|
I caught up on the series this past week after finishing the book. With the book, I think I was expecting some deeper resolution or more profound insight, but I definitely appreciated the themes and message. I probably just need to read more of what's being written about the story — I've never been the best at analysis. I'm really glad the book has been made into a TV series, and I'm glad it's well-received so far. I'm also a huge Elisabeth Moss fan, so it's nice to see her in the limelight. Just a couple of my favorite things so far — First, the sinister depiction of the kangaroo court in E3, and the positively Orwellian language of the sentence, "You are hereby sentenced to the common mercy of the state." I was curious about the term "common mercy," so I looked it up. It may have just been an invention of the writers, but I found a book from 1762 with the long title Plain Truth: By which it is manifest, that the common mercy of God extends to all men, so as to give them the pardon of original sin but the special grace of God to His elect, appears in His giving them the pardon of all their sins ; and the rest perish eternally for their own sin only. This made me think of Calvinism, where in reading a little on Wikipedia, I found this sentence that seemed to explain a little more about common mercy vs. special grace: "Those elected receive [special] mercy, while those not elected, the reprobates, receive justice without condition." Second, in E4, the scene where Commander Waterford can't get an erection, leaves the room, and Mrs. Waterford follows him and says, "Let me help you." I found this to be a very touching scene, because we that Serena Joy actually loves her husband, and wants to express that love sexually. At the very least, we see some honest sexual desire from a heretofore unlikeable character, or at least, how thirsty she is under this regime. Most importantly, though, I think we see just how deep and hurtful the sexual repression at the heart of this theocracy is (or at least it is for the Waterfords). Human beings are sexual beings, but Gilead's ideology echoes contemporary conservative religious ideology so well in the way it denies and shames sexuality (and perhaps in the way it tolerates or indulges it underground!).
|
#
¿
May 13, 2017 20:58
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 3, 2024 14:30 |
|
|
Rocksicles posted:It loving perplexes me how a Scientologist is the main character. I am catching up on The Handmaid's Tale podcasts, and there was actually a pretty thoughtful discussion of this on this episode of one of the better podcasts, The Red Center. For those interested in podcasts about the show, I'd recommend The Red Center, which seems to be formatted as dry recap, then interesting analysis of adjacent subjects. If you want a more lighthearted podcast, I'd recommend Red All Over, which is more episode-long reactions with a few digressions, and very funny altogether.
|
|
#
¿
May 15, 2017 18:53
|
|
|
Anyone else think of Ivanka when Serena Joy turned out to be more of a "domestic feminist" book author than televangelist?
|
|
#
¿
May 17, 2017 19:52
|
|
|
"The U.S. Government has people in Canada."   #resist Man, actually seeing the U.S. flag with 48 hollow stars was a real heartbreaker.
|
|
#
¿
May 24, 2017 07:13
|
|
|
Rygar201 posted:Anyway, vaguely on topic, Ross Douthat just put out a column about The Handmaid's Tale and boy I can't wait to read that poo poo hah  fellow Douthat hatereader
|
|
#
¿
May 24, 2017 20:39
|
|
|
I kind of wanted Luke to die if for no other reason than I am Dead Inside, but here is something thoughtful someone else wrote that I happen to agree with:quote:I know the adaptation of a book for a screenplay must evolve into an extension of drama and suspense for consistent viewership of a prolonged series, but what I liked about the book especially was how there was no timeline as far as how long Gilead’s reign would last and how the book could only therefore be a story about survival. How a few can make it while most do not. Or that surviving was just heroic enough. For me this is how the brutality of Margaret’s world building sank in for me in large part due to its never-ending nightmare. Which comes down to why I’m skeptical about Luke’s new fate in the show and how it potentially sidesteps an account of survival for one of saviorship.
|
|
#
¿
May 25, 2017 23:27
|
|
|
Cojawfee posted:I feel like this could definitely spring out of one of those Calvinist New England Christian sects where they decide that they must have been saved by Jesus because they are rich and everyone else must be damned because they are poor and also do gross things like have sex with each other. I know it's a little gauche to quote yourself, but I'm really interested in an analysis in what kind of arcane strain of Christianity is being practiced here. Supporting the idea that it's a kind of Calvinism. When the Martha is condemned in the kangaroo court, the judge says... DasNeonLicht posted:[...] "You are hereby sentenced to the common mercy of the state." I was curious about the term "common mercy," so I looked it up. It may have just been an invention of the writers, but I found a book from 1762 with the long title Plain Truth: By which it is manifest, that the common mercy of God extends to all men, so as to give them the pardon of original sin but the special grace of God to His elect, appears in His giving them the pardon of all their sins ; and the rest perish eternally for their own sin only. This made me think of Calvinism, where in reading a little on Wikipedia, I found this sentence that seemed to explain a little more about common mercy vs. special grace: "Those elected receive [special] mercy, while those not elected, the reprobates, receive justice without condition."
|
|
#
¿
May 27, 2017 15:55
|
|
|
emanresu tnuocca posted:The implication I believe at least with Warren and Fred is that the hosed-up power dynamic between the handmaid and the married couple is too abusable and the husbands who are mostly faking their religious devotion anyway tend to inevitably construct a sort of fake romantic affair fantasy that helps them convince themselves that they are not violently raping the handmaid. Obviously this is also reflected with the attitude's of Serena and Warren's wives who are also resentful of the handmaids. This is good analysis
|
|
#
¿
Jun 9, 2017 14:39
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 3, 2024 14:30 |
|
|
veni veni veni posted:I want to know what the heck happened to the military. Other speculative explanations so far are good, but I'd add that the willingness of the Sons of Jacob to commit atrocities and hang bodies in the streets to quell resistance would give them a slight edge over any remaining U.S. forces who have sworn to defend the Constitution and who remain loyal to those ideals. We've seen the US. military struggle to suppress insurgencies overseas — what happens when the insurgency is at home and knows the land and its customs just as well as any National Guard unit?
|
|
#
¿
Jun 20, 2017 21:33
|
|