The Handmaid's Tale and The Bible - Literary Context Part 1

Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses biblical references to handmaids, focusing on the Old and New Testament stories that inspired Margaret Atwood's *The Handmaid's Tale*. The discussion covers how handmaids were used for fertility, particularly in the stories of Rachel, Leah, Sarah, and Hagar from the Old Testament. The speaker also touches on Mary from the New Testament as a handmaid of the Lord. This analysis highlights the theme of women's subjugation and their role in providing heirs, drawing parallels to the societal dynamics in Atwood's novel.

Takeaways

• 📖 The concept of a handmaid in the Bible is closely tied to fertility, where maidservants assist wives in bearing children.
• 👩‍❤️‍👩 Margaret Atwood's *The Handmaid's Tale* draws inspiration from biblical stories of handmaids, such as Bilhah, Zilpah, and Hagar.
• 🛏️ Handmaids were used as surrogates to bear children for barren women in the Old Testament, emphasizing the importance of producing heirs.
• 🤱 Rachel, from the Bible, allowed her maid Bilhah to bear children for her husband Jacob when she was unable to conceive.
• ⚔️ A difficult relationship develops between wives and handmaids, as seen in the story of Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar, where tension and mistreatment arose.
• 🙏 Mary, the mother of Jesus, refers to herself as the 'handmaid of the Lord,' linking her role as a servant to God's plan in the New Testament.
• 💡 Fertility and the pressure on women to bear children is a significant theme in both the Bible and *The Handmaid's Tale*, reflecting societal views on women's roles.
• 👶 Handmaids' tale uses the biblical phrase 'blessed be the fruit,' connecting it to the biblical concept of bearing children as a service to humanity and God.
• ⚖️ The imbalance of power between handmaids and wives reflects deeper societal tensions around fertility, control, and women's bodies.
• 💬 Atwood’s work highlights how the Bible portrays women as having to solve fertility issues, often at their own expense and sacrifice.

Q & A

What is the significance of the handmaid in both biblical and Margaret Atwood’s context?

The handmaid in both contexts is closely tied to fertility and childbearing. In the Bible, handmaids were maidservants used by barren wives to bear children for their husbands. Margaret Atwood uses this concept in *The Handmaid's Tale* to depict a dystopian society where women are subjugated and forced into surrogacy.

What are the biblical references that Margaret Atwood draws from in *The Handmaid's Tale*?

Atwood references three key Old Testament stories: Rachel and her maid Bilhah (Genesis 30:1-5), Leah and her maid Zilpah (Genesis 30:9-12), and Sarah and her maid Hagar (Genesis 16:2-6). These stories involve women offering their maidservants to their husbands to bear children due to their own infertility.

How does the biblical concept of handmaids relate to fertility in *The Handmaid’s Tale*?

In the Bible, handmaids are used as surrogates when wives are barren. This theme of fertility and the desperation to produce children is central to *The Handmaid’s Tale*, where a fertility crisis leads to women being enslaved and used as vessels for childbearing.

What is the relationship between wives and handmaids in the biblical stories mentioned?

The relationship is often tense and complicated. In the story of Sarah and Hagar, for instance, Hagar despises Sarah after becoming pregnant, and Sarah responds by treating Hagar harshly. This dynamic of tension and rivalry is echoed in *The Handmaid's Tale* between the wives and handmaids.

How does Rachel’s story in Genesis influence the conception scenes in *The Handmaid’s Tale*?

Rachel’s command to Jacob to 'go in unto her maid Bilhah' and 'she shall bear upon my knees' is mirrored in *The Handmaid’s Tale*. In Atwood’s story, handmaids are ritualistically positioned with wives during conception and birth, reflecting the surrogate nature of these relationships.

Why does the script mention that *The Handmaid's Tale* shows a close relationship between biblical and dystopian surrogacy?

The mention highlights that both the biblical practice of surrogacy and Atwood’s dystopian society involve direct physical interaction and a lack of autonomy for the women involved. In both cases, the handmaids’ bodies are used as tools for childbearing, without regard for their personal agency.

What does the script reveal about the New Testament’s influence on *The Handmaid’s Tale*?

The New Testament influence comes from the story of Mary, who refers to herself as 'the handmaid of the Lord' in Luke 1:26-38. This phrase is used in *The Handmaid’s Tale* as a greeting, 'blessed be the fruit,' linking Mary’s role as a vessel for Christ’s birth to the handmaids’ forced roles in Atwood’s narrative.

How does the relationship between Sarah and Hagar reflect in *The Handmaid's Tale*?

The harsh treatment of Hagar by Sarah, after Hagar conceives a child, reflects the oppressive dynamics in *The Handmaid's Tale*. Just like in the biblical story, there is resentment and cruelty between the wives and the handmaids, as handmaids are viewed as mere vessels for reproduction.

What theological debate does the script hint at regarding Mary’s role in the New Testament?

The script hints at a theological debate surrounding whether Mary’s acceptance of her role as 'handmaid of the Lord' represents a privilege or an imposition. Some might see it as a privilege due to her role in Christianity, while others could argue it reflects a loss of personal freedom and choice.

How does the greeting 'blessed be the fruit' in *The Handmaid's Tale* connect to biblical references?

The greeting 'blessed be the fruit' in *The Handmaid's Tale* is a direct reference to Elizabeth’s words to Mary in the New Testament: 'blessed be the fruit of thy womb.' This ties the fertility theme in Atwood’s world to the biblical story of Mary and the importance of childbearing in both contexts.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Biblical Origins of Handmaids in 'The Handmaid's Tale'

This section introduces the concept of handmaids in the Bible, particularly from the Old Testament, which Margaret Atwood references in *The Handmaid's Tale*. The idea of handmaids revolves around fertility, with women serving as surrogates to bear children on behalf of barren wives. Key figures like Rachel, Leah, and Sarah are introduced, highlighting their relationships with handmaids Bilhah, Zilpah, and Hagar, respectively. Fertility was a mark of honor, and the societal pressure to bear children created complex dynamics between wives, handmaids, and their husbands.

05:01

👩‍❤️‍👩 Tensions Between Wives and Handmaids: Rachel, Leah, and Sarah

Here, the focus is on the tensions and relationships between wives and handmaids in the Bible. Rachel and Leah's use of their handmaids to conceive children for their husband Jacob mirrors the events in *The Handmaid's Tale*. The dynamics between Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar are explored in detail, with Hagar bearing Abraham's child but feeling resentment toward Sarah. This section emphasizes the difficult emotional relationships and power dynamics that arise from using handmaids as surrogates, which Atwood integrates into her narrative.

10:01

🌟 Mary: A New Testament Perspective on Handmaids

In this section, the narrative shifts to the New Testament, focusing on Mary, the mother of Jesus. The angel Gabriel informs Mary that she will bear a child, to which she responds, 'I am the handmaid of the Lord.' The comparison is made between Mary as a 'handmaid' of God and the Old Testament handmaids. Although Mary's pregnancy is divine, the concept of women as vessels for bearing children continues. Atwood draws on this when incorporating themes of servitude, fertility, and the biblical greeting 'Blessed be the fruit' in her novel.

🍎 The Fruit of the Womb: Women’s Role in Fertility

This section explores the metaphor of the 'fruit of the womb' and its significance in both the Bible and *The Handmaid's Tale*. The interaction between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, where Elizabeth refers to Mary’s child as the 'fruit of thy womb,' ties into the novel's greeting among handmaids. This emphasizes the physical role of women in childbirth and their service to God or society. Atwood draws parallels between biblical women and the handmaids in her story, highlighting themes of powerlessness, fertility, and women's sacrificial roles.

Keywords

💡Handmaid

A handmaid refers to a female servant who is often used in biblical stories to bear children for women who are unable to conceive. In the video, this concept is explored in relation to both Old and New Testament figures like Bilhah, Zilpah, and Hagar. The idea of the handmaid as a surrogate mother is central to 'The Handmaid's Tale,' reflecting a society where fertility becomes a symbol of control and subjugation.

💡Fertility

Fertility is the ability to produce offspring, and in biblical times, it was a highly valued trait, especially for women. The video explains how handmaids were often used when wives could not conceive, as seen with Rachel and Bilhah, and Sarah and Hagar. This theme is critical to 'The Handmaid's Tale,' where fertility is central to societal structures and power dynamics.

💡Surrogacy

Surrogacy in the context of the video refers to the act of a woman bearing a child for another, as seen with the biblical figures of Bilhah, Zilpah, and Hagar. In 'The Handmaid’s Tale,' this concept is modernized into a dystopian world where handmaids are forced into surrogacy, reflecting a loss of autonomy over their bodies and reproductive rights.

💡Biblical Allusions

Biblical allusions are references to stories or characters from the Bible, used to provide deeper meaning or context. The video references key Old Testament stories, such as Rachel and Leah’s use of handmaids and Sarah’s relationship with Hagar, to explain their significance in 'The Handmaid's Tale.' These stories highlight themes of fertility, power, and subjugation.

💡Old Testament

The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, containing stories of creation, morality, and the history of the Jewish people. The video focuses on Old Testament figures like Sarah, Rachel, and Leah, who used handmaids to bear children, a theme mirrored in 'The Handmaid's Tale,' where women’s fertility is manipulated for political and societal gain.

💡New Testament

The New Testament refers to the second part of the Christian Bible, detailing the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The video touches on the New Testament story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who refers to herself as the 'handmaid of the Lord,' symbolizing obedience and submission. This concept influences 'The Handmaid’s Tale' in its exploration of religious control over women’s bodies.

💡Sarah and Hagar

Sarah and Hagar are two key figures in the Old Testament. Sarah, unable to conceive, offers her handmaid Hagar to Abraham to bear a child. The tension between the two women, as Hagar despises Sarah after becoming pregnant, symbolizes the complexities of power, servitude, and motherhood, themes that 'The Handmaid’s Tale' deeply explores.

💡Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood is the author of 'The Handmaid's Tale,' a dystopian novel that examines themes of fertility, subjugation, and control, largely inspired by biblical narratives. The video analyzes how Atwood draws from stories like those of Sarah, Rachel, and Hagar to create a fictional world where women’s reproductive rights are controlled by the state.

💡Blessed be the fruit

'Blessed be the fruit' is a phrase used as a greeting among handmaids in Atwood’s 'The Handmaid’s Tale,' which the video connects to the biblical greeting exchanged between Mary and Elizabeth in the New Testament. It symbolizes the reduction of women to their reproductive function, a core theme in both the novel and the video’s exploration of biblical handmaids.

💡Virgin Birth

The virgin birth refers to the Christian belief that Mary, mother of Jesus, conceived Christ through divine intervention without engaging in sexual intercourse. In the video, this concept is compared to the idea of the handmaid in 'The Handmaid's Tale,' where women are also viewed as vessels for childbearing, whether through divine or societal control.

Highlights

Introduction to Margaret Atwood's *The Handmaid's Tale*, focusing on the biblical concept of handmaids.

Biblical handmaids in the Old Testament are used for fertility, acting as surrogates to produce children for the family.

In the Old Testament, fertility is a significant concern for women, especially those who are barren and desire to produce heirs, particularly sons.

Key Old Testament handmaid references: Rachel and her handmaid Bilhah, Leah and her handmaid Zilpah, and Sarah with her handmaid Hagar.

Rachel, unable to conceive, asks her husband Jacob to sleep with her maid Bilhah to have children on her behalf, a practice reflected in *The Handmaid’s Tale*.

The phrase 'she shall bear upon my knees' highlights the emotional and physical closeness between wife and handmaid during childbirth, symbolizing an early form of surrogacy.

Leah, also unable to have more children due to age, follows Rachel's example by offering her maid Zilpah to Jacob.

In Genesis, Sarah instructs Abraham to sleep with her maid Hagar to have a child, resulting in tension between Sarah and Hagar, who despises her mistress.

The tension between Sarah and Hagar in the Bible serves as the foundation for the difficult relationships between wives and handmaids in Atwood's novel.

In the New Testament, Mary refers to herself as 'the handmaid of the Lord' when told by the angel Gabriel that she will conceive Jesus, offering herself as a vessel for God.

The phrase 'blessed be the fruit' in *The Handmaid's Tale* is a direct reference to Elizabeth’s words to Mary in the New Testament, emphasizing the importance of fertility and childbirth.

The *Handmaid's Tale* reflects the biblical theme of women lacking fertility, leading to powerlessness, and requiring handmaids to solve this problem.

Atwood’s novel draws from the biblical stories where women, especially wives, are seen as servants whose bodies are used to produce children for their husbands.

The handmaid's role in *The Handmaid’s Tale* is linked to biblical narratives where women are reduced to instruments of fertility, often against their will or through societal pressure.

The harsh treatment of handmaids in *The Handmaid’s Tale* echoes the treatment of Hagar by Sarah in the Bible, with Atwood exploring these ancient tensions in a dystopian setting.

Transcripts

hi today I'm going to talk to you about

Margaret Atwood's handmaid's tale and

I'm going to really focus in on the

handmade the idea of the handmade and

the biblical Illusions to handmade

so today you'll know all about handmaids

just like Maria

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so this will help you in your study of

the handmaid's tale

and we're going to look at Old Testament

handmaids and one New Testament

handmaids

the first thing to know is that the idea

of a handmaid is all about fertility

they are used in the Bible as

maidservants who are there to serve the

wife

in particular the ones that Margaret

Atwood picks out from the biblical

stories are the ones who are used in

order to create children

now fertility is quite a huge

preoccupation of women in the Old

Testament some of them are Barren that's

the word that's used and they crave

having children to produce a line for

their family and for their husbands and

it's seen kind of as a mark of honor to

be able to do that and in particular to

bring forth Sons

there are some real problems for women

when they can't produce children in the

biblical Society and also we find that

women as they get older begin to worry

about this and speak with their husbands

speak with God speak with other women

and are really

um in that urgent stage of needing to

provide an heir before they are too old

so there's three key places that

Margaret Atwood is referring to in the

Old Testament I'm going to look at those

to begin with

there is Rachel and Jacob who have

handmade bilha

there is Leia is Rachel's sister and

Jacob they share a husband

and her handmade is zilpa

and then the one I'm going to talk about

most is Sarah and Abraham and their

handmade Hagar

you can see the references up here

Rachel and Jacob Genesis 31-5

Leia and Jacob Genesis 30 9-12

Sarah and Abraham Genesis 16 2-6 and in

those places you'll find the stories of

bilhar zilpa and Hagar

I'm going to start first with Rachel so

Rachel finds herself in a difficult

situation she is the favored wife of

Jacob

her sister Leia is also married to Jacob

Leia is providing some children

Rachel is struggling to provide children

so she thinks about her situation and

she decides that really in order to have

children she's going to have to take

action so what she does is she speaks to

her husband she says to Jacob and I'm

quoting here behold my maid bilha go in

unto her and she shall bear upon my

knees

now this is really key for Margaret

Atwood's text because we get those

dramatic scenes where the maidservant

the handmaid and the wife are actually

joined together at the moment of

conception

and then at the moment of giving birth

that the wife is present and the

maidservant the handmaid is a kind of

surrogate mother it's an early type of

surrogacy really

um except there was actual sexual

intercourse rather than it all being

done

um in a in vitro in a more medical

um test Tubi way

so what we're having here is the real

close contact and this goes right back

to the Bible and Rachel with that phrase

she shall bear upon my knees so when

she's giving birth she will give birth

there isn't a suggestion that Rachel was

there at the conception of the child but

there is certainly the suggestion that

Rachel wanted to be there at the birth

of the child

so really quite a difficult relationship

there

now Leia also when she hears that Rachel

has taken this method

um when Leia is unable to have more

children because of her age

um she also takes on this method and she

offers her handmaid to her husband now

of course this is a very difficult

relationship between the handmaids the

husbands and the wives and we see this

reflected

um very much in um Margaret Atwood's

book

Sarah and Abraham this actually appears

um earlier in the Bible earlier in

Genesis but I have decided to talk about

it second because I think it's one with

a little bit more detail worth

developing particularly regarding that

relationship between wife and handmade

so in Genesis chapter 16

Sarah is very frustrated she's very old

she wants children God has promised her

children but she's kind of not really

trusting in God

and she says to Abraham I pray thee go

in unto my maid

it may be that I may obtain children by

her

now in the Bible in the following verses

it references Hagar and Hagar's opinion

about this she does allow Abraham to

sleep with her and create a child

but she says this is where I think it's

very key for the Atwood her mistress was

despised in her eyes

so there we have the seeds of this

really difficult relationship and that

word despised In Her Eyes the tension

really coming out there between the

handmade and the wife

now when Sarah goes to Abraham and

complains about this about being

despised and about her treatment

Abraham puts his foot down and says

she's your handmaid she's your servant

due to her as it pleaseth thee

and the Bible tells us so therefore

Sarah dealt with her harshly

and we can see here the very origins of

this idea that Margaret Atwood has taken

and developed

that there is Harsh treatment and a

really discordant relationship between

wife and handmaid and of course it's a

natural thing

someone is being offered as a servant to

service

this man

okay I said we're going to talk also

about the New Testament and I although

this is perhaps less immediately

contextually important I think it also

develops our knowledge of what a

handmade was

so in Luke

chapter 1 roundabout verses 26 to 38.

um the angel Gabriel this is this is The

Narrative of the birth of Jesus and the

beginnings of Christ entering the world

um the angel Gabriel appears to marry

and says you're you're going to have

this child Mary says I don't understand

how that can be how can that be I have

not been with man

and the angel Gabriel says don't worry

God will sort that out and in response

Mary says

I am the handmaid of the Lord

be it done unto me according to Thy Word

now this is still a very popular

um prayer

um in the Catholic Church you hear these

words uttered

um in respect for Mary and referencing

the fact that she said this and she is

seen here as someone who empties herself

becomes a vessel becomes something that

enables God to become incarnate to

become man in the world so here again we

get a relationship where the wife has

not had sexual intercourse

but he's seen somehow to become pregnant

now this is referenced as the Virgin

birth in Catholic theology

um but it's the same principle

um that the mother of the child

has become pregnant without sleeping

with the father of the child

um and here these words that she utters

I am the handmaid of the Lord really

lays Mary open to be an instrument of

God now some might say that this is a

privilege and indeed the Catholic and

Christian theology develops this to be a

privilege even though there is some

debate about how it happened and who

believes what happened

um some people might say that this is

actually quite

um an abuse of Mary's Freedom

um and putting her into a situation that

is very complex and difficult now she

accepts it she is Keen to accept this

um so that perhaps makes

um it it seem a little better

we also get

um that a bit later on when this

handmaid of the Lord Mary goes to visit

her cousin Elizabeth we also then get

Elizabeth talking about how blessed Mary

is and how blessed she is and Mary

um is talking to Elizabeth about

a child

and the child

is described as the fruit of thy womb

Elizabeth says to Mary blessed be the

fruit of thy womb and so here we have

the real physical connection between the

womb and the fruit it brings forth

and the fact that Mary is doing a

service for God and a service for

Humanity in the Christian tradition and

of course we hear this as a greeting in

the handmaid's tale blessed be the fruit

blessed be the fruit it's part of the

greeting

formula that the handmaids have with

each other

um but I raised that here because this

is very clearly

um about the woman being the person who

is impregnated and then Bears the fruit

and of course Mary is referencing the

Old Testament here she's a Jewish woman

in these new testament times but of

course she's very well versed

um in the scriptures and the stories

from the Old Testament and she's

referencing here being a handmaid just

like Sarah employed

um bilhar so really important for the

handmaid's tale the theme of women

lacking fertility something has happened

in the world where they have lacked

fertility in the Bible it's because

they're old or because they're Barren

there's not widespread infertility

um but there is this Focus here on women

being power less because they lack

facility and they have to get around

that by employing other women

in the New Testament there is a focus on

God needing to be incarnate needing to

produce a son and that's very much what

we get in the handmaid's tale so is the

men who need and want to have heirs and

in particular Sons

but throughout here we get this idea

about women as servants the wife as

servants and trying to fix it for the

husband

and employing other servants naturally

women who then are brought in to try and

fix it

um with the husbands so there's all this

kind of

notion that the women are the people who

have to fix it and who have to sacrifice

themselves and their bodies

um and certainly the women in the Bible

were not very happy about doing this

check in next time for some further

handmaid's tale videos I'm going to do

one on General biblical references next

thank you for listening don't forget to

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