https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb You are halfway through the book, what is your reaction? What have been some of your thoughts as you're reading? en-us 2017-02-23 13:17:14 UTC 2017-02-23 15:05:43 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760188 In the beginning of the book, I was very confused and didn't know what was going on, but now it's a little more clear. I also find it ironic that this society is trying to change everything from what it used to be, but there are things that are still very similar. For instance, in how women are treated as only objects for their ovaries and how men are still above everything.]]> 2017-02-23 14:43:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760188 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760256 I was confused at the beginning of the book, but the colors and other symbols are starting to make more sense. I also think Moira presents herself as a rebel and different than most of the other girls at the time - which influences Offred to really start to question the society. Overall, it is scary for me to think about living in this society and how it mirrors several aspects of today's world currently - like the environment. This book is really interesting and I enjoy reading it.  ]]> 2017-02-23 14:43:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760256 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760327 In the beginning of the novel I was very confused, but as the story has continued it started making more sense.  I find the entire story interesting and it keeps me entertained.  The characters seem like regular modern day people, especially Offred, and makes it easy to relate to.  It makes me wonder though because it seems like a majority of the people in this society are unhappy so why would they deal with it.  I'm excited to see what happens next.]]> 2017-02-23 14:43:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760327 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760337 At the beginning of the book, everything confused me, but now I am starting to see the significance of all the confusing aspects that were presented at the beginning of the book. I also think that there are a lot of parallels between this book and The Awakening. I think this book is creepy and presents us with situations that seem so crazy, but in reality could happen. This book also stresses the importance of women in society and how there will be no future without women. Even though I am still kinda confused, I enjoy reading this book. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:43:32 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760337 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760343 I feel like this society is a possibility for the future and that's scary. The problems they faced to get to that point are eerily similar to the problems we face today, for example, the environmental problems. I would really hate it if I had to give up my voice and give up my opinions to become a walking womb. It is weird to see the shift from the importance of men to the spotlighting of women. Although, I feel like there is some hope for the women when we see Ofglen telling Offred of the other girls who also do not believe in the system.]]> 2017-02-23 14:43:32 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760343 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760437 At first, I was confused by the author's choice of going back and forth between the past and present times. Now, I understand that the past is what influenced the future society. I think it is interesting how the past times seemed to include more emotion than the present society in the book. The characters in the present society seemed to be living on a repeated loop of what they do each day.]]> 2017-02-23 14:43:43 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760437 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760643 The beginning confused me because it didn't give any background about why things were the way they were. As the book went on and we discussed the symbols and started piecing things together they began to make more sense. It;s hard to grasp the society they live in and understand it when it is very different from today. I like when Offred relates things back to her former life and has flashbacks. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760643 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760730 This book blows my mind. I cannot believe the things the women are forced to endure and I do not understand how they do it. It is strange to me that the author is basically predicting this and it is a little bit scary. I never want this for myself, but I enjoy reading this book, and I like how it pieces itself together as time goes on.]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:19 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760730 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760749 I really like this book and I think the idea of a society like this is really interesting and weirdly realistic. It gets confusing at parts, but the class discussions and the more you read, the more it makes sense. I don't like how it keeps going from past to present, but I do like how Offred remembers her old, regular life with Moira and her mom, and Luke and her daughter, and things like that. It's a good mix of a dystonpian, overthrow-the-government stuff with a love story and women's rights. I think Atwood is really funny, and uses good irony in the book to help remind us of the struggles we go through as women, the fight for abortion, oppression, the death penalty, IVF, and so forth. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:21 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760749 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760759 At first I was so lost with the names, the colors, and the rituals, but with more and more background it's starting to make sense piece by piece with some confusing parts here and there. Every time something weird comes up like scrabble for some reason I'm still blindsided, like what the heck is going on. It's scar that a lot of this seems attainable in the future at the rate we're going right now. When Offred questions her new life it's kind of sad because she had a husband and a child and now all she is, along with other women is literally just a container for a baby]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760759 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760829 At the beginning I was pretty confused but now that I have read more I have gained a better understanding of the characters particularly Offred and her position in this confined and strange society as she remembers little aspects of her old life such as her "secret name" and daughter. I want to know more about her previous life before this society, this book is keeping me interested.]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:32 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760829 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760862 In the beginning of the book, I was very confused. But, after learning about the significance of Offred's name and putting together how the society works it makes a lot more sense. I think it is interesting learning about their society because it is so different.]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:36 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760862 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760888 I really wasn't confused at the beggining because I was expecting it to be a hard read so I was reading very closely so I never had no idea what was happening- now that we are towards the middle I have enjoyed watched offred's journey and I find it very interesting how many times Atwood connects this unfathomable society to ours today. My favorite connecting so far is the lack of true love. Offred and the other handmaidens are forced to just "go through the motions" and I believe mane people today just go through the motions of love because that is just what you do. The meaning of love has been altered in our society especially because women are shamed for not having a man to marry. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760888 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760906 Very strange. 
It is hard to understand why this all started adn what caused society to act in this way.  Also i feel like soceity transitioned so quickly, which is surprising.  They make it seem like authority as everything under control.  It was not that long ago that Offred lived a normal life with Luke and her baby.  Now she is living this extremly different life as a Handmain

]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:40 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760906 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760934 As I read the beginning of the book, I was curious about where the religious aspect would take the story. However, now the most interesting part to me is the idea that pollution has caused society to end up like this. I do not necessarily like the idea of this utopian society, but I think it would be neat to visit it and exprience the strange culture. Some of the more recent parts of the book (Offred getting closer to the Commander) remind me of Edna and her passion for Robert. I actually like the Commander as a character. His feelings towards Offred do surprise me, but I am not upset about it. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:42 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760934 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760976 At the beginning of the book, I was very confused and kind of bored, but as the book went along and I got further into it, I found it interesting and not as confusing.  Some parts still confuse me, but the stories that Offred tell are interesting to me.  I like reading about what is happening in this society they all live in. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:46 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760976 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760980 I think it is rather interesting. I enjoy being challenged to figure out what is happening. I like how the novel really is just a extreme form of what is relevant today. Also, I enjoy the tidbits about what can happen when a person/society is forbidden from reading. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:48 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155760980 jfaron https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761065 I was confused in the beginning and I didn't realize it until we discussed in class about the names like offred. I was also confused about the colors. It's making more sense as I keep reading. Some parts are still confusing though and pretty weird. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:44:57 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761065 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761123 The beginning of the book was confusing and frustrating because I didn't know what was going on. Now that we know more about the background it makes more sense. It's interesting to see how the world changed so drastically and how similar the book is to our world.]]> 2017-02-23 14:45:06 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761123 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761249 I was really confused at the beginning of the book, but I think the whole concept is scary because of how much it can be related to our society today. I am beginning to understand it more, and I am very interested to find out what will happen. There is still a little confusion as to why this is happening and how it began, but I think we will learn that soon. ]]> 2017-02-23 14:45:21 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761249 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761717 I am excited to see that Offred is not the only one against the government and norms of the society. I want to see who is the 'us' that Ofglen told Offred about and what the underground society is doing to take back women's freedom.]]> 2017-02-23 14:46:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155761717 https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155767842 I can honestly say that this is one of the few books that I've actually enjoyed reading at St. Joe. It interests me and makes me think about what if the world around me was controlled. This book really makes me appreciate the freedom I've gotten my entire life. It reminds me of last semester when I studied North Korea and how horrible their lives were. Overall, I really like this book. ]]> 2017-02-23 15:00:36 UTC https://padlet.com/tkohler2/zd2bt0yn11qb/wish/155767842