The Handmaids tale

[DumbledoresArmy]

Anyone else planning on watching this at 9pm on channel 4?

So the handmaidens had to beat the rapist to death whilst, at home, they themselves were being raped?

Yes, I think that is supposed to be the irony of it. And also that he may well have not been a rapist at all, as the authorities in Gilead can obviously just make any old shit up anyway.

I guess the 'savaging' is meant as a way for the Handmaids to get their anger out as well?

Just checked. In chapter 16, the ceremony : 'Nothing is going on here that I haven't signed up for. There wasn't a lot of choice but there was some, and this is what I chose'.

Thanks Buttery, my imagination working overtime again! I can't remember mayday but I'm assuming it'll come up in a future episode as a pp alluded to

Yes thats how I read it. Birth days are the same. Eases the pressure somewhat so tey don't get pushed so far they rebel.

He wasn't a rapist in the book, that's why Offglenn did what she did, again, in the book.

Really enjoyed this, but will record it next week so I can skip the adverts.

I couldn't help but wonder whether he really was a rapist.

He's not a rapist. He's part of the resistance. Ofglen tells Offred afterwards.

I'm wondering whether they'll revisit that later in the TV show.

The particicutions are a method of letting the Handmaids let off steam, as it were. The violence then makes them complicit in what is happening in Gilead.

It's all a twisted way of keeping women in their place.

wow.
I have never read the book, and had no idea of the story, so I am not hampered by that, but I was completely hooked last night.

It was a harrowing watch though, and the ceremony scene haunted me all night and still this morning. So many things about it, the way her head is in the wife's lap as she is raped, the way the commander doesn't touch her, but is just thrusting, and the look on Offred's face.

wow.

I didn't want to say this, Whisk, because I would have been flamed for spoilers.

You are a braver person.

It's slightly annoying me, tbh, the way they're chopping and changing things around to make it more exciting. It's tense enough as it is without plucking people's eyes out and whatnot.

It's Disney doing Narnia all over again.

I agree, it doesn't need to be made more exciting, it's harrowing enough.

It's visually stunning though.

But I must say that supermarket reminded me of a Chanel fashion show from a few seasons ago.

I haven't read the book, but did see the film when I was early teens in the 90s.

I know the films not highly regarded but it made a massive impression on me back then.

I kept meaning to read the book.......

Thank you to the pp who said about the actress being in mad men. It was bugging me so much last night as I recognised her and felt I knew her really well, but couldn't place her. Can't believe I didn't make the connection! I loved mad men.

Good grief that was sickening.

I haven't researched any of this, but where it is said Atwood was referring to events that already happen/have happened in the world, what exactly is she referring to. Which societies, cultures, religions and where?

This is a breakdown of what happens in the book and where it has happened in the real world:
crossref-it.info/textguide/The-Handmaid%27s-Tale/31/2091?jump=h2-3
Atwood also does this with the MaddAdam series, all the technologies mentioned in the series are already with us and capable of being utilised.

Does it have a happy ending?

^ definitely read the novel to find out.

Article in the telegraph today about that.

Yeah. They all lived happily ever after.

I watched this yesterday and thought it was excellent.

I agree that Joseph fiennes is miscast. The commander shouldn't be so attractive and definitely needs to be older.

That's interesting Room. It would be a very interesting book to have studied at A level.

You can actually see a number of the issues, regarding women, in various cultures already. All across the world.

So, is there ready information to tell us that our environment, or abuse of it, is leading to infertility issues? I don't necessarily mean something huge like Chernobyl, but just our day to day living? Is there an increase in infertility anyway and reasons given? This is all very interesting. If there are, it's not really mentioned in our mainstream media, or I haven't seen it.

Just watched the first episode. Gosh, that was powerful stuff. I love the book so was really interested to see what the series would be like.

Margaret Atwood apparently said nothing she wrote in the book hadn't already happened at some point in the world.

The Commander and Serena Joy were older in the book I believe.

SPOILER

In the book, at the salvaging, Ofglen is the first to kick the "rapist". That's because she and the man are both part of the Mayday resistance movement, and she's trying to put a quick end to his suffering. Offred (which has interestingly just autocorrected to "offered") doesn't realise at first, but eventually establishes.

Posted too soon...but eventually establishes what is actually going on.

Penguin the Commander and Serena Joy definitely were older in the book due to Atwood's physical description of them both and also timelines, eg Serena Joy being a singer on a religious TV show which June watched when she was a little girl.