Handmaid's Tale-Journal 1

Topic A

“Serena Joy lets go of my hands. ‘You can get up now,’ she says.  ‘Get up and go out.’  She’s supposed to have me rest, for ten minutes, with my feet on a pillow to improve the chances.  This is meant to be a time of silent meditation for her, but she’s not in the mood for that.  There is a loathing in her voice, as if the touch of my flesh sickens and contaminates her.  I untangle myself from her body, stand up; the juice of the Commander runs down my legs.  Before I turn away I see her straighten her blue skirt, clench her legs together; she continues lying on the bed, gazing up at the canopy above her, stiff and straight as an effigy.  Which of us it worse for, her or me?” (Atwood 95).

This passage comes during the Ceremony.  All of the members of the household had to sit through the Ceremony because that is what is required of them by the government.  The government makes people sit through this ceremony because they believe that it is part of the process of having a baby.  The ultimate goal of the government is to have babies be born and this is shown through the mandated rest time that is supposed to happen.  The word “supposed” makes it known that someone is making Serena give Offred that rest time, which further reveals what the government’s goal is.   Serena tells Offred what to do and when to do it and this shows that women in Serena’s position, wives, have control over women in Offred’s position, handmaids.  Earlier in the section there are multiple events showing the restriction put on Offred by the Angels and the Guardians, the “police force” of the government.  The restriction is explained through this passage by showing the lack of control Offred has and why she has that lack of control; to ensure that babies are born.  Serena’s “loathing” shows the lack of peace within the society, specifically between Wives and handmaids.  This lack of peace occurs because the government requires men to have handmaids to ensure that babies are born.  This upsets the traditional standards of marriage.