The handmaid's Tale and language

[IHATEPeppaPig]

qz.com/969112/the-handmaids-tale-it-takes-only-five-years-to-go-from-the-world-today-to-a-horrifying-dystopia/

I've just read a really interesting article about stifling language and how we can 'rob a society of its identity' by limiting language. This is a way in which reinforces Gilead's regime - by robbing women of their language we reduce them to nothing. Given the current climate, a dystopia is becoming a reality? Terrifying.

Brian Friel also had some interesting thoughts in "Making History" on identity, truth and whether truth or a palatable narrative gets recorded as history. The main character, Hugh O'Neill, wants his biographer Peter Lombard to write the warts-and-all truth about him; Peter says "I'm not sure the truth is a primary ingredient". He wants Hugh to be seen as a Stunning and Brave Irish hero and by the end you know that those closest to him who don't fit the narrative- Mabel Bagenal and Harry Hoveden- are going to get downplayed almost to erasure.