Thursday, April 29, 2010
Turning points and symbols: chapter 23 and 24
Feel free to (in an appropriate and grammatically correct manner) discuss and ask questions about how chapters 23 and 24 are turning points in the novel. Why is it a turning point in the plot? Why is it a turning point in the writing style? What symbols keep recurring?
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Within the chapters assigned to us tonight, especially in chapter twenty-three, I found it that Atwood is making Offred more observant, becoming increasingly aware of her surroundings. It is particularly evident when Offred enters the private office of The Commander, a setting that was up until then, untouched by women.
ReplyDelete“There is a desk, of course, with a Computalk on it... A black leather chair behind it... A potted plant on the desk, a pen-holder set, papers...Oriental rug on the floor...Fireplace without any fire in it... Small sofa, covered in brown plush, a television set, an end table, a couple of chairs...Bookcases. Filled with books... it’s an oasis of the forbidden.” (Atwood 137).
I feel that Offred’s sudden interest in her environment is a foreshadowing element on the behalf of Atwood. I in particular feel that the goal of Offred’s observations is to search and find any trace of flaw or fault, which can ultimately in the end aid her in her desired escape. Offred is trying to become familiar with this unknown territory, trying to create a mental picture. From the very beginning, she wanted to find error.
“But there must be something he wants, from me. To want is to have a weakness. It’s this weakness, whatever it is, that entices me...Like a small crack in a wall...If I press my eye to it... I may be able to see my way clear... I want to know what he wants” (Atwood 136).
As well, she studies The Commanders movements, taking notice of his actions.
“He pulls a chair out for me, sets it in front of his desk...Goes around behind the desk and sits down slowly... Elaborately... He smiles...Not sinister or predatory... A formal kind... Friendly but a little distant” (Atwood 138).
This is a prime example of a turning point of plot, as before Offred simply imagined what she would do, but now in a sense, she is actually trying to achieve her thoughts.
Chapters 23 and 24 are turning points because more personality and feelings are revealed for several characters, including Offred. Offred says "I intend to get out of here." (Atwood 134), which explicitly reveals her desire for escape. The Commander's emotions and humanly desires are shown, where as before he was depicted as being dutiful and distant. These emotions are shown when "..look embarrased, sheepish was the word.." (Atwood 138) and when Offred describes, "He was so sad." (Atwood 140).
ReplyDeleteThe writing style starts to use second person, with Offred referring to the reader's gender. "...please remember: you will never be...difficcult to resist, believe me." (Atwood 134)
A recurring symbol is power as it's mentioned in several pages, both directly(Atwood 135) and indirectly(Atwood 144).
Another recurring symbol is "secrets" (Atwood 137) as Offred described the Commander's room as having "..books and books...No wonder we can't come in here. It's an oasis of the forbidden." (Atwood 137) This shows the emphasizes of Offred enterig the Commander's room, not only because women cannot enter, but also because of the presense of reading material.
One turning point I noticed in chapter 23 was that Offred, if i remember correctly, had thought about a violent action for the first time. When she was going to leave the Commander, Offred thought, "...slip out the lever...and drive the sharp end into him suddenly between the ribs. I think about the blood coming out of him..." (140). Offred clearly had a desire to kill the Commander right there and then.
ReplyDeleteOffred's thought was similar to Moira's action. Moira jabbed a pointed lever behind Aunt Elizabeth's ribs (130). This shows that Offred is leaning towards "Moira's side" other than the "Aunt's side." Moira represents a rebellious character while the Aunts represent loyal characters within the society. Chapter 23 could be showing a turning point where we see how Offred is becoming more rebellious and intent on escaping Gilead.
I feel as if Offred became an embracer of the Gilead purpose.From details of chapter 23 I am inferring the Commander will have a child with Offred since he asks her to kiss him (Atwood.135) and calls for her at night, alone. When Offred said she intended on leaving she thought she was next to have a child, a daughter in specific (135). This shows that although Offred intended on leaving, the Gilead purpose began to affect her. In addition, Offred wants a daughter, which would be adding another woman or handmaid to the Gilead society which is also embracing the purpose. Offred began to embrace the Gilead purpose which is a turning point since her original plan was leaving.I feel the word "reconstruction" is important at the very end of chapter 23 since it was one of the repeated words. She used the word to describe her affairs with the commander when he asked her to please him as if she meant it(140). This shows that Offred is becoming an embracer since she will reproduce for the commander.
ReplyDeleteChapters 23 and 24 are turning points in the Handmaid because Offred and the Comander broke the rules. offred is not sopposed to be alone with the commander especially not in his room becuase it is strictly forbidden. atwood shows the turning point when she says "my presence is illegal." ( atwood, 136). this shows a turning point becuase before chapters 23 and 24 offres would have tried to avoid dangerous situations but this one time she breakin the rules and is going with the commander. the event of offred alone with the commander lead to another turning point becuase not only is it wrong for them to be alone, but the commander asks offred to play scramble with him and kiss him as if she ment it( atwood 139) atwood is begining to use certain words to show that not even the commander is happy in society becuase hes asking Offred to kiss him as if she ment it meaning as if she really felt something for him. atwood uses words in her writing such as "hello" which is an old form of greeting which forshadowed that maybe the upcoming events would be somthing that could only happen before the gilead society took over. atwood also changes the way she describes the charachters for example she describes the commander as "puzzled" indicating he feels lost or confused perhaps.
ReplyDeleteAtwood indicates certain symbols such as:
1) eggs (135)
2)flowers (136)
3) colors such as pink, red, white, black (138,141,145,146)
I don't understand the part where Offred is mentioning about that she needs perspective, and her being two-dimensions. Is there a hidden message or what? What is she trying to tell the readers?
ReplyDeleteThe way Atwood is telling what Offred and the Commander is doing and feeling in chapter 23 to 24 shows a change in what Atwood is telling us and how she is writing. In the past chapters, Atwood had talk mostly about Offred's experiences and her memory. In that way, she presents us the society of the Gilead, and the past life of Offred during the pre-Gilead time period. However, starting from chapter 23, Atwood is describing the setting with great details and start to put feelings into the charaters. When Offred entered the Commander's room, Atwood described how everything is layout and put together(137). This change of her writting shows that now she's getting into depth with the characters, and she needs to set up a setting for the readers to picture for. The descriptions of the Commander's room shows that there would be an important scene there, and the readers need to picture in their head what's happening. The description of the setting by Atwood is like a hint for the reader that saids now she will go into the details of the characters. Atwood's way of writting had changed because now Atwood ahd changed in what she's telling a story about.
ReplyDeleteThe turning point of the story is that Offred now has power. Offred, a mere Handmaid, is wanted for something other than children. The Commander is willing to put himself at risk for her, for his own desires. Instead of having a strictly professional relationship of just having sex for children, he now wants something of more depth, more feeling. The Commander is now lonely. A recurring word in The Handmaid's Tale is "dangerous." It is dangerous for the Commander to feel this way, to desire such things. It is dangerous for him to trust Offred. It is dangerous for Offred to meet him but it is also dangerous for her to not. "my presence is illegal." ( atwood, 136) The Commander is putting himself in danger, Offred has power over him, to report him. But if Offred reports him, she would go down with him. But she won't do that, she seems like she has something planned. "This is conspiracy" (139).
ReplyDeleteI would also like to point out a change in the writing on page 147. On the very last line, Offred says, "All I can hear now is the sound of my own heart, opening and closing, opening and closing, opening" (147). There was no period in the last line, that shows that the sentence should go on, that Offred is lingering to say something. She also ends that sentence with "opening" rather than closing, this could possibly mean that her heart is open to new ideas, a new perspective on life.
I forgot to mention where Offred says "dangerous."
ReplyDelete"Now of course it's something different. Now it's forbidden, for us. Now it's dangerous" (138).
There were a couple turning points that stood out to me when reading chapters 23 and 24 of The Handmaid's Tale.
ReplyDeleteThe first was when Offred was invited by the commander to play scrabble with him (137)
when she opens the door to this secret, forbidden room, Offred gets a glimpse of what she believes is "normal life". Offred feels a sense of freedom when playing scrabble with the Commander because she is doing something strictly banned. This is a turning point for Offred because it makes her more aware of the power she posses, Offred even says "but to refuse to see him could be worse, there's not doubt about who holds the real power" (136).
Keeping this power in mind Offred has thoughts that have never occurred in her head before, violent thoughts. As a Handmaid, Offred has been taught to follow the command of the Aunts and to stay truthful to her place in society, her thoughts of killing the commander(139) go against this in more than one way. These violent thoughts are a turning point for Offred because it is leading her in the direction of Moira and her mother as opposed to Janine, she is rejecting the authority. These thoughts to some extent foreshadow what Offred will do in the future because instead of just fantasizing about leaving Gilead, she is planning.
I wanted to add that I completely agree with Amy about her view on Offred's desire to escape. I believe this connects to what Matt said about how Atwood is making Offred more aware of her surroundings. These two concepts are intertwined because Offred has a new alluring desire to escape because she has gradually become more aware of her surroundings.
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