Threats Keeping Gilead Alive

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a novel that made me realize how lucky we are to live in the United States today. We are entitled to so many freedoms that we take for granted. Walking down the street is a right we are allowed that other societies do not permit, especially the one depicted in this book. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States. The society is kept in place because there are so many threats that keep people from rebelling. While 1984 by George Orwell is set back thirty years from now, this novel is set a lot closer to our time. Atwood makes many references to styles and trends that are similar to those we agree with today, such as the use of cars and televisions.  It is hard to believe that a society so similar to ours could be so quickly transformed into a metropolis ruled by threats and isolation, as depicted in this novel. Atwood shares the power of threats and the role of dehumanization in The Handmaid’s Tale by showing how threats prevent the demoralized handmaids from rebelling and keep the society in general running smoothly, however, there are many flaws in the system that could have potentially led to the downfall of the republic of Gilead.

Almost every day that Offred and Ofglen go into town to run errands, they stop at the Wall for reflection. This Wall is old and unattractive and serves as place for bodies after they have been hanged. Even though you would think that no one would want to visit this spectacle, the handmaids stop by it because it is an excuse for them to be away from home for longer. Offred remarks that, “sometimes [the bodies] will be there for days, until there’s a new batch, so as many people as possible will have the chance to see them” (42). The bodies are there as an example of what happens to rebels in Gilead. There is no tolerance for acting out and if you are caught, you are executed for all to see. 

Although in 1984, everything from the past is erased and forgotten, there is a faint memory of it in The Handmaid’s Tale. Even if they had jobs that were legal before the regime took over, it still haunts them. Offred acknowledges this by stating, “These men, we’ve been told, are like war criminals. It’s no excuse that what they did was legal at the time: their crimes are retroactive” (43). How are men and women supposed to move forward with their lives if their past haunts them? In a society like Gilead, everything from the past is supposed to be forgotten, yet it is impossible when individuals can be prosecuted for what they did before the regime was in place. The wall is a successful way for the regime to keep power over the handmaids and other citizens who may be considering rebelling against society. There is a constant reminder of what could happen if you get caught that keeps many men and women in line.

As I read The Handmaid’s Tale, I was especially interested in the differences between Orwell’s novel and Atwood’s. While both novels made it clear that people not of wealthiest class or highest social standing were supposed to be isolated and only have business relationships, the handmaids were forced to travel in pairs for their own protection. Although they were only supposed to say things like, “Blessed be the fruit,” minor communication turned into much more as the handmaids became closer with their partners (19). Offred and Ofglen quickly formed a relationship that, had Ofglen not been relocated, could have made both handmaids rebel from their positions and have put them both in a dangerous position in society. Although it seems that partnerships of women could not have gathered together and rebelled, I think their potential power cannot be underestimated, especially if other women were feeling the same about their positions as handmaids.

Throughout the text, Offred refers to the fact that she is not using her real name, yet never shares it with the audience. I understand that the handmaids must have their names changed because then it is much more difficult for them to find anyone from their past life, but I think this is cruel. They are separated from their friends, families, and now, the only thing left is their identity. The women are taken from their homes and are forced to have sex with strangers.

The back cover of The Handmaid’s Tale makes note of the dehumanization of the handmaids by describing their sole task as, “[lying] on [their] backs once a month and pray[ing] that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable.” They are seen as less than human, as incubators, in fact. This dehumanization is just a part of society that no one else seems to have a problem with.

When Offred first meets Serena Joy, the commander’s wife, she acknowledges their situation and remarks, “As for my husband, he’s just that. My husband. I want that to be perfectly clear. Till death do us part. It’s final” (23). Serena Joy knows that Offred and her husband will be engaging in a previously intimate act that is now just a task that must be completed. Nonetheless, she treats Offred like a child who does not understand the sanctity of marriage or a commitment. I find it shocking how except for Moira and a few other characters, no one attempts to take a stand against society. This is a testament to the fear the regime has placed in the handmaids as a result of threats.

The Handmaid’s Tale shows how powerful threats can be, especially in a society as structured as Gilead. The fear that the regime instilled in the already insecure handmaids kept them from even attempting to rebel. By reducing the once self-sustaining women to the dehumanizing role as incubators, very few handmaids had the confidence to escape the regime. This novel makes the reader feel sorry for Offred and the other handmaids, and makes me take a step back and enjoy the various freedoms that I am entitled to that many of the characters of this book had taken away from them.

Final Research Paper Idea

For my final research paper, I want to discuss how the media has change American’s perspective on such a catastrophic event such as September 11^th. While reading True Enough, I realized how jaded some perspectives of 9/11 are as a result of the medias response, even a decade later. My starting question is, why can we never be satisfied with accepting the facts of what happened? People feel the need to keep digging, as if they will find more information when the facts are right in front of them. From reading True Enough, I learned a little bit more information on the conspiracy theories surrounding September 11^th. I am looking forward to watching the documentary Loose Change and hearing more about Dylan Avery’s thoughts.

From a simple Google search of “9/11 conspiracy theories,” I received over four million links. One of the first ones I found was titled, “The 11 Most Compelling Conspiracy Theories of 9/11.” The fact that there are eleven widely accepted conspiracy theories surrounding the devastating event is shocking to me. Scrolling through the website, I watched a link from Loose Change that made a very compelling argument about how it would have been almost impossible for so many phone calls to have been made from 32,000 feet in the air, the usual cruising altitude for commercial airlines. Avery makes claims that seem legitimate, but in the context of September 11^th, just could not be possible.

I am interested in finding out if there is a large group of people who believe in these conspiracy theories and if there are more legitimate articles with facts proving that 9/11 was not just a random terrorist attack. This topic personally interests me because I live an hour outside of New York City and know many families who were affected by this horrible tragedy. I think it is incredibly rude and inappropriate for Americans to think the American government could have executed that 9/11. I think it is especially inappropriate that people think that the phone calls from the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center were pre recorded or made up. I am really looking forward to finding out more information about the conspiracy theories and how the media has changed our perception of this catastrophic event.

The Hidden Costs of Flying

Flying on airplanes is already expensive and now passengers are discovering that, “even the cheap seats on airplanes come with a fee.” In an article found on the Wall Street Journal online, Scott McCartney describes how airlines are now tricking passengers into thinking that the only seats for purchase are in bad locations on the plane. As a result, they are paying extra money for first class and seats with extra legroom that cost extra. McCartney rightfully points out that, “Overall, airlines look at seat fees as another way to generate revenue in low-margin industry. These days, checked baggage, meals, early boarding and flight changes on standby all come at a price.” Especially for those who fly often for business, these little charges can definitely add up. A seemingly all inclusive package may not be within reach anymore, but one thing is for sure, the earlier you book a flight, the better deal you can get!

Kardashian Wedding- Just for the Money?

This week, celebrity Kim Kardashian filed for divorce with her husband of 72 days, Kris Humphries. While this may not seem to be a pressing issue in the public sphere, I think it fits in perfectly with my ambassadorship because it deals with the presence of money in pop culture. There is much speculation that the marriage between Kardashian and Humphries was all a publicity stunt, their wedding video was sold to E and this NY Times article even mentions that she earned millions of dollars for the television episodes. Even this article’s title tells a lot about the business side of their relationship; “Kardashian Divorce forces the E! Network to Scramble.” The first information that readers get from this heading shows that their separation is a problem for the media, not for Kardashian or Humphries themselves. From this example, it seems that Kim and Kris have completely lost sight of the sanctity of marriage and are instead exploiting it for publicity. Although we don’t know exactly what happened in their relationship, it is difficult not to speculate that this wedding was a publicity statement that had no real love involved. Hopefully viewers will see how ridiculous this pair looks after their “fairy tale wedding” has gone to shambles in less than three months.

"The Handmaid's Tale" short paper

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a novel that really made me realize how lucky we are to live in the United States today. We are entitled to so many freedoms that we take for granted. Walking down the street is a right we are allowed that other societies do not permit, especially the one depicted in this book. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States. While 1984 by George Orwell is set back thirty years from now, this novel is set a lot closer to our time. Atwood makes many references to styles and trends that are similar to those we agree with today, such as the use of cellphones, cars, and televisions.  It is hard to believe that a society so similar to ours could be so quickly transformed into a metropolis ruled by threats and isolation, as is depicted in The Handmaid’s Tale.

As I read The Handmaid’s Tale, I was especially interested in the differences between Orwell’s novel and Atwood’s. While both novels made it clear that certain people were supposed to be isolated and only have business relationships, the handmaids were forced to travel in pairs for their own protection. Although they were only supposed to say things like, “Blessed be the fruit,” minor communication turned into much more as the handmaids became closer with their partners (19). Offred and Ofglen quickly formed a relationship that, had Ofglen not been relocated, could have made both handmaids rebel from their positions and have put them both in a dangerous position in society. Although it seems that partnerships of women could not have gathered together and rebelled, I think their potential power cannot be underestimated, especially if other women were feeling the same about their positions as handmaids.

Throughout the text, Offred constantly refers to the fact that she is not using her real name, yet never shares it with the audience. I understand that the handmaids must have their names changed because then it is much more difficult for them to find anyone from their past life, but I think this is cruel. They separated from their friends, families, and now, the only thing left is their identity. The women are taken from their homes and are forced to have sex with strangers. Even the back cover of The Handmaid’s Tale makes note of this by describing the sole task of the handmaids as, “[lying] on her back once and month and pray[ing] that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable.” They are seen as less than human, as incubators, in fact. This dehumanization is just a part of society that no one else seems to have a problem with. I find it shocking how everyone else thinks that this is an okay situation, when just a few years earlier, all of these females were entitled to hold jobs, raise families, and live the life they were intended to.

The Handmaid’s Tale is an example of what would happen if women lost power in society. This novel was very similar to Orwell’s, 1984, but shows a clear discrimination towards women, rather than a society that was unfair to all. Atwood uses Offred as the books narrator and keeps the reader aware of her flashbacks and thoughts on her situation. This novel makes the reader feel sorry for Offred and the other handmaids, and makes me take a step back and enjoy the various freedoms that I am entitled to that many of the characters of this book had taken away from them.

Ambassadorship Presentation

For my ambassadorship presentation, I discussed how our society has lost sight of the important people and now consider politicians (especially the President and the First Lady) celebrities. I found a video that shows this in which Obama Discusses Bieber. Our society has become centered around celebrities and even makes our President out to be one. Although I did compare Obama and his wife to JFK and Jackie O, I think technology has increased their prominence. I found a website, Michelle Obama: Fashion Icon, that perfectly displays this. I saw a big connection with True Enough because with a quote form Manjoo in which he remarks, "You can go so far as to say we're now fighting over competing versions of reality."

I also found an article that goes into further depth of the "True Enough" Connection.

I was really interested in the presentations that my classmates made. I thought Rob's was especially interesting because he was not discussing the subject of his video, but rather who was sharing the information. I think as viewers, we just accept TV reporters to be who they say they are, which most of the time is described as an "expert on the subject." Rob has made me really pay attention to who is telling me information, rather than just assuming they're credible and listening to their info. 

I also really enjoyed Kiely's presentation on Hollywood's portrayal of CEO's and other business executives as villains. Especially with The Social Network, it is easy to see how the media has made them out to be the bad guys. I think it will be interesting to see the movie The Margin Call and see how they could be portrayed as good.

"True Enough" and the Conspiracy Belief of 9/11

True Enough by Farhad Manjoo is an incredibly appealing book that discusses technology, politics, and many other ideas that are present in the public sphere. While some of my peers find this text to be biased and uninteresting, I think Manjoo encompasses a wide range of topics, while keeping a point of view that is not largely one-sided. I was enthralled when Manjoo brought up the 9/11 conspiracy theory specifically outlined in Dylan Avery’s documentary, Loose Change. I have always been interested in the views of September 11^th that discuss the idea that the American government was actually behind the attacks, and True Enough gave a great deal of information surrounding my queries.

While I do not believe that the United States government would ever create an event as catastrophic as 9/11, Avery’s documentary is successful because he provides so much evidence, and delivers it with such a confidence, that he pleads a strong case. Manjoo points out that there are definitely flaws in Avery’s film, but Avery is successful in hiding them from the reader. Manjoo remarks, “What’s interesting, in fact, is what [Loose Change’s] flaws mask: a certain devious calculation in the way Avery handles documentary evidence” (88). By acknowledging that Avery’s argument is not perfect, Manjoo makes it easier for someone, who does not believe that 9/11 was an inside project, to feel that their beliefs have been reassured.

Manjoo leaves our heads spinning when he ask, “why should anyone take the government’s evidence as proof?” (94). Automatically, most Americans assume that the government has the most accurate information, and we should take their word as fact. However, Avery’s documentary proves that we cannot always trust our politicians to tell us the truth. Manjoo asks many questions of the reader that make me rethink my beliefs. I think this was the ultimate goal of his novel, it is always important to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and try to understand how they see it.  Manjoo is very successful in stretching our minds and placing ourselves on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Manjoo discusses some controversial topics in his book, True Enough, but I think that his inclusion of the conspiracy theory regarding September 11^th being an “inside job,” proves the most about media and our culture. Regardless of our beliefs, Avery makes an incredible case and makes it difficult for the reader to ignore the voice in our heads saying, “Maybe he’s right.” The use of this theory also shows the success of selective exposure and the major roles that media and technology play in our lives.