NationStates Jolt Archive

Hi there - I'm sitting my A-level English Lit exams on Friday, and one of the questions is going to be on this novel.

One of the problems I have with answering these essay questions is alternative interpretation; have any of you read this novel? If so - could you please share with me your thoughts?

Thanks

Ah ... Marget Atwood.

Fun movie ... never read the book.

I read it some years ago.
What exactly do you want to know?

I think it was a very intersting scenario presented, especially since at the time it reminded me very much of the society in Afghanistan, and it was a scary thought that the US might be heading the same way.
It seemed kind of unlikely, though

Don't need to know anything specific about the book, I know it inside out - gah - I 'd just like to gauge how you reacted to it.

Hmm... I found it interesting, it did remind me a lot of 1984 by George Orwell.
I presented a fascist oppressive state, not allowing for free thought or privacy, trying to control every aspect of life.

Personally, I found the idea about how reproduction was presented (through the handmaids) a bit ridiculous, considering that those extrem christian fundamentalists today would under no circumstances approve of such arrangements, even though they would find the old testimony more to their needs than the new.

Well you are in luck. I did The Handmaid's Tale for AS level last year and did quite well on it (I got an A overall for my AS level and am doing my A2s in about 4 weeks time)

The questions will either focus on a theme or a character - the best way to see what character they will choose is to look back over the previous exam papers and see which character they haven't asked about yet. With themes, they will usually choose religion, rebellion or repression. Research these topics well.

My exam was closed book so learn a fair few general quotations - dont look for too many specific quotes, just ones that can be used whatever the essay might be.

I thought it was an interesting - and quite frightening - representation of ultimate social control in a patriarchal society. It showed an extreme kind of view of how my parents generation viewed sex - caught just before the 'revolution' of the sixties, sex seemed somehow unclean and yet necessary, rather like the old puritannical views of life and pleasure.

Of course, the men kind of have the best of both worlds, having all childcare taken care of, and the security of a 'good' marriage, and yet getting to have sex with the young and attractive females. It is never explored in the novel, but looking at the attitudes of men today, thats actually quite a confusing and stressful situation for the man - they're really not supposed to be enjoying it, but the sexual act is generally pretty pleasurable for most humans.

All in all, I thought it was yet another example of the best kinds of writing that dealt with possible methods of controlling 'the people' in modern, well-ordered societies, such as 1984 etc.