Regeat Berhe

October 20, 2016

Art of Fiction

Professor Dietrich

Homework Blog 4:

 

In the first three chapters of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the narrator gave a brief explanation about her past life. She explains how she and another women slept on army beds in a gym and Aunt Sara and Elizabeth walked around with electric cattle prods making sure they weren’t talking. She then explained how a chain-link fence with topped barbed wire surrounds the area. As they walked around the football field, Angels, also known as armed guards, patrolled and protected the exits. The two women then imagined if their bodies could seduce the Angels by talking and flirting with them to make a deal. As the setting instantly changed, I thought their purpose so far was training to become housemaids. I say that because the setting shows that the narrator’s current life moving into a house with the Commander and serving for him and his family. Offred, who we later find out is the narrator name, remembers how her Aunt Lydia always told her to consider it as a circumstances privilege instead of a prison. This shows that Offred was forced to attend a camp/group that learned how to act like female servants so that she’s able to support herself. As I continue to read towards the end of chapter 3, I figured out that Offred is told to dress, act, and talk when she is told. She later gets told by the Commanders wife that “It’s one of the things we fought for,” stating that her husband is hers permanently and forever. The way I think the narrator will relate to the story is by satisfying every one of their needs. She will do everything they ask for and basically be owned by them. Not because she wants to, but because of what had happened in the past that had taking the rights for women away. In the next few chapters I feel like they might discuss what had happened to Offred for her to get where she is and why she’s a servant instead of something else.