Book Club for Introverts discussion

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Boredom. Ritual. Solitude. Rigid roles. Ceremony. Delusion. Cruelty. I continue to be struck by the dichotomy between the handmaid’s current life and her flashbacks to a former time. I can’t imagine how the change to a new oppressive society came slowly, then quickly. The way Moira tries to escape and is punished is heartbreaking. The attempt to cross the border into another country seems to exemplify the death of optimism. A new society that pretends to revere children rips a child from her mother’s arms. Irony abounds.

As I read these chapters, my mind still came back to the question of how society in the book got to the stage it is at. How did it happen so quickly and overwhelmingly? What is life like in other countries? I’m not sure if these questions will be answered in the book, but I enjoy mulling them over anyway.

The bedroom set-up in chapter 16 was so jarring. How does the Commander’s wife feel? I guess she’s not supposed to and it’s all part of doing one’s duty. It also seems so demeaning for the Commander.

One thing that keeps coming back to me is the question of who can be trusted. Even in the scene where Offred is sneaking around the living room and is found by Nick, this question comes up. I’m intrigued by why the Commander wants to see her.

As an aside, the idea of ‘Baptist guerillas’ just cracks me up!

Yes, the Baptist Guerillas was funny to me too! I grew up Southern Baptist so some of the attitudes and ideas harken to that time in my life (we had no TV, I couldn’t wear shorts outside the house, no shaving of the legs, no makeup, no dancing, no being alone with members of the opposite sex). The fact that Baptists are fighting this regime tells you how extreme and extremely wrong it is.

So now we get to the Ceremony! This is such a bizarre set up and it’s interesting to see Offred’s whole viewpoint about the situation. And she chose this! It makes you wonder what other options there were that this would be the most favorable to her.