https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk Answer each prompt and then meaningfully comment on the response of a peer. Put your name as the title of your response. en-us 2022-04-13 15:22:11 UTC 2022-04-13 16:46:02 UTC hello@padlet.com grossmj https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142572553 To what extent is knowledge beneficial to Offred? ]]> 2022-04-13 15:22:49 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142572553 grossmj https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142574529 How does our knowledge of Offred's experiences during the rise of Gilead and Luke's reactions to her experiences adjust our perception of Luke?]]> 2022-04-13 15:23:58 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142574529 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142676541 Knowledge is helpful to Offred as it helps her maintain sanity. In a world where everything familiar to her has all but disappeared and she feels her personal agency being stripped more and more each day, knowledge of how Gilead works operates as a way for her to grasp this unfamiliar world, keeping her grounded, and knowledge of the world before Gilead gives her an escape from her life as a Handmaid.]]> 2022-04-13 16:34:41 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142676541 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142677926 Knowledge is beneficial. to Offerd becuase it offers her the opportunity to be more than just a handmaid. With the scrabble games and opportunities to read, Offred's knowledge is expanded and this occupies her mind. It doesn't have any benefit in the scene that it doesn't allow to her do her job better, but I presume it will definitely help her in whatever uprising I predict she will lead]]> 2022-04-13 16:35:36 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142677926 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142678634 In Gilead, even knowledge is a privilege for example reading is forbidden so knowledge is a form of rebellion and a way to experience freedom ]]> 2022-04-13 16:36:06 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142678634 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679245 Knowledge will be dangerously beneficial to Offred. As the curious individual, knowledge will only expand her need for escape and fill her head with ideas of freedom. This is beneficial since she would be stuck in a life of ignorance without it. She thrives off of this dangerous thinking since she can't take the blandness of the world around her.]]> 2022-04-13 16:36:33 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679245 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679696 Knowledge is beneficial to Offred because knowledge in Gilead feels like a gift and reminds her of her past, allowing her to stay sane. She also feels like she can escape the reality of Gilead and be able to overcome the rules of being a handmaid when she gets knowledge from the Commander. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:36:51 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679696 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679769 Knowledge allows Offred to slowly make her way throughout Gilead without becoming fully corrupt by its flawed and unjust system. She is able to go along with their traditions in order to survive but find ways to uses her knowledge of "the real world" in order to keep her beliefs in check. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:36:54 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679769 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679949 I think to Offred, knowledge can only be so beneficial. Yes, knowledge can give her an idea of "What's going on" and the workings of Gilead, but it can also cause temptation and force her to wish for something that is unattainable (such as more freedom, for example) or make her more miserable. But overall, knowledge that she attains from her time with the Commander will only serve to better her understanding and hopefully find a way to break out of the  society of Gilead.]]> 2022-04-13 16:37:02 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142679949 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142680443 I think knowledge, in this case, is not very beneficial to Offred. In her situation, she has enough of an understanding of her current situation to realize that she is being oppressed and living a life that isn't hers. I think that in some cases, ignorance is bliss, and this is one of those cases. To truly understand and comprehend one's immoral and oppressed life is something that is really hard to deal with as we saw earlier this year in The Things They Carried. People lose their morality and sense of themselves when they are able to fully comprehend their situation. There is a case to be made that the human brain isn't supposed to fully understand extremely tough situations and when the brain is able to grasp the full extent of trauma and hardship, cognitive dissonance ensues and the mental deterioration of a human is sped up. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:37:25 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142680443 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142680836 Offred uses knowledge as something new and exciting to offer in a world where her purpose is singular. The act of learning is a way to have a sense of freedom and new experiences without directly disobeying the rules of Gilead. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:37:44 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142680836 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142682065 I think that knowledge is beneficial to Offred because, in the society that they live in, she is viewed not as a person but as a vessel for creating a child. When she starts to play scrabble with the Chancellor, she has the opportunity to read and remind herself that even though she is a woman, she is actually capable. This helps her keep her own mind, and not be completely brainwashed by Gilead. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:38:39 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142682065 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142682092 Andrew: Knowledge is beneficial to Offred as it is one of her only possessions in Gilead, that is the knowledge of her past life and the time before Gilead that she can escape to (ie memories of her child, . Over the course of the novel, she begins to think more of the past, feeling a deeper connection to it. Such knowledge and memory, I think, represent a large chunk of who she is. Without it, I feel that she would see herself as less of a human being as much of her beliefs and POV are rooted in her knowledge and memory of the past.]]> 2022-04-13 16:38:40 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142682092 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142682342 Knowledge is extremely beneficial to everyone in Gilead but especially to Offred as she uses it to benefit herself and help her. It helps her because she uses her own knowledge to understand what parts of society are right and wrong and allows her to understand how to act and when to act in certain ways. For examples, she knows that some things in Gilead may be lawfully enforced even though these laws are merely incorrect. She uses her knowledge to also remember what the old Gilead was like and what her old self was like, to help keep her sane and bring some sort of joy into her life. Offred uses her knowledge to make good judgement in society and make sure she is not putting herself too much at risk. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:38:53 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142682342 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142683547 Prior to learning more about Luke in the most recent chapters, he is painted as Offred's love, her saving grace. We also know that he is the father to her child, giving him a more protective aura. However, after the most recent chapters, we learn that even in Offred's own eyes, he is not so perfect. She begins to doubt how much he respects her as an individual. She feels the shift in power dynamic. However, it can also be noted that there were hints that Luke was not nearly as whimsical and perfect as he seemed previously - for example, we knew that Luke was actually in a marriage and that Offred was his affair. This could potentially point to how Luke views women. 

Something interesting about Luke is that he represents the complexities of love and human emotion - despite Offred's unease towards him in the early years of Gilead, she still thinks back upon him with fond memories, still believes that he is alive, futile as that belief may be.]]> 2022-04-13 16:39:47 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142683547 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142685081 as the power dynamic in Gilead shifted to a society dominated by men, the same happened in their relationship. Offred began to notice he was treating her as an object he owned and not protesting this power. This causes us to wonder why Offred still thinks so highly of Luke considering her deep hatred for male domination ]]> 2022-04-13 16:41:01 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142685081 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142686498 Offred benefits from the knowledge around her as she lives very limited and censored. Maintaining knowledge about Gilead and even small things happening around the house keeps her humanity as a handmaid. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:42:15 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142686498 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142687314 We know from previous chapters that Luke was Offred's partner before they and their daughter tried to escape from Gilead. Luke actually had an affair with Offred which she seemed to have very little issue with. Once the new laws were implemented in Gilead and women lost their right to their own belongings to their husbands, Offred felt that Luke enjoyed the shift in power and wasn't very comfortable with the fact that he practically owned her now. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:42:54 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142687314 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142687319 Although it doesn't necessarily conflict with the idea we had of Luke before the experiences, Offred's flashbacks solidify Luke as a character who cares and is willing to sacrifice for Offred. The initiative Luke showed when he killed their cat symbolized that he was willing to leave their old, more comfortable, way of life behind in order to make Offred happy. As a man, Luke could have thrived in the regime, yet he throws his life away for the person he loves. The reader is now more inclined to respect Luke for his loyalty and prioritization of his wife. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:42:55 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142687319 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142688166 Our knowledge of Offred's experiences during the rise of Gilead, and Luke's reaction to them, makes me dislike him. At the beginning of the book, Offred described him as much more mysterious and kind. However, the more the book progresses, the more we find out about him. We learn that he is married, and does not really respect Offred at all. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:43:32 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142688166 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689141 our knowledge of offred's experiences during the rise of Gilead, as well as her reactions adjust our perception of Luke as we originally saw him as Offred's romantic partner and the father of her child. However, this portrayal of Luke did not encompass the full truth as later on we discover that he does not have as much respect and love for Offred as we originally thought. We find out that Offred was merely just an afterthought and this was Luke's second marriage. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:44:15 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689141 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689449 2022-04-13 16:44:30 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689449 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689587 Knowledge of Offred's experiences during the rise of Gilead and Luke's reactions to her experiences give us a new look on Luke. So far throughout the book, I have envisioned Luke as an almost perfect character as he seems to be extremely nice and respectful but as we read these recent chapters we have gotten to understand that this may not be totally and completely true. Luke has begun to treat Offred differently as he now understands that society is now male-dominated and he begins to bring these ideas into his life with Offred. He is no longer as respectful of women, especially Offred, and he is beginning to become someone who should not be so highly viewed by someone like Offred.]]> 2022-04-13 16:44:37 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689587 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689647 I think that Offred began gaining power and some form of financial and mental independence with her job, but when this was taken away, so was her freedom. When women lost power and the dynamic shifted, Luke couldn't offer Offred the support she needed, because he knew not what it was like to lose that much free will. Becuase of this, he no longer necessarily respected her or saw her as an equal, which Offred clearly understood becuase this is coming from her prespective in the book]]> 2022-04-13 16:44:40 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689647 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689802 When we initially were introduced to Luke he was shown as a positive figure in Offred's life. However as we learn about Offred's experiences Luke is shown to have more flaws especially knowing that Offred was Lukes's mistress and they were not married, also Luke began to treat Offred terribly and control her, he seemed to be taking influence on the way Gilead only saw women as just baby-makers. It seems Luke has a strong influence on Offred because after we learned how he treated Offred negatively she still remembers him fondly. ]]> 2022-04-13 16:44:47 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689802 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689806 I think there definitely is a sort of power shift/dynamic in Luke and Offred's relationship that Offred perceives because of the rapidly changing society (all women being fired from their jobs, their bank accounts transferred). I feel that Luke does try to assure Offred that nothing in their relationship has changed, but it can do only so much to convince Offred as she no longer has anything of her own. She even feels that "I am his"; that they no longer are "each other's, anymore."  ]]> 2022-04-13 16:44:47 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142689806 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142690475 Our perception of luke changes as the power shifts solely to men. The relationship stopped being a collaboration and became onesided ]]> 2022-04-13 16:45:14 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142690475 https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142691424 Luke's importance has become more pronounced throughout the book, yet it is important to note the two different settings where the two interact. However, in Gilead which is far more male-dominated then the US before it was taken over, Luke's actions toward Offred as well as her perception of Luke shifts away from the caring father figure, especially when it was found that Luke was already married and only engaged with Offred in the form of an affair. Given his gender, Luke's position is higher than Offred's and their feelings toward each otehr shift overtime as society's strict rules, gender roles, and standards of reacting between members of different genders and classes taint their relationship to make it appear more surface level and thoughless/loveless.]]> 2022-04-13 16:45:57 UTC https://padlet.com/grossmj/fip87zuywdyetudk/wish/2142691424