Handmaid's Tale
"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" is what Offred always says in her prayer. She did not know the meaning of the phrase but she felt it was the right thing to say. Later on we learn that the phrase means "Don't let the bastards get you down". This short phrase, which was found by Offred in the cupboard in her bedroom, not a notable place at all, carries an ironic meaning.In Gilead, people are given specific titles with fixed responsibilities. There are the Commanders, the Guardians, the Handmaids, the Wives etc. Before having a deeper understanding of the book, we can already tell that Gileadean men apparently have more power than women. Why? By looking at the titles they are given, we can see that the titles of the women are closely connected to their sex, to be more precise, they are derived from their sex. Whereas the titles of men do not really have much to do with their sex. Also, there are only Unwomen in Gilead but no Unmen and there are only barren women but no sterile men. Furthermor
Women on the other hand have to be subservient and keep quiet. This idea is clearly revealed when Offred was struggling whether she should go to see the Commander alone or not, since if Serena Joy discovered that, she would be sent to the colonies. Yet no matter how many times this phrase is repeated, Gileadean women will eventually find themselves in a very ironic situation where they could no longer live without men. We know Offred does not like Gileadean society and she "constantly rebels" by doing things which are forbidden like reading and singing, but she dares not and is not able to have a full sized revolution. In a way she is self-protected and too smart to let herself into any troubles or dangers since she knows very well the price for that is death. As a totalitarian society, the Gileadean government uses the Old Testement as a device for propaganda to indoctrinate people's mind. according to the Old Testement, women are only responsible for reproduction and domestic chores whereas men are the decision makers who hold the real power. Well she could commit suicide but deep in her heart she wished to stay alive, and at the moment Nick was the only one as well as the last one to trust since Offred herself practically does not have any power and any way to save her from the suppression of the country. Without any choice, she has to obey the government and the Commander. At the end of the novel, Offred chose to believe in Nick by stepping into the Black van. After all Offred realises that she could not live without men and has given up resisting them, but she has hardly resisted them anyway. "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" is the inner thoughts of the many women who live in Gilead. So, all the above information tell us that men are omnipotent in Gilead and it will not be hard to realise that it is men who take the control of the whole country. The Commander says he wishes to make Offred's life more bearable by playing Scrabbles with her, giving her magazines to read, hand lotion to use, and they are exactly what Offred longs for. But with the Commander, there is something more than threats that make Offred obeys him.
Common topics in this essay:
Joy Offred's,
Gilead Unmen,
,
Commander Commander,
Handmaids Wives,
Offred Gileadean,
Serena Joy,
Offred Nick,
te bastardes,
serena joy,
bastardes carborundorum,
nolite te,
real power,
nolite te bastardes,
te bastardes carborundorum,
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Acceptance Essays
