THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood (chapters 1 - 6)

Initial thoughts:

Even before I had been given a copy of the book, I had begun to form some initial thoughts and feelings about the book. Just on hearing the title of the book, my first reaction was to think I would be reading a period novel set in a medieval time period. I assumed it would be told from the point of view of a servant girl/maid who served the Queen/Duchess etc.... and we would be following the story of her life in the palace and we would endure her hardships together. However this could not have been further from the truth. Initially it stood out to me as a book that I would not normally pick up although I was not reluctant to read it and up to now I have been pleasantly surprised.

The book:

I have found the first chapters of the book rather overwhelming but equally I have found them incredibly interesting and intriguing. I feel that Atwood has been very clever in the way she has started this book. She provokes so many questions in the reader's mind that it leaves them no option but to carry on reading in order to discover the answers.

In my opinion, The Handmaids tale strikes me as a novel set in the future (although, there is no mention of a time period so far), and something has happened to society, causing it to take a step back in order for it to be able to move forwards.

In chapters two through six, we learn a lot about the environment and it seems that Atwood is gradually introducing us to this strange, new, dystopian world. In chapter two, the reader is still fairly familiar with the surrounding environment. 'A chair, a table, a lamp' are all things that we are familiar with and use in everyday life. However the fact that everything in the room has been modified to make it suicide proof is the first real clue that we get into the attitudes of the society that our main character is dwelling in. It suggests that the main character (who is still unnamed at this point), is living in a world where her own actions are being controlled by other people, it also point to the suggestion that these people don't trust her and that she is not here because she wants to be.

When 'The bell that measure time is ringing' and the Handmaid ventures out of her room in chapter two, Atwood begins to reveal the hierarchy of the society that the story is set in. When we first meet the Martha, it is immediately clear to us that she is of lower status than the handmaid however it is not immediately obvious why. It is only when the handmaid recalls the Martha Cora recall the fact that it could have been her if she hadn't had her 'tubes tied' we get the first inkling into why the handmaid might be here even if it is not to clear, this is supported later in the book when her and Ofglen are sent into town and they see the men in white coats still hanging from their nooses and they describe 'the placard hung around his neck to show why he had been executed: a drawing of a human foetus'. This indicates to the reader that these men were executed for carrying out abortions for women. This suggests that abortion is forbidden in this society and leads us to believe that this has something to do with the purpose of the handmaids. I say purpose because as the name of her partner suggests (Ofglen = Of Glen. Ofwayne and Ofwarren are other examples) these women no longer have a life of their own but they are owned by their commanders and are treated as so. Therefore, it can be concluded that the handmaid narrating the story will have a similar name to that of her partner.

The colours of each woman's dress also tells us a lot about who they are, what their job is and their position in in the sociological hierarchy.

The red dresses that the Handmaids are made to wear could represent women in scarlet, and seduction which inferences towards the job she has been given, yet not revealed to the reader. The red could also signify the fact that she is a possession of the Commander, she has a contract with him that cannot be broken; almost like a blood contract (blood red). Also this can be liked to page 18 when Atwood uses the phrase "Sister's dipped in blood". Nun's have an agreement with God to serve him, so likening the handmaids to Nuns, not only reflects the religious nature of the society, but it also suggests that they have a contract or an agreement with someone, to serve in some way.

The blue dresses that the Commander's Wives wear, represent their purity and the respect they expect to receive from the handmaids and the marthas. These blue dresses can be likened to the blue dress that the Virgin Mary is often depicted wearing.

Catholic and High church views are a recurring theme throughout the story so far and I believe that this will be no different as the story continues. Not only in the dress that the women are forced to wear, but also in the way that they are made to speak. 'Blessed be the fruit' is the preferred greeting between the handmaids and 'may the Lord open' is the preferred response, however other phrases such as 'praise be' are commonly used in conversation when such conversation is permitted to take place. The term 'blessed be the fruit' could be another nod towards the handmaids purpose and place in this society, Which I think we can now conclude has much to do with bearing children and children are often referred to as the 'fruit of the womb' in religious circles.

The thing I have noticed the most about these first chapters of the book, is that Atwood has used an incredible amount of inference to point towards major points in the book without actually giving to much away too early in the book.