Utopias and Dystopias 2021 - Keshav Gandhi

I love novels with ambiguous endings, and this one definitely hits the mark. And it’s especially poignant in this case, given all of the turmoil involved with Offred’s marginalized position in society. If anything, ambiguity is one thing that makes sense, especially considering all that Offred has been through in a short amount of time.  Offred always has to hide her true feelings. She was conflicted between her love for Luke and Nick, and that’s not even adding the Commander’s forced advances into the equation. Initially, she doesn’t know whether or not Ofglen can be trusted. Serena Joy and the Commander are pulled her in different directions through the entirety of the novel. The ending characterizes the novel as a whole. The novel as a whole characterizes Offred’s experiences facing extreme discrimination.  The false dichotomy of “freedom to” and “freedom from” goes hand-in-hand with this idea of ambiguity. I argued previously that Offred doesn’t experience either of these ...

Discussion questions:  When scenes with the commander are retold, Offred’s recollection of events usually include Luke and how he feels. Does she feel guilty about not being able to be with him? If so, why should she feel guilty, since the Commander is in a position of power and gives her no choice?  A central theme in the novel is how artificial reconstructions of events can change narratives and perceptions. Offred’s two retellings of her encounter with Nick shed light into this. Do you think Gilead came to be due to some sort of event being falsely retold? Is Atwood implying this?

Atwood is great at working with irony, as evidenced through the masterful prose she uses to characterize the many double standards women face in Gilead. But aside from that, one ironic element of foreshadowing that really interested me was when Offred (before going to the club with the Commander) thought that Moira would call her an “idiot” for doing so. And when Offred is actually at the club, Moira’s the one trying to convince Offred that this option would be better for her. In my mind, this almost symbolizes Moira being broken by Gilead; her listlessness is antithetical to her former self in a former world.  Nonetheless, doing this is Moira’s method of survival that she has to engage in, which draws on the themes of supposed choice and “freedom from” as opposed to “freedom to” that Atwood frequently ties in throughout the novel. Moira has the illusion of choice in working at the club, just as Offred does. This is Moira’s only option in such a repressive society, and even if Off...

Discussion questions:  Offred seems to be a victim of power imbalances throughout the entire household, as she is beholden to both the Commander and Serena Joy. What do you predict will happen? Will either character find out about Offred? How does this mirror Offred’s marginalized position as a Handmaid within the society of Gilead as a whole?  The novel subtly touches on race and ethnicity and their interactions with religion, with more marginalized identities in the U.S. (e.g., Latine/Latinx, Irish, and Jewish communities) tending to be associated with Catholicism and Judaism (religions mentioned in the novel). Additionally, the society has Colonies, which point to Gilead being an imperialist empire that has stakes around the world (seemingly not in Israel or Japan, however). How is this reflected within Gilead’s society?  What do you think of the “Prayvaganzas”? Does this combination of (forced) prayer and “social” event contribute to the extreme levels of conformity ...