Today in class we began our discussion on the Show adaptation of The Handmaids Tale. These are the notes from today and the questions/topics/quotes we interpreted and analyzed as a class.
Free Writing Prompt #1: What does it mean to be Human?
Thought Process for writing prompt:
Understanding one’s history to move on forward in life Self-awareness/ Self-regulation Sustained well being without infringing on other feelings Feel/Emotions/To Love Individuality Creativity Empathy Potential/Growth/Desires/Conscious of Surroundings Free will/ Respect/Unselfish/Culture
Group Discussion: Humanity within The Handmaids Tale
Free will is stripped away from all people living in The Republic of Gilead. Thus giving people especially handmaids structurally made choices. Like the decision to be a Handmaid or become unwomen and live in colonies filled with toxic waste tasked to clean it all till death. An obvious choice from a survival standpoint. Which leads to the Anatomy of a woman the handmaids being used for a “higher purpose”. An empty vessel of sorts used to carry Gilead’s purpose. Survival and the social classes set by Gilead creates an immense division between the women in Gilead. These social classes blind them from the actual problem laying in front of them (Social Division – /Stronger Together +).
Second Freewrite: Analyzing Quotes within Handmaid Tale
”There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to now you are being given freedom from don’t underrate it” (24)
“Freedom like everything else is relative”
These quotes speak on the world before and after Gilead. In the first quote, Aunt Lydia refers to two freedoms. Freedom to, Freedom from. Freedom to refers to society before Gilead where there was freedom to do whatever one pleased (disregarding consequences). One could kill, steal, cheat, have a different sexual orientation/preferences, etc. Which meant everyone was exposed to the fact of being killed, stolen from, cheated on, and have had a different sexual orientation and or preference. The anarchy that leads to low infertility rates and high toxic levels. Freedom from is referring to life within the Gilead republic where all of these “Freedoms” are crimes punishable by death. Freedom from being killed, cheated on, stolen from, with no freedom of will to decide or even have a sexual orientation or preference. Thus Aunt Lydia saying not to underate being saved from these actions by the Republic of Gilead.
The Second quote tackles the “Freedoms” within the Republic of Gilead through Offred’s lenses. “Freedom like everything else is relative”. The freedom she speaks of are the ones handmaids hold. Although they may not seem as “freedoms” but overall necessities to live a functional life, in the Republic of Gilead they are somewhat freedoms. And what makes them relative is that their actions within Gilead determine their fate. Good behavior is awarded in a sense with being able to survive another day whilst bad behavior or unethical behavior under Gilead republic will have fatal repercussions.
Next Tuesday (11/20) we will continue our discussion on the Handmaids Tale and start our discussion on Westworld. Bring in Scenes that you want to discuss for both (H.T, W.W).
Two Peoples Choice due by Monday midnight (11/19)
For Our Westworld discussion have this question in mind. How is Humanity redefined in Westworld?
Freewrite about this question/ take notes from the episode that answer this question and bring in those scenes as well. This will help in preparation for our upcoming discussion.
Next Class, we will also have a discussion about our final project. Be sure to attend this Tuesday class before break.
(Please comment any information you would like to add or I might have missed.)
