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.
Anita, you have brought up great points that I have been wondering throughout the novel. Atwood seems to put men on a pedestal while women are the ones being restricted and changed. They do not view women as important or necessary to the continuation of the population. There was one quote in the book that this is reminding me of. On page 210, the Commander talks about how men were unable to feel anymore because "sex was too easy". He then said that sometimes change is for the best but he does not mean for women and men but for only men. He obviously is oblivious to what is occurring because he is a man. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteInteresting points--men, especially those in power, still have access to all of the forbidden trappings of the former society. and they can justify whatever they do by any means necessary because they have this power.
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