https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes When you have finished reading the novel make comments / questions that relate to the themes, issues, concerns and messages in the novel. en-us 2018-06-13 21:30:23 UTC 2018-06-14 22:48:20 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267281965 Gilead is a society where only the true believers of the regime are happy. Even though the Commander is a very high ranking officer in Gilead, we see that he is still unhappy. This shows us the dangers of mixing religion with government. Some places where this is a problem today include Saudi Arabia, laws about rape, women. ]]> 2018-06-14 22:23:38 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267281965 https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282011 One of the ways women are controlled in Gilead is by preventing them from having free conversation, to read, and to write. Without this they don't have the freedom to spread their ideas and learn new things about the world, hindering their ability to do action. Such as in some countries such as Cambodia and Pakistan, it is seen as strange to for woman to go to school, and more then half of women in the previous mention countries can't even read or write. It has been linked that in places where literacy rate of women is lower, the equality of women in those countries are lower too.]]> 2018-06-14 22:24:15 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282011 https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282143
Many of the themes in the book about the treatment of women and restrictions around them are similar to those of developing countries such as Syria and Iraq. This is interesting as Gilead is meant to be technologically and societally advanced (in the commanders eyes) and shows once the country is in a state of emergency (devastation) it ends up going back to very primitive values and radical christian beliefs. ]]> 2018-06-14 22:25:58 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282143 https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282201 Language is the only way that Offred is able to show resistance in Gilead. When Offred begins to play scrabble with the commander she begins to outwardly resist the regime. There are still people who manage to resist the regime through talking and thoughts, there are still things that cannot be taken away from them. ]]> 2018-06-14 22:26:54 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282201 https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282266 A historical event that parallels the Handmaid's Tale is when women in Nazi Germany were given awards and extra benefits when they give birth to certain numbers of children (six "desirable" children would get you a medal and money etc). This was because this was the main focus and "use" of women in Nazi Germany society. This is similar to how if Handmaid's gave birth, they can avoid becoming an Unwoman whilst receiving three strikes would bring them Colonies. The roles of men and women in Nazi Germany are similar to those of Gilead- the men who work and can get high ranking etc. whilst women's roles were taking care of the household (such as the wives, Marthas, and Handmaids) and giving birth etc. ]]> 2018-06-14 22:28:01 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282266 https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282595 Opens the discussion of how the human race will operate once we run out of the earths resources.]]> 2018-06-14 22:31:55 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282595 https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282727 Gilead tries to completely control people and prevent them from having certain privileges, smoking and alcohol are meant to be outlawed but we still see people smoking throughout the novel, having bought the cigarettes in a black market. Gilead tries to prevent people from "falling in love" or having sex recreationally but we see that there is an underground club (Jezebel's) and that Nick and Offred still can meet up and have sex in secret. This shows us that people can never be completely controlled. ]]> 2018-06-14 22:33:02 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267282727 https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267283374 We can relate the eye to cctv in todays world and how this affects privacy, whether a person is physically watching you its still there.]]> 2018-06-14 22:42:05 UTC https://padlet.com/willsmartin44/HandmaidsTaleThemes/wish/267283374