night time. Therefore her figurative mask comes off and she can rid herself of the appearance she has to uphold with everyone else (commanders, aunts, angels, etc.) Her mask comes off during the night, therefore letting her be herself.

Rosemary-Deftones- “Our minds set free to roam.” This is a good song that can tie all of the story together, because throughout the story we are shown that the only freedom which the handmaids have is mental freedom. Even though the aunts tell them things to try to infiltrate their thinking, the handmaids are all ultimately responsible for what they think. This is why Offred enjoys the night time so much, because she has the freedom to think whatever she wants, without anyone trying to tell her what else to think. Therefore this song, about your mind roaming to other places while your body is in one place, is accurate to describe the situation in which the handmaids are in.

https://youtu.be/dAW8CoH_lN0?si=rEo-pzAzVFvcJQq2 https://youtu.be/Bf01riuiJWA?si=maxzt5zeOkpadOnv https://youtu.be/laXY5e5JaV0?si=pt7M4-gJ4isVEkm7 https://youtu.be/aWb8z-KhZdo?si=zHA3W_Pw53xBdLm7 https://youtu.be/fZcAQ0kuw1s?si=pKK4wNsisyGduE6_

The One I Love - REM
“The One I Love” by REM is a simple song with a small variety of lines but there is still a lot of implication in its 3 minutes. The chorus goes, ”This one goes out to the one I love//This one goes out to the one I left behind//Another prop to occupy my time.” The singer sings about how he left behind his love and uses the thoughts of her to pass the time. When thinking of Luke and her daughter, Offred says, “This message, which may never arrive, that keeps me alive. (106)” “The One I Love” portrays how love is what keeps us alive. Additionally, the song and The Handmaid’s Tale demonstrate how even if we know something will most likely never happen, we hold onto it as it keeps us from insanity. Offred repeatedly states how bored she is and recalls times before Gilead when her life was full of love and fun.

Seasons - Future Islands
In the latter chapters of The Handmaid’s Tale, the reader learns how the commander is quite a complex character. He is the oppressor as well as being a supporter of the new laws in Gilead. However he still feels regret for his actions and misses the old world. In Future Islands, “Seasons,” the singer sings, “But the winter will wash what’s left of the taste// As it breaks//the summer will warm//But the winter will crave what has gone//Will crave what has all gone away.” In relation to the song, the commander is the winter who didn’t stop summer from coming but then longed to go back once it had come. The commander did not oppose the new laws but in turn lost his old way of life. The beginning of the second verse goes, “Seasons change//But some people never do,” which can be connected to how the world around him is changing but the commander wants to keep with the old way of doing things.

Fifth of May - Zach Bryan
In “Fifth of May” by Zach Bryan, Bryan sings about leaving home and how he dreams of back home but then ends the chorus with, “So if you need me//know that I’m bleeding//somewhere alone in some coastal town.” Offred is in a similar situation. Most of her time is spent thinking about her old life. The deeper connection is how Offred worries about her daughter and wants to find her, but she can not because she herself is in a horrible situation. Similarly, Bryan sings about how he wants to see his mom but is instead getting wasted and sinking into madness in a place not even he knows. In a similar way to Offred, Bryan uses vividly depicted moments from his past before he left home, as well as the moments leading up to his leaving, as a way to keep himself sane.

Nights - Frank Ocean
Though her life is full of boredom, Offred has a lot going on in her head. The song “Nights” by Frank Ocean is as all over the place with its lyrics as Offred is with her thoughts. For someone who is being cut off from all relations with non-handmaids, her relationships have been what stand out as conflicting in recent chapters. In “Nights,” Ocean sings, “You know I can’t hear none of that spend the night shit//wanna see nirvana but don’t wanna die yet.” This relates to Offred’s difficult relationships with Nick and the commander, as well as her suicidal temptations. She knows that being too close to either of them could get her sent to the Colonies, so she tries to shut out the temptations. Similarly, connecting to the second line, she notices every opportunity to end her life but never does because she believes she can escape.

Temptations - Joey Bada$$
On pages 194 and 195 of The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred depicts a scene from inside the gymnasium, where they are being forced to pray, and she thinks about suicide. Joey Bada$$ starts the chorus of “Temptations” with, “And I really can’t take it no more//I’ve been fighting temptations my lord.” It is interesting how both Offred and the song refer to temptations in accordance with god. The Bible says that temptation is the root of all evil, telling how Eve was tempted by the apple in the Garden of Eden. Offred says, “Don’t worry about forgiving me” for her temptations of suicide, the same way that Joey Bada$$ says that he is struggling with temptations, being unable to live young and reckless because of oppression.

What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish
(https://youtu.be/cW8VLC9nnTo?si=G_s9hHk9vsN-npZd)

Lyric: “I used to float, now I just fall down”

Quote: “I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure,… Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed… I see despair coming towards me like famine.” (page 74)

The song expresses a sense of emptiness about identity, and this quote reflects this idea of a loss of recognition. Offred reflects on how she lost control of her body and how she no longer exists for herself, but for her reproductive system. Both the song and this quote shows the feeling of being disconnected from her true self. Offred’s sense of self has been replaced by her societal role, just like the lyrics she’s questioning her worth beyond what others expect from her. There is an emotional pain that comes from being defined by external forces.

Freedom by Beyoncé (https://youtu.be/7FWF9375hUA?si=BoR7MafCvkoszkMa)

Lyric: “Imma keep running, cause a winner don’t quit on themselves”

Quote: “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. (Don’t let the bastards grind you down.)” (page 52)

This quote is a latin phrase carved into Offred’s room and this becomes a source of strength for her. The lyric and the quote express determination to keep fighting despite being trapped in oppression. For Offred the carving represents hope and the strength to resist Gilead’s control over her body, similarly to Beyonce’s lyric emphasizing the empowerment of fighting through the struggle. Both show that to get freedom, you can’t give up hope and spirit, even if you’re not physically free yet.

Bad Religion by Frank Ocean
(https://youtu.be/JMpypbtrcCg?si=5JF5lAlPrJhCORAx)

Lyric: “Its a bad religion to be in love with someone who could never love you”

Quote: “I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance.” (page 39)

Frank Ocean sings about needing hope or faith to survive heartbreak. Offred is very similar in the way that she relies on belief as a survival mechanism. She tries to convince herself that her suffering is just a story, to try and hold on to the little hope she has left. Frank Ocean turns to religion for comfort to cope with unreturned love and emotional pain. Between both, faith becomes a form of hope, it offers them temporary relief, but also reveals how powerless and lonely they are.

TV by Billie Eilish (https://youtu.be/_JGGLJMpVks?si=-cIEleova_dyB95g)

Lyric: “The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial, while they’re overturning Roe v. Wade”

Quote: “We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print.” (page 57)

This lyric shows how society loses focus on women’s struggles and rights, but instead pays attention to celebrity drama. In Gilead women have no control over their own body and have been completely erased in a sense. Both highlight how choosing not to pay attention allows oppression to happen and to continue to grow. The book and the song emphasize the primary idea that silence can be just as harmful as the system of control.

Pretty Hurts by Beyoncé
(https://youtu.be/LXXQLa-5n5w?si=yqNaAu2w7B28l-eS)

Lyric: “Perfection is the disease of a nation”

Quote: “My nakedness is strange to me already. My body seems outdated… I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it’s shameful or immodest but because I don’t want to see it.” (page 63)

Women are stripped of their individuality and identity and forced to reach unattainable standards of appearance or roles, and defined by how well they “perform”. Just like the lyrics reveal about the world we live in, Gilead reduces women to objects of appearance and function rather than humans with feelings or freedom. The women in the book are important solely for their fertility, Gilead enforces control over women’s bodies similarly to how society takes control over women’s beauty. Both emphasize the idea the patriarchal power wants to define a woman’s worth through their physical appearance or function.

In chapter five of The Handmaid’s Tale, there is a long list of rules and restrictions governing the women in Gilead, especially the Handmaids. These rules shape the mind of the women, altering the perception of their own freedom. The clothes they wear make them walking signifiers of their “status”, as well as removing their individuality and controlling their visibility. One way this society makes sure to maintain women’s compliance is by banning reading and writing. These rules are so decided that even small acts of disobedience turn into what everyone else sees as a major defiance. All of this sums up to the manipulation of freedom. The rules are justified to the Handmaids as if they’re made so that they have a “choice”, when in reality they do not.

Handmaids are always dressed in red and white, which marks their fertility and their role. This way of dressing, Offred refers to as a habit, making this seem like an ingrained custom. “Some people call them habits, a good word for them. Habits are hard to break.”(24) This quote suggests that the clothing is not just uniform, but a way to force a habit onto the women. The white wings are a restriction of sight, which can be seen as both physical and intellectual limitations, preventing them from seeing the outside world as well as not allowing them to think freely. The rules governing their interactions on the street are strict. They always have to stay in pairs, not speak unless absolutely necessary, and keep their heads down. This instills isolation from each other, forcing them into a state of surveillance and distrust.

Having the ability to read and write is a powerful tool in maintaining ignorance. The store signs in the town are now pictograms. This visual prohibition is a constant reminder of the control over women’s access to information. They treat women as illiterate and incapable of making independent decisions or thoughts. The goal behind this is to make them seem or feel incompetent of making choices, with this it allows the higher ups to further keep them brain washed. Offred often talks about the loss of control, something as simple as handling or earning your own money gets taken away. “We use tokens for food, not money, money has been deregulated.” She reminisces on her past, thinking about the laundromats, where she had “my own soap, my own money, money I had earned myself.”(24) These simple acts have been stripped away due to Gilead’s rules.

The handmaids try to maintain an independence, because the opportunity for it is so slim already, they take the risk of or think of taking the risk of breaking the rules. A very big rule the handmaids have is no contact in any way with anyone, and Offred eventually breaks this rule. This society suppresses and prohibits all forms of a woman’s personal relationship, it makes it seem as if something as small as eye contact is an act of resistance. Gilead seeks to control the handmaids’ bodies as a function. They dehumanize these women so much and act as if they are machines made solely for the purpose of reproducing. Gilead doesn’t want to control the handmaids’ bodies, they also want the power to control their thoughts and memories. This is the rule we see Offred constantly breaking, she often has a constant flow or memories reminiscing on her past life. This is a strong example of how Gilead has the ability to restrict the body, but they have not been able to master the mind.

Before all these rules Aunt Lydia described Gilead as “freedom to”, but now it is “freedom from.” The idea of freedom is now twisted in a way to make the handmaids believe they have been saved from all the bad things in society, but what it really does is take away their ability to choose. “There is more than one kind of freedom. Freedom to and freedom from. In days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom. Don’t underrate it.”(25) “Freedom to” would be when women had the freedom to choose their clothes, jobs, and partners. While they had this freedom they were still exposed to sexual harassment and violence. “Freedom from” would be the positive benefits, women have freedom from fear, unwanted attention, and the pressure of objectification. Gilead stretched the dangers of before so much so that they can make it seem like all of this is for the protection of the women, when really it instills power, control, and tricking the handmaids into accepting oppression in exchange for a false sense of security.

I feel a lot of sympathy for the women in this story, I can’t imagine what it would be like everyday to live under the control of someone else. Having the right of choice taken away is insane to me or being forced to forget your old life is something I never want to imagine. When the author writes scenes of her having memories with her child and husband, having her freedom, and the pain of losing her family and basically her whole life taken away, I can feel the impact and emotion brought up with it.

When I read “The Handmaid’s Tale”, I keep coming back to how deeply unsettling it is to witness the way Gilead controls women’s bodies through what they would consider ritual. When I read chapter 16, pages 93-95, I felt a strong wave of discomfort, not only what happened in the Ceremony itself, but the way it was presented. As something normalized, ritualized, and even sanctified. The theme that struck me most powerfully while reading this chapter was the “Control of women’s bodies through ritualized violence”, In other words, Dehumanization. Atwood shows how intimacy and sexuality can be stripped away and replaced with mechanical obedience, and as a reader, I found myself deeply unsettled by how ordinary the characters treated it. That unease is, I think, the point I am meant to feel is the wrongness, even as the people within Gilead act as if it were normal.

The Ceremony is described with chilling simplicity. Offred lies on her back, her head is resting on Serena Joy’s lap, while the commander performs his duty. The scene is clinical, almost boring in its lack of passion. Offred acting in a way of a surrogate for the commander’s wife and himself. It is not an act of love, but an act of ownership. The commander’s position gives him power, Serena Joy’s presence is a reminder that Offred is nothing more than a Surrogate, as I stated briefly, an act of ownership and not love but Offred herself is reduced to a Vessel. What brings more discomfort to me as I read is how ritual transforms an act of violence into something the Society can call holy. Reading pages 93-94, I couldn’t stop thinking about how this ritual functions as a disguise. The Ceremony is rape, but because it has been codified into a monthly event, because it is framed as duty, because it is wrapped in the language of religion, it becomes “normal”. The normalization is what unsettles me the most. It’s one thing to imagine violence happening in secret but it’s another to imagine a whole society sitting quietly in it, repeating it and believing it to be righteous. It made me think, how much wrong can we overlook if it is dressed up as tradition?

What also makes this section uncomfortable was Offred “voice”. She doesn’t describe the event with anger or open horror. Instead, pages 94-95, she detaches herself, narrating in short, almost factual sentences. At first, I wanted her to feel a sense of rage and wrongfulness or to even resist, but then I realized that her detachment is her survival. She has no choice but to endure, and her mind protects her from pulling away. This forced me to confront the reality of her lack of power. It also makes me think of how people under oppressive systems often have to distance themselves from their own experience just to survive because they lack control, control of themselves, their bodies.

Another part of this chapter that made me feel uneasy is that Serena was involved, the commander’s wife. She sits behind offred as this “ritual” occurs, holding her hands, her body arranged to mimic a mother embracing a child. On the surface, this is supposed to show solidarity, but I felt it as a layer of cruelty. Serena Joy’s touch does not comfort, it reinforces Offred’s role as property. It is disturbing to see one woman helping to enforce the system against another, and it reminded me of how power can divide women against each other instead of uniting them.

The pages around these scenes also force me to think about intimacy itself. Offred remembers her past life with Luke, the warmth and passion they once shared. Those memories are painful for her, but also for me as a reader, because they highlight what has been stolen. Knowing what real intimacy can feel like makes the ceremony even colder. This contrast brought me sharp discomfort. The idea that a government could completely erase personal freedom that even love becomes a crime. What lingers most is the realization that this ritual is not an isolated act but part of a system. This is not about one commander, one wife, or one Handmaid. It is about the entire structure of Gilead, a structure that can make something so obviously brutal feel ordinary. That, more than anything, is what makes it concerning to read. Atwood reminds me that oppression doesn’t always come as open violence. Something it comes dressed as tradition, as duty, as ritual and once people accept that disguise, they stop questioning it. Laws that limit women’s autonomy, practices that disguise control as morality, and traditions that tell people their bodies are not their own. Atwood’s writing is disturbing because it feels too close to reality. After reading chapter 16, pages 93-95, forces me to see how ritual can normalize violence, how language can mask cruelty, and how easily people can adapt to its injustice if it is repeated often enough.

For my artistic piece I really wanted to capture the feeling of escape and the hope of freedom in the person’s hand/face. One thing that I was really inspired by was the show, how it depicted many of the escape parts of Offred and her family’s escape from the guards. As a filmmaker and photographer, I have to see many details in a shot, so, for example, we have to look at what the director was trying to capture in the character’s face, their attitude, their body language, and many more things in each scene. For example, you can see in this scene how the family reacts to the oncoming threat of the guards coming for them. The dark clothes do not make them stand out and look casual; they crouch down as they try to walk away.

Golden brown (“ never a frown with golden brown”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2o_HupXq1g&list=RDW2o_HupXq1g&start_radio=1 This song connects to the text. The part where they say “never a frown” can connect directly to Ofred because of how persistent she is. Ofred puts up with a lot of stuff, especially from men and society, and she still finds ways to bypass and pursue her dreams. She dreams of getting out of the prison-like place she is in, and she wakes up and perseveres through struggles every day. An example of her persistence is when she says, “I rub butter over my face, work it through my skin, there is no longer any hand lotion or face cream.”-pg96 This is showing how persistent she is every day to keep herself clean and continue to maintain being healthy during the situation she is in. ofred continues to show up for people. In chapter 19, Ofred went to watch another handmaid give birth, even though she doesn’t really like her

curse(“they love you then they hate you thats the curse”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HX7gxETG6k&list=RD3HX7gxETG6k&start_radio=1 This connects to the theme of The Handmaid’s Tale, which has a lot to do with rape and horrible men. This song, “Curse,” talks about love and hate. Love and hate are an overarching theme in The Handmaid’s Tale because men want to use women for their bodies and not actually because they love them. For example, the ceremony that they have are horrible and all the women are uncomfortable doing it. Another example is when Ofred and the doctor are talking about how she needed to have a baby, and the doctor said that he could have the baby with her. Ultimately it seems nice, but when you think about it, the doctor wouldn’t be having a horrible time while giving her a baby. For the part about hate, they are so terrible to the handmaids the whole time they are there. They are treated with little to no respect.

impossible(“nights like this nights like this, I wish I could do the impossible”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLMB6-AHTXI&list=RDfLMB6-AHTXI&start_radio=1 This can connect to chapter 18 of The Handmaid’s Tale when she is thinking about Luke and all these scenarios that could have happened to him. Although she isn’t fully mourning Luke she is still thinking about him. The text stated “lying in bed, with Luke, his hand on my rounded belly. The three of us are in bed. The thunderstorm outside the window. He rolls over with me.” When hearing this, the reader is triggered to feel some type of way for being that we have all experienced something like this, but way less extreme. Later in the chapter, Ofred begins to think more and more about her family, like her mother and daughter. The part of the quote where it says “ I wish I could do the impossible” is connected to Ofred trying to move on, but it feels impossible because her family haunts her in a way that she can’t stop thinking about it

Chamber of reflection(“alone again”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQsF3pzOc54&list=RDpQsF3pzOc54&start_radio=1 The song Chamber of Reflection is perfect for this entire story because it is about loneliness and being hurt. I also think that the name “chamber of reflection”-pg103 has a lot to do with The Handmaid’s Tale because all of the handmaids do a lot of reflection while they are out and about doing the things that they are supposed to do. The theme of the chamber of reflection, I feel, connects to a lot of the handmaids due to the terrible situation that most of them are in, like loneliness affects Ofred every day, and the other handmaids. Then the line in this song, “alone again,” also connects to the theme of loneliness in this story. Most of the handmaids are alone, and on top of that, they aren’t with their families, which causes them to be even more lonely

ghost(“and if i can’t be close to you I’ll settle for the ghost of you.”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp8msa5uYsc&list=RDFp8msa5uYsc&start_radio=1 This song can connect to Ofred missing her mother. Ofred’s mother played a massive role in Offred’s feminist belief system, so the fact that her mother isn’t there to help and support her is heartbreaking to Offred. Ofred felt secure once she saw her mother in the film, but she later realised the horrible fate that could have happened to her mother. In the future of the book. I think that Offred will continue to follow in her mother’s footsteps once she gets the resources to do so. In the video, Ghost Justin Bieber has a strong connection to his mom, and we can see that he puts in efforts to talk to his mom every day and show her that she cares. Offered is similar, but the fact that she cares so much and follows in her mom’s footsteps shows the care and the connection to the song Ghost