Handmaid's tale 4/29/21
I thought this part of the reading explored interesting concepts that are very relevant to social issues today.
When Offred first talks about the transition from the United States to Gilead, the exact moment when she got her job taken away, when she wanted to go to protests but her husband didn’t think it was a good idea, the book shows how she not only realizes the power dynamic shifting drastically between men and women overall, but the power dynamic between her and her husband. He has a worried outlook, but he isn’t personally invested in the changes in the way that Offred is-- after all, he can still keep his assets, his money, his individual life remains largely unchanged.
So when she sees him being complacent to these changes, that makes her uncomfortable-- HE makes her uncomfortable.
And this is something many people face on a less extreme basis-- we want to believe the best in our loved ones, that they would never have these homophobic or rasict or sexist outlooks on life. But when other people's very fundamental and basic rights are threatened and they do nothing, we feel uncomfortable that the people we see the best in don’t match our perspective.
Yes! Excellent post. The thing with Luke is interesting -- at so many times she remembers him nostalgically, and seems to miss him, and yet so many of the more distinct memories show him as kind of not a great guy at all. This is, as you say, a very accurate portrait. People can say all they want that they're concerned about an issue, but if that issue doesn't really affect them, often they don't see the importance of doing something about it until it's too late.
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