Review #1: "The Handmaid’s Tale" by Margaret Atwood

 

In attempting to share my thoughts about the pieces I've been reading, I have two main goals. First, I would like to peak interest, but not over divulge to the point in there being no need to read the book. Second, I could ramble on and on about each piece, I'm sure, so I have limited myself to six categories that I will do my best to not overfill. Here goes nothin'!

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

"It isn't the running away they're afraid of. We wouldn't get far. It's those other escapes, the ones you can open in yourself, given a cutting edge." -page 8

 

"I have another name, which nobody uses now because it's forbidden. I tell myself it doesn't matter, your name is like your telephone number, useful only to others; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter." -page 84

 

"It's strange to remember how we used to think, as if everything were available to us, as if there were no contingencies, no boundaries; as if we were free to shape and reshape forever the ever-expanding perimeters of our lives. I was like that too. I did that too." -page 227

 

"I wish this story were different. I wish it were more civilized. I wish it showed me in a better light, if not happier, then at least more active, less hesitant, less distracted by trivia. I wish it had more shape. I wish it were about love, or about sudden realizations important to one's life, or even about sunsets, birds, rainstorms, or snow." -page 267

 

 

About the Main Character:

 

Offred is the name of the main character.  Offred is not her real name, and although she mentions it multiple times generally the audience is never made aware of her actual name. Offred is in relation to the man she is a Handmaid for in the story. His name is Fred, therefore she is called "Offred." The story is told in first person, so we are able to truly get perspective of all that happens to Offred. There are flashbacks, or memories really, throughout that let us know how Offred came to be a Handmaid and why her situation is so dire. Throughout the book I felt terribly for Offred.  She's lost her family and really any true semblance of the life she once lived. She has chosen to adopt a life as a vessel for which her body is used in hope of bringing life into the world. Offred is constantly on edge, and rightfully so, but it kept me tense throughout the book. One of my favorite things that Atwood did is she allowed Offred, as the narrator, to address the audience. Towards the end of the book, there is somewhat of a speech given by Offred that serves as an introduction to the final events of the novel that really helped me connect with Offred as a character. Granted, it happened late into the read, but it really ended on a high note as a result of the speech to the reader.

 

 

Another Character to Note:

 

Moira is a friend from Offred's past. She is mentioned frequently throughout the book in the memory sequences. Moira is the opposite of Offred in many ways. At least that is how Offred views her. She sees her as brave, defiant, and smart. Moira was meant to be a Handmaid, but ends up as something very different entirely (trying hard not to give too much away, if you couldn't tell!) I think Moira is interesting because she offers this sort of voice in Offred's head when she is faced with decisions in the book. Whenever Offred doesn't feel like she is capable of pushing the limits, she thinks of what Moira would say and it seems to propel her further than she may have gone without that subconscious pep talk. I like Moira because even in a world where very few freedoms are allotted her, she does what she can to make somewhat of a choice in her situation. The choice still leads to terrible circumstances, but Moira chose them for herself.

 

 

Plot Breakdown:

 

To avoid running anything, I've resorted to a list to help me offer an idea of what to expect without laying it all on the table.

 

1. Confusion, confusion, and more confusion. The beginning of the book is a touch hard to decipher because Atwood is trying to set the stage for what life is like at this point. There are a lot of titles for the people that take awhile to latch onto such as Commander, Guardian, Eye, Aunt, Wife, etc.

 

2. .The Daily Life of a Handmaid. We learn of the caution, monotony, and regime that the day-to-day requires of the Handmaid.

 

3. The First Ceremony. I'm not going to go into too much detail here, but it is extremely uncomfortable to read. Least favorite part of the book, but necessary.

 

4. The First Broken Rule. Again, not going to give much here, but the initiation of the rule being broken is not Offred's idea. That's all you get.

 

5. Flashbacks upon Flashbacks. Offred gets more anxious with the change of pace and there are more memories shared that help develop her character and what she's lost.

 

6. A Baby is Born and All Rejoice! This part is also strange. Very ritualistic. It gives more insight into the relationship between the Handmaid's and the Wives.

 

7. More Rules Broken and Hope is Alive. Offred is given signals from multiple people that there are others who are willing to break rules to get what they want. The anxiety of her situation increases.

 

8. A Baby by Any Means Necessary. Offred's life literally depends on her birthing a child...but it being the Commander's baby is more a preference than a rule.

 

9. Consequences. When the broken rules see the light of day things get ugly for a lot of people.

 

10. A Change of Circumstance. For better or worse?

 

 

Something Interesting to Note:

 

This was tough to pick because there are about a million interesting points made in this book. One that constantly caught my attention that doesn't give too much away is the color of the Handmaid's dresses. Red. I think this is interesting because of what the "Historical Notes" tell us at the end of the novel. Atwood added them as an explanation of the time that her novel takes place from the perspective of the those who have lived on afterwards. It says the red was "borrowed from the uniforms of German prisoners of war in Canadian "POW" camps of the Second World War era." While the Handmaids are certainly prisoners in a sense, the color stuck out to me for other reasons as I read. The color red is a symbol for things like warning, danger, and anger. These relate to the Handmaid's in ways, but the symbol I most easily think of when I imagine red is love. I found this ironic because one of the central ideas of the new regime the Handmaids live in is that they are not to feel love or passion. The sexual act they engage in is simply for procreation (as the Ceremony scene clearly indicates.) I think there is plenty other symbolism and metaphor in the book, but this color is one that constantly stuck out to me because it could directly contradict the purpose of the Handmaids.

 

 

Should you read The Handmaid's Tale Before You Die?:

 

The Handmaid's Tale is very relevant to many of the things going on in the world today. One of it's central themes is that of the role of a woman. What has happened in Offred's world is a direct result of hyper feminism. It's jarring throughout and so outlandish at times that it is hard to relate, but then Atwood writes one of her soul-piercing paragraphs that makes you stop and go, "Oh wait, I can relate to that!" and she sucks you back. I loved this book because it made me think. The inner-turmoil Offred experiences is so engaging that I found myself flipping the pages. 

Yet, I strongly disliked a few things. In my opinion, there is an enormous amount of "fluff" in the novel. The sentences are beautiful and well-constructed, but about a sixth of them just aren't necessary. I'm not a huge fan of description for the sake of description. Also, I know there is a point to it all, but some of the descriptions are too perverse for me. I literally almost put the book down after reading about "The Ceremony," but it's on the list and I will be reading, in full, all of those books.

 

So overall, I would say there are definitely some very interesting points to be discussed and pondered on from The Handmaid's Tale, but I'm don't think I would say it is a "must read."

 

I'd love to know thoughts on the review! What you loved, what you wished was here, but isn't? Anything at all :)