Teaching my sixth form The Handmaid's Tale at the moment.
In our last lesson, we were discussing the presentation of the Guardians, each with "a sub-machine gun slung ready, for whatever dangerous or subversive acts they think we might commit inside".
We moved on to look at the Commander's preaching at the Prayvaganza:
"Let the women learn in silence with all subjection."
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
And we discussed the metaphorical silencing of women, and how it is attempted by those who fear their power or that the truth that they speak might be an unpalatable one.
Interesting discussion. And how important that I can have those discussions with sixth formers, that we don't just shut each other down, no-platform each other, declare any beliefs that don't correspond with our own "phobic" and therefore unspeakable.
What is it that we discuss on here that people are so afraid of?