The handmaid’s tale: chapter 2 commentary

This passage from The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Attwood uses stream of consciousness as a record technique to demo the thoughts of the master(prenominal) character, Offred, is going by. Attwood does this very realistically in the wizard that she writes in the way a gentlemans gentleman mind works, by describing the put of the board. Thus the setting of the room is vital as it is through the setting that the storys are explored. The main theme of freedom in the passage is shown through the savets described in her room. The demeanor of writing is structured in a way which reflects the minor details of the human mind ith the deficiency of movement in passage to put emphasize on how Offred refuse to let her mine admiration from the things that are around her, in her room.The tone of the passage changes, first it is more uncertain and unsure and later changes to a more certain tone, this shown through the diction used. Attwood structures her narrative technique in such a way that it creates a uniform setting and creates a sense of everything being controlled or repressed. The sense of freedom that Atwood restricts from Offred in the passage is shown through the description of the room. The narrator focuses on hat she bottom do instead so what she can non do.I can sit in the chair This is ironic because although she is counsel on what she is fitting to do, yet she is reinforcing how limited the things she can do are. Air can come in and make the curtains move The sense of freedom is shown through the movement of the curtains and the flow of the air these objects have a sense of movement whereas her thoughts dont because she can not escape through the partly open windowpane. Attwood uses the repeating of window to emphasize how Offred can see beyond the window still can not do anything about it.This depicts the vindication shown in the passage as the slightly open window can be seen as Serena joy taking pleasure in watching the handmaids suf fer, as they are not able to attain freedom precisely just have the slightest taste of it. Offred can not escape only when she can feel the wind slightly touching her. Attwood portrays Offreds thoughts in contrast next to each other(a) to reinforce the lack of freedom. Where I am is not a prison house but a privilege, as Aunt Lydia tell This depicts that she feels she is in a prison because of her lack of freedom but thence Attwood perfectly nds saying that Aunt Lydia says this, and doesnt allow Offred to withdraw about it much further. Offred is presenting her room to sound like a prison but then quickly says that Aunt Lydia told her to see it as a privilege.This shows how Aunt Lydia feels this not her, because of the authorization given to Aunt Lydia. This use of juxtaposition reemphasizes how her room is actually more a prison then a privilege. Offred is portrayed as only if a spectator who can see through the window this besides shows her position in the familiarity of Gilead as she is limited to what she is awake of and she can only reconstruct what he knows. The lack of freedom is hinted throughout the passage I know why in that respect is no glass. Why the window opens only partly and why the glass is shatterproof This implies she is aware of why her freedom is being restricted and reinforces that everything in her room is controlled and unified.The role of the main character, as a handmaid and women and how they cant have there own thoughts are too depicted through the passage. One of the main elements, the infrastructure is being described as highly polished The wood is something that is natural in the room, but it has too been polished.This indicates that everything that is natural is changed in the society she lives in, emphasizing how women are also changed and treat like objects. This is reinforce in waste not want not this has certain subdued hint of cynicism in it, as it should be used to describe an object but it reflects who s he is and how she is detached as she is treated like an object or a property of someone. Why do I want Implying that she doesnt want to be treated like the polished object she is being treated as.Sunlight comes through the window too, and falls on the floor This is the whole oncept of something welcoming entering through the window, yet it doesnt fall on her but on the floor. Attwood is laborious to portray how everything just bypasses Offred and ignores her, which symbolizes how everyone ignores or bypasses Offred. The role of Offred is also hinted throughout the passage. Attwood uses the repetition of white to do this. duster symbolizes something which is pure, which can also mean being virgin, which shows how the women role in the book has a sexual human face to it.This is further revealed when the bed is described as a place where nothing takes lace in the bed but sleep or no sleep This seems like pun with a play on raillery bring in a hint of sarcasm highlighting the change of tone in the passage. This then highlights the theme of the lack of freedom within the society and emphasizes her role is related to sexual activity. The idea of think of it as being in army again puts emphasizes on her role, of doing something as a service and being forced in to doing it. Attwood perceives the role as something that has been in reduced circumstances, implying that there was something before this quantify and it was better.Attwood deals with the concept of thoughts being rationed and the desperation of the main character not to think throughout the passage. The narrative technique of juxtaposition is used in a sense, as Attwood allows her to think so much and then restricts her from going beyond the setting of the room. This desperation of not wanting to think is shown through the use of terse sentences, which helps not getting involved and stops the thinking process. The language used is very powerful but precise making the tone sound bored but yet it is more detached.Thinking can hurt you chances, and int hold back to survive. The idea of the whole passage is shown, as Attwood tries to focus on the small objects in the setting rather then letting Offred thoughts turn over away because she knows that everything must be controlled in the society. The theme of repression and everything being controlled, is also shown in the passage through the uniformity does each of us have the same print, the same chair, the same white curtains, this suggests that everything is meant to be the same. The author depicts how the theme is shown in the portrayal of the room.Things in the room have to be controlled as thought must be rationed thus highlighting the society at the time and its ideals. there is no glass, in front the water-colour picture of blue irises, and why the window opens only partly and why the glass is shatterproof The change in the mood is clearly shown here, as the passage starts with a more detached, uncertain tone of what she can d o or rather not do which leads to the hint of sarcasm and the tone of being more confident and certain about something.The repression is also stressed through the use of the haracter, Aunt Lydia who has an authoritative voice and tries to control the thoughts. Think of it as being in a army and where I am is not a person but a privilege, as Aunt Lydia said, Attwood first uses the imperative tense to show the power and control that the Aunt has, she also makes what Aunt Lydia says seem like a chant and by using the comma to separate what is said with Aunt Lydia she emphasizes this is what Aunt Lydia said and not what she thinks. The passage from The handmaids tale by Margaret Attwood focuses on the setting of the room which is shown as a symbol of her capture.The theme of turning something bad into something good is explored all throughout the passage. This is shown through juxtaposition, braid rags Attwood portrays turning rags into something beautiful which is what she is trying to create throughout the passage by restricting the thoughts of Offred, so that her thoughts dont wander away. The beginning of the passage shows a more uncertain tone, where the thoughts are more restricted but towards the end of the passage the tone is changed to a more cynical tone which implies more of her thoughts.