Individuality and Identity in The Handmaid's Tale

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K&K sem 1 2015

av Pam Abalo

Aztec

av Simon Rogers

The Age of Enlightenment

av Arnaout Alissar

US Colonies 1600-1900

av Leo Fujita

"One and one and one and one doesn't equal four. Each one remains unique, there is no way of joining them together." (Atwood 195)

Only allowed to do what they are told which takes away individuality

Individuality and Identity in The Handmaid's Tale

Concealing facts

A man was beat up because he was a rebel but people were told it was because he raped people

Portrayed the man in a way that he wasn't, real identity was lost

Religion

Telling people wrong Bible verses

" I knew they made that up, I knew it was wrong, and they left things out, too, but there was no way of checking." (Atwood 98)

Groups everybody together under Christianity

Death

Bags are put over heads to dehumanize people and not be able to recognize them

Taking away power from women

Lack of education

Explore new topics and ideas which causes them to all have no interests and lose individuality

Rules against reading and writing

Getting rid of shop names

Locking away Bible

Personal Opinion

Become an individual

Groups

Aunts

Red Centre

The place where Handmaids are taught how to give their identity up for Gilead

Aunt Lydia

Wives

Handmaids

being fertile

Marthas

Rita and Cora

Domestic chores

Force women into pairs

Birth

"She scrambles onto the Birthing Stool, sits on the seat behind and above Janine, so that Janine is framed by her" (Atwood 133)

Intercourse

"My arms are raised; she holds my hands, each of mine in each of hers. This is supposed to signify that we are one flesh, one being"(Atwood 104)

Shopping

"We turn and walk together past the large houses, towards the central part of town. We aren't allowed to go there except in twos" (Atwood 38)

Names

Serena Joy

Pam

Only recognized by stage name which took away her real identity

Ofglen

Of Glen: belonging to Glen

Of Fred: belonging to Fred

Characters

Men

Commander

Status and name

Uniqueness in women identity

"For [women], one and one and one and one don't make four" (Atwood 190)

Luke

Power

"He doesn't mind this, I thought. He doesn't mind it at all. Maybe he even likes it. We are not each other's, anymore. Instead, I am his." (Atwood 186)

Economic Status

"They've frozen [accounts]...Any account with an F on it instead of an M." (Atwood 183)

Offred

Relationship with Nick

A secret relationship that nobody else is doing which sets her apart

Memories

Wife

"Luke and I used to walk together, sometimes, along these streets"(Atwood 38)

Mother

"my daughter was at school"(Atwood 181)

Moira

Homosexuality

Was a crime

"Anyway, look at it this way: it's not so bad, there's lots of women around. Butch paradise, you might call it" (Atwood 252)