The Handmaid's Tale, Part 1: Crash Course Literature 403

Summary

In this Crash Course Literature episode, John Green explores Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale,' a dystopian novel inspired by real despotisms and written as a response to Orwell's '1984.' Green discusses Atwood's background, the novel's setting in the Republic of Gilead, and its themes of oppression and resilience. He highlights Offred's struggle to maintain her humanity and individualism amidst a society that seeks to control and dehumanize women. The episode emphasizes the speculative nature of the fiction, its grounding in reality, and its cautionary message about the potential for such a dystopia to occur.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script is from a Crash Course Literature episode discussing dystopian themes and focusing on George Orwell's '1984' and Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
• 📖 'The Handmaid's Tale' was inspired by Orwell's '1984' and was written by Atwood in 1984, presenting a dystopia from a female perspective.
• 👩‍🏫 Margaret Atwood is a Canadian author, critic, and one of the country's leading literary figures, known for her work in fiction, poetry, and essays.
• 🌐 The script humorously addresses the disconnect between the magic of reading and the mundanity of authors' Twitter accounts, with a special mention of Atwood's engaging presence on the platform.
• 🏡 Atwood's childhood was spent partly homeschooled and partly accompanying her entomologist father, which contrasts with the grim realities of the dystopias she writes about.
• 📚 The dystopian elements in 'The Handmaid's Tale' are based on real-life events and reports that Atwood collected, showing that fiction can be a response to history.
• 🎭 The Republic of Gilead, the setting of 'The Handmaid's Tale', is a theocratic regime where women are subjugated based on their fertility and societal roles.
• 👩‍🦲 The main character, Offred, represents the subjugated women, renamed to signify their possession by the commanders they serve.
• 🤔 The script explores the concept of empathy and humanity in the face of dystopian horrors, highlighting Offred's ability to empathize even in extreme circumstances.
• 🚫 The narrative of 'The Handmaid's Tale' critiques the idea of regression as a response to societal decline, warning against the dangers of seeking a glorified past.
• 📖 Atwood defines 'The Handmaid's Tale' as speculative fiction, using real-world tools and settings to explore potential futures, emphasizing the genre's role in understanding societal limits.
• 🌟 The episode concludes by emphasizing the importance of imagination in literature, suggesting that what we can imagine has the potential to become real.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the Crash Course Literature episode discussed in the transcript?

The main theme is the exploration of dystopian literature, specifically focusing on George Orwell's '1984' and Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale', and the real-life inspirations behind the latter.

Why does John Green mention dystopias in the context of the present?

He mentions dystopias to contrast the imagined futures where things have gone horribly wrong with the present, implying that there are lessons to be learned from dystopian literature about current societal issues.

What is Margaret Atwood's contribution to literature and how does she engage with social media?

Margaret Atwood is a prolific author with over 40 books of fiction, poetry, and essays, and is a leading literary critic in Canada. She is known for her active and engaging presence on Twitter, which is considered unusual for authors according to John Green.

What is the significance of the year 1984 in relation to 'The Handmaid's Tale'?

The year 1984 is significant because it is when Atwood began writing 'The Handmaid's Tale', and she was inspired by Orwell's '1984', intending to present a dystopia from a female perspective.

What does Atwood mean by characterizing 'The Handmaid's Tale' as speculative fiction?

Atwood defines speculative fiction as a work that employs means already to hand, such as DNA identification and credit cards, and takes place on planet Earth, exploring possible futures based on current trends and technologies.

What is the Republic of Gilead as depicted in 'The Handmaid's Tale'?

The Republic of Gilead is an ultraconservative theocracy within the former U.S. territory, where much of the land is radioactive or poisoned, and women are subjugated and forced into roles such as handmaids to bear children for the ruling class.

What is the role of a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead?

A handmaid's role is to provide healthy babies for the commanders of the military class. They are women who seem capable of reproducing and are forced into sexual servitude.

How does Offred, the protagonist of 'The Handmaid's Tale', maintain her humanity in the face of oppression?

Offred maintains her humanity by retaining her individualism, eccentricity, and empathy, even amid the horrors she faces. She finds solace in small acts of resistance and private ceremonies that remind her of her past desires and help her stay sane.

What is the significance of the 'ceremony' in the context of 'The Handmaid's Tale'?

The 'ceremony' is a horrifying monthly ritual forced upon handmaids, modeled on a biblical story, which is essentially state-sanctioned rape to bear children for the commanders.

How does 'The Handmaid's Tale' challenge the idea of progress?

The novel challenges the idea of progress by presenting a future where society regresses rather than advances, seeking to restore a glorified past that is oppressive, highlighting the dangers of yearning for the past in the face of societal decline.

What is the importance of storytelling in 'The Handmaid's Tale' for Offred?

Storytelling is important for Offred as it allows her to take control of the narrative, remember her past, and maintain her sanity. It is a form of resistance and a way to ensure her story survives, even if the traditional narratives of heroism are not available to her.