Acrobat

U2's song "Acrobat" can be directly related to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale through certain parts of the lyrics of the song. One of the refrains that stood out to me was:

"What are we going to do now it's all been said
No new ideas in the house and every book has been read"

I thought this piece of the lyrics was relative to the novel because in the Republic of Gilead of The Handmaid's Tale, the social order is set in stone, and seemingly immovable. It is reverting back to older times, denying the introduction of new ideals and system arrangement, keeping anyone from changing the societal norms of the Republic. The significance of the books in this novel is also relevant to the song because the only book that is permitted to be read is the Bible, and only men are allowed to read from it. Because the same book is being read over and over, there are no new ideas in the "house", or the government, and the society is becoming restricted in its effectiveness. Although the society began with possibly good intentions, it is clear that the redundancy of the same parts of the same stories of the Bible is wearing on the members of Gilead.

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale, constructs a society that is governed by its warped views of religion. Rather than seeing the whole picture of biblical stories, the society instead chooses to focus only on the excerpts that justify its actions. Through this society's biblical social code, the government has taken rights away from its people, and eliminated the basic rights of women and all who violate the newly established social order. It is in this society that men are deemed superior, and the women are one of four main potential positions. There are the Wives, women who are at the top of the societal food chain. Then come the Marthas, the women responsible for housekeeping, child rearing, as well as any other menial task that can be found for them. Then there are the Unwomen, those women who cannot have children, who have reached their prime, the women who refuse to conform to the new society's instructions and rules, or who previously violated the codes of the society. The most important, yet seemingly least liked of the groups of women in the story, are the Handmaids, women seen only for their potential as viable surrogate mothers. The Handmaids are, in a sense, merely walking uteruses, and if they become pregnant a celebration is in order. This society is absolutely ridiculous in how it controls, limits, and denies women basic rights, with its only defense being the Bible. Although the Bible is a valid learning tool, and something that people can use as a guideline to live their life, this society takes their interpretation too far, and in many instances is totally violating the basic principles set out in the Bible.


In this book, one of my favorite passages is:

If I turn my head so that the white wings framing my face direct my vision towards it, I can see it as I go down the stairs, round, convex, a pier glass, like the eye of a fish, and myself in it like a distorted shadow, a parody of something, some fairy-tale figure in a red cloak, descending towards a moment of carelessness that is the same as danger. A Sister dipped in blood. (Atwood)

Some of the key words of this passage, that make the tone of the passage are distorted, parody, and fairy-tale. The use of "distorted" is vital to this passage because it is reflecting the distortion of the Bible for the basis of the ideals of this society. Parody is also an important word choice because it is showing how the Republic of Gilead is a joke in itself, twisting the Bible to fit its own values, and ignoring the rest of the stories that are against what has been implemented. The reference to a fairy-tale is also important because it is emphasizing the surreal nature of the society of the novel, showing how the Handmaids are just like Little Red Riding Hood, running from the Big Bad Wolf, or society in this case.

Overall, I really liked this book. although it addressed some very tense social issues, and showed a mocking view of modern day society's philosophies, this book was serious and thought-provoking. I like books that make me think, and relate them to our current social situations, and The Handmaid's Tale is definitely relative to modern times.

We

The novel We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin, is set in a society centered around the seemingly infinitesimal power of mathematics. A major theme of this novel was that of whether or not a Utopian society is a possibility with humans as we know them. Can our thoughts and actions be controlled and kept steady by a governing body? Or are our minds uncontrollable, completely independent of the constraints of society? Zamyatin seemed to show that the human mind is its own entity, emotional and uncontrolled by anyone other than its possessor. This idea of ownership over one's thoughts is found throughout the novel, and is definitely one of the mor important themes.

My favorite passage from this novel is:

I am looking at myself, at him, and I am absolutely certain that he, with his ruler-straight eyebrows, is a stranger, somebody else, I just met him for the first time in my life. And I'm the real one. I AM NOT HIM. (Zamyatin)

This passage signifies D-503's realization that he is not the person he has convinced himself to be. He comes to see that he is more than what people see of him on the outside, that the real him is within. This process of self-actualization is both traumatic and enlightening for D-503, who cannot decide whether to be pleased or disgusted by his sudden break from his "original" self. I like this passage mainly because it is showing a struggle that most people experience at one point or another in their lives, where they do not know who exactly they are.

I found this novel to be very interesting, and I particularly liked the contrast between the old times and the current times of the story throughout the novel. I also really liked the point of view that a person is not able to be controlled by anyone else as long as their emotions are intact. With our imaginations, we are still capable to function as independent human beings, and we are free.

Anthem

One of the key concepts of Ayn Rand's novel Anthem was the idea of creation. In this society, the people seem to have been thrust back into a modern Dark Ages, devoid of all the amenities, ideas, and philosophies our society currently has. But there is one man, the main character, who finds the means to create something that the rest of his society can no longer remember. He produces light. Using his basic human curiosity, this young man finds an underground entryway filled with tools and materials of the past, and he figures out ways in which to use them. After a period of experimentation, Equality discovers a chemical combination that creates a glow equivalent to that of the sun. It is with this light that Equality brings enlightenment to the dark ages. the light that is created symbolizes the knowledge and realization that independence can form within a person, and it shows that natural human curiosity cannot be destroyed.


My favorite passage from Anthem is:


"We say to ourselves that we are a wretch and a traitor. But we fell no burden upon our spirit and no fear in our heart. And it seems to us that our spirit is clear as a lake troubled by no eyes save those of the sun. And in our heart -- strange are the ways of evil! -- in our heart there is the first peace we have known in twenty years."


I love this passage because it is showing the discovery of oneself. People go through their lives striving for something, not always sure what that something is. Some people may never quite figure out their purpose, and they will go through life a turbulent spirit, feeling without a place and without a cause. The main character of Anthem finally is at peace with himself because he has figured out what he can od in life, and what his path may be. The self-actualization of this character is what every other person on this earth has strived for (or is still striving for). I found it very significant, not only to the character's life, but also to our own lives with its ins and outs.



I really enjoyed this novel, mainly because it uses a contrasting view on a Utopian society and structure. It goes against the usual view of futurisitic conformity, and puts a modern society back into the times of no electricity and no basic knowledge of everyday scientific processes. I think this perspective makes the novel more intriguing because it shows self-discovery in an entirely different light. Rather than discovering what he had forgotten about himself, Equality finally figures out who he is, and experiences an internal revolution.

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 is filled with numerous social, political, and moral issues. All of these issues have formed a collaboration that results in the current state of the country, with book burning, television screen rooms, and a complete selfishness that seems to be unchangeable. One major thing that bothered me in this book was the lack of genuine compassion and caring, and I also think there was a total lack of love. People in this society are so wrapped up in their zombie lives that they do not even think of the people that they live with and see everyday. Rather than sit down to dinner together, a family in Fahrenheit 451 would probably go into "the parlor" and "enjoy" a meal filled with superficial, computer-generated conversations. This society is immersed in a state of total disconnect, where children rarely see their parents, husbands and wives do not communicate, children are killing each other for lack of anything constructive to do, and emotions are just a concept, not something that the people actually experience. Montag and Mildred, in this love-lost society cannot even recall the day that they first met, muchless what the last conversation they had was about. Also, as the books progresses, Montag comes to find that he really will not miss Mildred if she were to die at that precise moment, and he even seems to secretly wish she were no longer there. Mildred and Montag's lack of a relationship shows that in this society, people only marry and have children to procreate, and to follow the accepted norms. These people would be exactly the same with or without their husband or wife, living as the same mindless drones, hypontized by the television screen.

As a whole, I truly enjoyed this novel. It was disturbing, riveting, and eerily familiar to read. The Hound was a terrific creation, and it made me think of the secret service or some other censoring government organization. I found this novel almost frightening because of just how likely it is that our country could be (or may already be) immersed in an age of computer-generated entertainment. Books are no longer necessary if they can be read on the internet, analysis isn't what matters anymore, it's whether or not the book can entertain a mass audience. I think Fahrenheit 451 could be used a very valuable lesson to our nation, a warning of what may happen when censorship and the need for instant gratification go too far.