Response to The Handmaid’s Tale【1】

The Handmaid’s Tale is a long story. I haven’t read such long English story. This is the first time. This is a hard reading book actually. I was amazed at the length then I was going to look at the brief introduction. From the introduction, I know the interesting thing is this is a book about future and it is not a typically science fiction book. The story’s writing is from the magnetic tape which is a dictation of a handmaid who is from Gilead. Gilead is non-existent country nowadays but in book it is actually what the handmaid come from. That’s why the book is being called science fiction story. Gilead is a very special country which is controlled by religion. Commander is a type of powerful man. Handmaid is used by them. They may be too old or their wife cannot get a baby, the government is going to send a handmaid to the family. Handmaid is a special name for this type of woman. However, this woman in that country is only been treated as a moving womb. The narrator is one of the woman. Because she has the ability to have a baby, she was been sent to a commander. The only reason for she stay in this family is to have sex with commander and have a baby. Serena Joy who is the wife of the commander hated Offred. There are an organization which is trying to save the handmaid called May Day. Finally, May Day saved Offred. Offred has a friend called Moria. She is a lesbianism. Lesbianism cannot live in Gilead. There are two ways for them to live: one is go to the "the colonies", another is to be a prostitute. She becomes a prostitute.

I am sorry that I cannot tell the story smoothly. The story is a little shocked to me. While reading the books, I am always wondering why a country will become like that in the short several years. How can a freedom country become a religion controlled and even patriarchy country? Just because some woman was been raped? Just because the babies are more likely disabled? Those reason cannot convince me at all. I get the information from the Chinese version which told me that because the religious extremists. I do not know. How can such a big countries been destroyed only by those people?

The second thing is why Gilead cheated most woman like a moving womb. And Gilead also divided man into several part. I just cannot understand people there are almost been educated in college not only man but also women why they will obey the government. The power of revolting is massive, but why they don’t? People will be crazy if they have get the free but lose it suddenly. Why the man and woman do not revolt and just set up an organization called May Day. However, I think I can understand why a person is doing like this. But why in the whole background, cannot be others who are fighting with the new regime? Maybe Offred cannot receive the information which is from the outside. The only way going outside is going to buy the food and there will be a handmaid together to supervise each other. Offred has a great handmaid Ofglen once, but she was killed herself because of the secret of May Day has been known by someone. And there are no other way that she can get information so does the other woman. Like in China, people can only know the greatness of it but none of badness.

        There should be a huge revolutionary to revolt the regime. The Gilead will become free again. I cannot even imagine that I have no identity and what I can only do is to be a pregnant. The only thing of a woman is to be a womb. I do not know what I can do. But the only thing I want to do is to leave this hell. Go somewhere better, to live myself! And if I cannot chose leave and revolt, maybe the only way for me is death.