Week 5 (Monologue)
Today started out as any normal day, I woke up, completed my chores, and was ready for anything the world had to throw at me. The Festival of Summer is just around the corner, and everyone in town is preparing for the event. For weeks my little brother has been talking about how excited he is to race against the other boys. My mother has been preparing foods, and my father has been helping around the house. Apparently, today was my turn to prepare for the festivities.
My mother pulled me aside, she wanted to have a word with me. “Honey, the Festival of Summer is coming up, and it will commemorate the happiness and prosperity that we, the people of Omelas, have been sharing for all these years.” said my mom. “Today, I want you to find out why we live such happy lives.”
“Great!”, I thought. I am so proud of where I am from, I cannot wait to find out why I am so lucky to live in Omelas. So many ideas were rushing through my head. I imagined this great story, where we, the people of Omelas, fought for our freedom against an opposing empire. I imagined a great meeting of officials, signing a long document, stating how the proud people of Omelas will live lives of freedom.
My mother and I walked to one of the big public buildings, decorated with white columns, and a large staircase. She led me into the building, through the hallways and down the several sets of stairs until we finally reached the basement. The whole walk, I asked questions but was given minimal answers. Finally I asked, “Mom, what are we doing in the basement?”. She led me to a locked door, grabbed the door knob, and looked at me in the eyes. “Behind this door lies the source for our happiness. Whatever you see will alarm you, but know that it is for the sake of our people.” An eerie chill ran down my spine. She opened the door, and instantly a rancid aroma filled my nostrils. By the time my eyes could process what I was seeing, my knees were shaking and I was nauseous from the smell alone. I saw a small, starving, stick-thin boy, who was lying in his own filth. His skin was brown from the dirt, and he was naked. From the stir of emotions and the smell of rotting flesh, I was knocked unconscious.
I woke up in my bed with a boatload of questions. Who is that boy? Why is he locked in there? My mother entered the room, and sat at the foot of the bed. “That boy is there so we, the people of Omelas, can be happy. Our happiness depends on his misery. If he is ever to leave that cell, and experience happiness, then our beloved Omelas would crumble.” I looked at her, and I began to cry. “Mom, why won’t anyone help him? Who put him in there? How can we be happy while he is left to rot?” She patted my head and ensured that with time I would understand. At that moment, I knew that I had to leave Omelas.
Week 6 (Crux)
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” (Atwood p. 52)
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is a story that takes place in the city of Gilead, a theocratic place with bizarre practice. The main character, Offred, is a handmaid, who lives in a household where she serves the Commander, who is the head of the house, and his wife. Her duty is to reproduce for them and that is her sole purpose. She is treated poorly and her rights have been taken away from her. Common everyday practices are forbidden, such as reading, writing, freedom of religion, and even the freedom to eat and bathe at her own will.
This quote translates to, “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”. Offred found this written in her room, on the floor of her closet. She concludes that a previous handmaid must have written it down. At the time she does not know what the phrase means, but it allows her to feel connected with the previous occupant of the household. This quote is significant to the understanding of the work as a whole because it helps the reader understand that Offred is part of a whole network of handmaids, who are also struggling just like Offred. Yes, this point may have already been evident in the story, but discovering this quote directly connects Offred with the lineage of handmaid’s that have served in the same household. This quote can potentially drive her to not give up hope, and to continue to push through this hardship.
Later in the story, Offred actually withstands the “bastards”, and does not let them grind her down. It may seem minute, but even the slightest bit of rebellion reflects hope. “There’s a pat of butter on the side of the plate. I tear off a corner of the paper napkin, wrap the butter in it, take it to the cupboard and slip it into the toe of my right shoe, from the extra pair, as I have done before” (Atwood 66). Her action may seem meaningless, but it portrays the fire that still lies in her heart to make it out of Gilead. Even though it is only a piece of butter, if the wife, Serena finds out that she has done this, it is hard to believe that Offred would walk away with no harm done. Offred is risking a great deal just for a pat of butter, so by her following through with this act, it counts as a win in her book.
Overall, this quote symbolizes the powerlessness of women in Gilead, Offred’s connection to other handmaid’s, and hope that Offred must never lose. Her world is twisted, but hopefully if she keeps battling through she will prevail.
Atwood, Margaret. Collapse: The Handmaid’s Tale. New York: Round Table, 1998. Print.
Week 7 (Outside Research)
In The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, the main character, Gilead, lives in a time where the government is ruled by the church. The laws coincide with the views taken from the bible, and people fall into the roles that the bible portrays as well. Authority figures are named based on the bible, and people live in fear of the authority. Gilead is a theocracy. After reading several chapters, I became very interested in theocracies, and how they function. I also became interested with theocracies in the past or present. Offred lives in a puzzling world, and I want to try and understand it as best as I can.Theocracy means a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god.
The word is derived from the Greek words, theos (God) and kratia (power strength). Together, the two mean rule of God. In history, often times kings were regarded as the son of god. If religions had a “holy book”, that book served as God’s word. In a pure theocracy, the leader is believed to have a personal connection with the civilization's religion or belief, like Moses led the Israelites, or Muhammed ruled the early muslims. Theocracy is different from other nonreligious governments that have a state religion. In their case, they are influenced by theological concepts, and the head of the church takes orders from the ruler of the country, not the other way around. (Waskey)
An example of modern day theocracies would be Islamic States. An Islamic state is one that has adopted Sharia Islam as its starting point for laws, and implements the Islamic ruling system of khilafah. Therefore, it is a theocracy. Sharia is the official basis for state laws in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and several more. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a famous example of an Islamic state. It maintains religious laws, and uses religious courts to portray the law. Everything must be based on Islamic criteria. Their Supreme Leader is a “faqih” (scholar of Islamic law). The Supreme Leader has more power than Iran’s president, which is important to note. The leader is elected by the Assembly of Experts. This is made up of “mujtahids”, who are Islamic scholars dubbed fit to interpret the Sharia faith. Islamic States are good examples of theocracies since they are abundant in today’s world, and are often a topic of discussion in various news reports. (Waskey)
Overall, theocracies are difficult to understand, since the United States has such a different government style, with a separation of church and state. Through research, it is easier to understand Gilead as well as Offred’s life as a citizen of Gilead. Gilead is not an Islamic State, but the structure of the government must be similar, since it is based off of a nationwide religion.
Waskey, Andrew J. "National Social Science Association." National Social Science Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.
Week 8 (Monologue of piece of butter)
Day in and day out, it is spontaneous in the refrigerator. The commander and his wife use various combinations of us for when they have their meals. Sometimes they take part of some steak and mix it with various vegetables. Usually in the mornings the milk and eggs make their way in and out of the refrigerator, along with some cheese and bread. One thing is certain, I am utilized for most of the meals throughout the day. I provide great flavor, and spread greatly over bread and other things. The humans do not know we exist, they have no idea that we communicate, nor do they have a clue that we can understand everything they say. When the engineers designed refrigerators, they unknowingly programmed it to give life to the inanimate objects that are in there. Any loaf of bread or stick of butter that has moved in and out of the fridge are tapped into the saved memory that the refrigerator has. Thus, we listen to every meal that they have and know basic things about their lives. The lightly salted butter generations have made their impact here in the fridge.
I often am placed on the table along with the bread for most meals, especially large ones like dinner. Bits and pieces of me go from plate to plate, from pieces of bread to some corn on the cob. Meanwhile I can hear everything from the separate plates. A common topic of discussion is Offred. Serena often ridicules Offred to the commander, whether it is about how she is not fit to bear a child, or about how Offred hasn’t been impregnated yet.
A piece of me is taken to Offred every night along with her dinner plate. She is not permitted to eat with the others. I think this is ridiculous. All of us foods are in the same refrigerator all the time, why does it make a difference? we do not have any trouble with it whatsoever. Often times I see Offred in her room, alone, and I can tell that her loneliness even takes away from her appetite. Poor girl, she is completely subdued by this society.
On this particular night, Offred observed her burnt chicken in disgust. I wonder what her life was like before being here, I wonder what she ate and if she actually enjoyed it. As she forced the chicken down her throat, she looked down at her plate right at me. She ripped off part of her napkin and stuffed me right in there! She had a nervous look on her face while she did it, and stuffed me in her shoe. It must be easy to hide a tiny piece of butter in her room, but she must be really intimidated by the household. Offred does not even dictate when she can eat, when she can sleep, when she can shower. Stealing a small piece of butter must mean a great deal to her. I wonder what she will use it for? Maybe for a stale piece of bread she saved, or to spice up her breakfast. Regardless, I am happy to help her with whatever she needs.
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