The importance of religion in The Handmaid

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The importance of religion in The Handmaids Tale
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Epigraph

• Epigraph a poem, quotation, phrase at start of
  a work, in this case inviting comparison and
  establishing context
• Genesis, 30 1-3
• Old Testament story about surrogate mothers on
  whom the story is based.
• Bilhah Rachels handmaid
• It provides the biblical precedents for sexual
  practices in Gilead and raises the issues of
  religious fundamentalism right from the onset of
  the novel.
• Also serves as an introduction for a feminist
  critique of patriarchy where women are regarded
  as sexual and domestic commodities

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Gilead

• In the bible Gilead is an idyllic section of the
  land of the Hebrews, a mountainous region east of
  Jordan.
• In Hebrew the name means heap of stones
• MA probably referring to Jeremiah 822 Is there
  no balm in Gilead is there no physician there?
  Why then is not the health of the daughter of my
  people recovered ?
• One Old Testament reference which Gilead chooses
  not to include occurs in Hosea 68 Gilead is a
  city of wicked men, with footprints of blood.
  (Look for omissions and misinterpretations
  throughout the text)

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Martha

• A Martha is an unmarried, unfertile women who
  perform household duties in the houses of the
  elite.
• In the Gospels, Martha is one of two sisters.
  Martha devotes herself to housework while Mary
  spends her time listening to Jesus speak.
• Jesus praised Mary, whereas Marthas role is
  exalted in Gilead. Do you agree with this
  statement?

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a few biblical allusions to get us started

• Biblical allusions, both direct and
  misinterpreted pervade every level of Gilead
  society establishing context, precedent
  justification.
• Language/propaganda is a major ideological weapon
  of any totalitarian regime. Why has Atwood called
  heavily on the bible and in particular the old
  testament?
• Rachel and Leah Centre (wives of Jacob and
  further evidence of patriarchal comparison
  between bible and Gilead)
• Chpt 11. Offred fears being caught having sex
  with the doctor. He reassures her that two people
  will not break down the locked door. Deuteronomy
  17 6 requires two witnesses to an act of
  adultery for a couple to be stoned to death.
• Chpt 13 The bible to be read by the Commander is
  usually locked in a box. Practice mostly during
  the Dark Ages (300-1000AD). He reads Genesis
  817. 30 1-8 3018 Zechariah 410. His
  selective readings mirrors the censored
  television flipping of Serena before the
  Commander entered the room.
• Implications of locked bible?

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Allusions continued

• Chpt 18. Cushion with the word faith
  embroidered on it. Offred imagines it as part of
  three-cushioned set. So faith, hope, love abide
  thee three, but the greatest of these is love.
  Corinthians 13-13. Notice the two denied to
  Offred.
• Chpt 18. Janine on two-tiered birthing stool, so
  that she can fulfil the biblical practice of the
  maid giving birth on the knees on the wife
• Chpt 31
• Republic of Gilead gave Jews the opportunity to
  immigrate to Israel or convert to the state
  religion. Jews that pretended were hanged.
• Chpt 34
• The orator at the Prayvaganza quotes scripture
  that says women shall save themselves through
  childbearing. He says it was Eve that caused sin
  to enter the world and she must pay for it.

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Atwood on religion lecture

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vVMrz_ivl8jo
• Vocabulary theocracy, predestination/elect
• I dont do prophecy
• A blueprint of the kind of things human beings
  do when theyre put under a certain sort of
  pressure
• Rule of writing book Would not put anything into
  it that human society had not already been done
• Salem hysteria (17th century theology)

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Quotations

• They can hit us, theres Scriptural precedent (3,
  26) precedent for just one of many actions that
  subvert the bible and religion
• Blessed be the fruitMay the Lord open (4,
  29) Gilead is within you (5, 33)
• All flesh is weak, all flesh is grass, I
  corrected her in my headGod made them that way
  but He did not make you that way. He made you
  different. Its up to you to set the boundaries.
  Later you will be thanked. (8, 55)
• Blessed are the meek. She didnt go on to say
  anything about inheriting the earth. (12, 74)
• The Bible is kept locked up, the way people once
  kept locked up, so the servants wouldnt steal
  it. It is an incendiary device who knows what
  wed make of it, if we ever got our hands on?
  (15, 92) He has something we dont have, he has
  the word. How we squandered it, once. (15, 93)
• Oh God, I pray.Is this what you had in mind?
  (15, 102)
• I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy
  conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth
  children. sorry lost the page
• For Adam was not deceived, but the woman being
  deceived was in the transgression (34, 233)