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Johanna

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About Johanna

  • Birthday 12/10/1972

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  1. I have to confess this is one of the most surreal books I’ve ever read. But it is so well written that I am keeping this gem forever. Margaret Atwood is now in my list of fave authors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Trace Moira's role throughout the tale to determine what she symbolizes. Moira was the rebel, the inevitable cork popper in any controlled/repressed situation. She symbolized hope and freedom, although she becomes a tired symbol towards the end. That disturbed me, as much as it disturbed Offred. When Moira became indifferent, it was like hope changing to apathy --- you really can’t win sometimes, no matter how hard you try. 2. How does the new republic of Gilead's social order often resemble a palimpsest? I think a new society cannot rise from scratch. It must have its precedents. Although they tried to wipe out the old and bring in the new, the Gileadean republic had its foundations in the Old Testament, the stories and philosophies simply twisted to justify the subjugation of women and the “rightness” of a dominant patriarchal society. Also, it borrows heavily from extreme Moslem beliefs of male dominance and female inferiority. So, Gilead’s roots are an amalgam of both Hebrew and Moslem extremist theology. That’s the way it came across to me. 3. Why is the Bible under lock and key in Gilead? In medieval Europe, it was sacrilege for the common man to read the Bible. In fact, it was also sacrilegious to translate the Book from Latin to the common tongue. This was how the Catholic Church controlled everyone before. Only the clergy were trained to read it and so it was only they who could interpret it in their own terms and for their own purposes. This is much like the reason for the Bible’s exclusivity. The Bible justified Gilead’s existence. It was their weapon that led to the successful establishment of the order. But the Bible is a book that is open to a lot of interpretations and also contradictions. So, it can be Gilead’s downfall as well. 4. Was there a particular part you disliked more than the rest? I agree with Kell and Pontalba ---the particution scene was particularly disturbing. The execution is so brutal and inhuman. If we were to imagine ourselves as the handmaids in Gilead, we would have to give free reign to our cruel and brutal selves, ripping someone apart and relishing his agonizing death. Wouldn’t this scar our souls? Make us indifferent to evil? 5. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? Yes, this is my first foray into Margaret Atwood’s work and definitely my first surreal novel. I would definitely read more of her as long as she delivers the same top-calibre writing---very poetic, elegant, even while being jarring or snide. I find her very unique.
  2. Hi there -just wanted to say I love your avatar!

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