The Handmaid's Tale

After reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, I was struck by the relationship the Commander initiates with Offred, and his willingness to break the rules of Gilead. On pg 158, he says his wife doesn't understand him, they hardly talk, and that they don't have much in common. Offred thinks it's the same old thing; the rationale men use to justify cheating on their wives.

The women are held to a higher standard, and on pg.167 she talks about the Wives buying Soul Scrolls, as it is a sign of piety and faithfulness to the regime and helps their husbands' careers. There is a double standard in Gilead, and the men feel justified to have mistresses, and still follow the old ways, while reading the Bible and holding Prayvaganzas. I think Atwood is showing that even with the extreme religious society of Gilead, the women are the oppressed and have lost any freedom that they had, while the men continue to experience the forbidden pleasures. In the instance at the gentlemen's club, on pg. 237, the Commander says, "You can't cheat Nature. Nature demands variety, for men. It stands to reason, it's part of the procreational strategy. It's Nature's plan." He justifies his behavior blaming it on Nature, and uses his power and position in the patriarchal society to control her.

The Hunger Games

Katniss

Why did I wait so long? I've been totally ignoring the constant urgings from my daughter to read the books and watch the movies. I completely loved this book, and couldn't put it down. I've already been through the second one and am now reading Mockingjay, I am so glad this was the first book we were going to read and discuss in our class.

I'm going to examine the role of Katniss Everdeen as the heroine with traits we normally associate with masculinity, and the departure from the typical female character that we usually see. After the death of her father, we see Katniss become the caretaker of her family, hunting for food and taking on the responsibility for their survival. She is the strong one who is fearless, and will not back down from anyone who gets in her way. She protects her sister Prim at all costs, and takes her place in the games. We typically see this as a male role being the hunter and provider for the family. 

The affection Katniss has for Rue seems to be because she reminds her of her younger sister Prim. Katniss looks out for Rue and tries to keep her safe in the same way she does with Prim in taking care of her. She's in the role of the protector which is another trait that is usually seen in the masculine roles. Katniss tries to save Rue, and when she fails is determined to destroy the Careers and make them pay for her death. Not only is Katniss the caretaker and protector, but is now the warrior determined to avenge Rue.

Katniss saves Peeta repeatedly, and we usually see the male as the fierce warrior with the woman being more the supportive in the shadows role. In the case of these two, the roles are reversed with Katniss being the tough, always hide your emotions, whereas, Peeta is the gentler kinder person. 

Image: http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/katniss-everdeen-is-positive-for-feminism/