I hadn't really made connections between this book and history before we discussed it in class. The society in this book seems so unreal and alien to me that it is difficult to think that it all comes from actual parts of history. People used to and some still do live in societies like this. In my group we saw connections between The Handaids Tale and the underground railroad as well as with things like re-patriation, public executions, the handmaid's uniform, testifying, and propaganda and censorship. After discussing these things I think that I can see the message that Margaret Atwood was trying to send, about our societies. I couldn't even believe how horrible this society sounded but now I realize that almost every country has had at least some negative aspects of Gilead in their society. We related certain propaganda from the book to what happened in WWII. The censorship is very similar to that in communist China and the Soviet Union. It is pretty obvious how aspects of the book are similar to the underground railroad, people can secretly escape by going and staying in different houses, just like the underground railroad. Having a discussion about this in class helped me see a purpose and message in this book.

I am so mad because I really liked this book up until the end. I hate when books just end without explaining anything. At the end of Handmaids Tale we don't know if she got away safely or if it was a trap. When i finished the chapter I thought there was going to be another one and then there wasn't it was so upsetting. I've decided that Offred, or whatever her real name is, escaped the society with them and they were people disguised as eyes. I think this book should have an epilogue so that it can explain all the unanswered questions. Did Nick escape? Did she ever find Luke? Did she have a baby? Where did she go? there are so many unanswered questions. It is really sad that ofglen killed herself what if was really her team that was coming for her, what if they were disguised as Eyes just like the ones who came to get Offred? I am kind of confused by the last sentence "And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light." I wonder what she means?

Oh My God! so much stuff happened in these last few chapters and I wasn't expecting any of it. From the night out with the commander to the Salvaging i don't even know where to start. One thing I am still kind of confused about is how long has it been since that day when Offred and Luke ran from the guards? It was great when we found out that Moira was alive, and at least she wasn't living in the colonies. It seemed reassuring that there are so many people who are working against the society. When Moira was speaking i was wondering what would happen if she got pregnant but then she explained that they had their tubes tied so that questions wouldn't arise. This seems like it is in contradiction with their entire society because they should want more kids and they should have a "don't ask don't tell" policy concerning pregnant women for the good of repopulating themselves. Finally something is happening with Offred and Nick but i am confused because wouldn't they notice if she got pregnant and it obviously wasn't from one of the ceremony days?
The last thing I really need to talk about is the salvaging, it was just over all so disturbing. Before the Aunt told the women that being raped was their own fault but now they were definitely blaming the men. It was so sick how the handmaids just attacked him and like Offred they must have known he was innocent, or have they really all bought into this society?

I really don't understand the point of this society because before i thought the whole reason it was like this was to repopulate society but their system seems to be doing the opposite. Because they hold this idea that men can never be sterile there society will die out. If they forced them to have sex with the younger men at least it would make some sense this just makes no sense. I also don't understand why they have this society if no one believes in it. Even though the Commander said it was better he doesn't act this way he brakes the most rules. In the book right now every character believes in breaking the rules and doesn't like the society; the Commander, Serena, Nick, the Marthas, Ofglen, and obviously Offred.
When i was reading chapter 33 this sentence, "We line up to get processed through the checkpoint, standing in our twos and twos and twos, like a private girls' school that went for a walk and stayed out too long." i realized what the hanmaids remind me of. It reminds me of Madeleine.

I am so glad that we learned that Ofglen is against this society. I was worried that all the women were corrupted but at the same time i wondered how anyone could think that way. Now i am thinking that almost everyone in the society is not a believer, i bet it was just one persons idea and this lack of trust in their society is what has allowed it to continue. The Commander is another example of someone who doesn't believe in the society. I wonder how he manages to get all those illegal things, like lotion.
Another thing that i thought was kind of funny about this society is that, for the women at least, there is no issue of sexuality because they are not supposed to have any sexual attraction or sexal feelings. Therefore in theory it wouldn't matter if you didn't like men like Moira, because it is not about liking someone it is all about having children. Of course in practice this society as we would all agree doesn't really work out like that.
This chapter gives us more insight into how Offred must have felt the day things began to change and how it got to that point. I really don't understand how someone can think a ood response to the assasinations of the president and all of Congress is to take all power away from women. I see no connection there.

The chapters dealing with the pregnancy were really confusing to me because there were so many flashbacks and the information in them didn't seem to be that important or give us any crucial information. It seemed like not a lot happened for a long time. also what happened with Nick. She seems to have just completely dropped that subject, I still think they are going to get together. I was also wondering what will happen if she gets pregnant and it was obviously not from one of the ceremonial days? Will she be in trouble? Will they get caught? Also what is the punishment procedure with commanders can they be punished? I wouldn't be surprised if they were immune from being punished. I am a little bit confused about what happens with children. Do all children get taken away? Why can't the wives or the handmaids just raise them they even have the help of the Marthas?

I am actually really enjoying reading the Handmaid's Tale. It really keeps my attention and I want to know what is going to happen next. i feel so bad for Offred it sounds like one of the worst lives someone could have. I don't understand how the government could have just decided this is now how they want society to be run. How did they get everyone to go along with this? I assume that most women and men would have been opposed to this idea and probably still are. How could things have escalated to that point? I wonder what happened to Luke I hope he is ok and I hope that there is a happy ending to this book. I knew right from the beginning that something was going to happen with Nick and Offred. The thing that is kind of confusing about this book is the flashbacks. I get really confused with what is present day and what is in the past.

I found "When it Changed" to be kind of confusing the over all gist of the reading I got but the details were hard to follow. I thought that the women lived on a separate part of Earth and that the men were coming from another part. How else would they speak russian? But everyone else in class seemed to think they were on a different planet. I was also confused with how they managed to have kids with no men (I mean the science behind it). The message that i got from the reading was that it is impossible for us to have complete equality between the sexes while there are still two. People have created these certain stereotypes that men and women are supposed to fall into and it is impossible to rid society of this categorizing. I think the reading had a similar message as Left Hand of Darkness but it had a little more of a feminist message. I think Left Hand more about creating equality with no gender where as When it Changed was more about how there can't be equality with men.