Journal #1

THE SOCIETY: The Handmaid’s Tale

“These men, we’ve been told, are like war criminals. It’s no excuse that what they did was legal at the time: their crimes are retroactive. They have committed atrocities and must be made into examples, for the rest.Though this is hardly needed. No woman in her right mind, these days, would seek to prevent a birth,should she be so lucky as to conceive.

What we are supposed to feel towards these bodies is hatred and scorn. This isn’t what I feel. These bodies hanging on the Wall are time travelers, anachronisms. They’ve come here from the past.

What I feel toward them is blankness. What I feel is that I must not feel. What I feel is partly relief, because none of these men is Luke. Luke wasn’t a doctor. Isn’t” (33)

This society is called The Republic of Gilead. It is located where America used to be. There are Commanders who have a Wife, Marthas, Guardians and a Handmaid. Angles are soldiers and Eyes are the people who find out who is breaking laws. Handmaids are fertile women who are supposed to provide the Commander with babies. Aunts train the Handmaids.

It seems that the primary goal of this community is to make babies and follow the rules.People are closely watched in this society. There are Eyes, Guardians, and Angles who help enforce rules and laws. This society blames infertility on women only. They won’t believe that men can be infertile. Women are not allowed to read. At the market the signs on the booths are pictures. They are allowed to have two walks a day. Each walk has two different ways you can go. The churches were turned into museums, but they still use the bible. They have to go through fertilizing ceremonies. The Wife and the Handmaid have to hold hands during this. The punishment for breaking any law is to be hung on the Wall. There seem to be 3 to 5 people hanging on the Wall a day. Offred tries not to feel anything when she sees them. She usually sees doctors, scientists, and priests/pastors.