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.