"Not every Commander has a Handmaid: some of their Wives have children. From each, says the slogan, according to her ability; to each according to his needs. We recited that, three times, after dessert. It was from the Bible, or so they said."
This line is my favorite from the novel because of the pure irony of the statement. The slogan "From each . . . his needs.," is interesting because the country, Gilead, takes an ideal from Marxism and incorporates it into the governing system claiming that it is from the Bible. This society is named the Republic of Gilead, however, according to this slogan, this organization appears to lean more towards communism and totalitarianism rather than being a republic. A passage such as this, is a synecdoche, representing the Gileadian society. During their reign, this organization manipulates and reorganizes different portions of culture and society in order to form their "perfect" country, however, when reading about the work of this government from someone on the inside it is obvious that the frameworks of this new culture is based on half truths and selection of detail. This specific quote is derived from a communist ideal and passed off as a religious text. Things such as this happen many times in the novel and portray this society. Which is why this passage alluding to Marxism represents the Gileadian method of forcing people to cooperate, by making up laws and biblical text as they go along. The irony of this quote and the fact that is a synecdoche for this organization are some of the reasons behind why this line is my favorite out of this novel.
Although this slogan is indeed based upon Marxist ideals, which lead to the formation of communism, the true irony of the Republic of Gilead is found in its name. Gilead is a Biblical allusion that possesses multiple meanings and interpretations, however, the most significant one in reference to The Handmaid’s Tale is the Hebrew translation of the word: “Gil” meaning joy, and “ad” meaning forever. In a society where women are degraded to an almost subhuman importance, happiness is hardly a priority. Only the men have any sort of significance in Gilead, while women are used solely for their reproductive purposes. Irony is a major factor in the literary brilliance of The Handmaid’s Tale, and it can be found in numerous ways throughout this work.
ReplyDeleteLady Hawthorne is correct in saying that irony can be found in many ways throughout the book. Stemming from the original post's argument, there is an incredible amount of irony in the fact that a society supposedly based upon religious ideals uses them in some sick, twisted manner in order to achieve its communistic goals. It insists that it acts on the authority of the Bible, when in fact, it only manipulates the religious text to suit its own needs.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to Gilead's name being ironic due to its meaning, Gilead is referenced in Psalms of the Hebrew Bible. In this, Jeremiah is calling out for God. He is on the archetypal journey - the human search for understanding and meaning. The question of "Where is God if he is laced throughout every aspect of society?" (emphasis on the former "is"). If there truly is a "balm in Gilead", fruitful outcomes to current hardships, the women of the society (and Jeremiah in his time) beg for it. However, the irony comes in that this fictional Gilead in "The Handmaid's Tale" does not have that. There is no eternal joy like stated above. Gilead is a cruel, oppressive, and communistic society. That in and of itself is utter irony.