THE FINAL BLOG

Reading “Handmaid’s Tale” has been an experience to say the least. At first I did not appreciate its intricacies, and thought it was simply a boring narrative. After reading it, however, I have gained a new love for the book and its satirical nature. However, the most important theme that I have found is the idea of freedom, specifically the “freedom to” and “freedom from”. I have thought deeply about the differences, as we spoke about them in class today, and here is what I have discovered thus far.

In my eyes, “freedom to” is more of the rout of individualism. As we outlined in class, it is the ability to do what you please, but at the same time comes with an immense amount of responsibility. For instance, having this sort of freedom of dress or family means that you must also deal with the subsequent dangers that come with it. “Freedom from”, then, is the idea that you are protected from those dangers presented above, but at the same time, one loses freedom in the process. Instead of the individual being responsible for actions, it is the state that must take care to ensure that all are safe. It takes responsibility out of the hands of the people that are being protected.

With that being said, however, I really think these ideas are exactly the same, but are just worded conversely. If you want to think about, think of it like this: If you are given the “freedom to”, such as in the time before, you are also given the “freedom from” in a sense. If you are allowed to be the individual (freedom to be), you are at the same time given the opportunity to not be ruled by a government and closely monitored (freedom from). In the other sense, in the “now”, when you are given the “freedom from” personal responsibility and being taken advantage of, you are also given the “freedom to” relax and not feel obligated to serve yourself. The moral of the story here is that I really do not see that much of a difference between the different types of freedom. Within the context of the novel, I see no real difference besides the choice of words in the sentence.

Perhaps it is just me, but I really don’t think that there is a difference in the two ideals of freedom. Honestly, the only thing that I find is that one sounds more optimistic than the other (the freedom to live your life on your own terms sounds a lot better than simply being protected from harm and having to do what society deems as safe). With that being said, this idea of things sounding better than they really are is just another ironical tone played on by Atwood. The majority of the text is based on this satirical society where things are done for the betterment of the people supposedly, but it simply handicaps them in the long run and creates a giant circle of hypocrisy. The idea of different freedoms is just a perfect addition to the never-ending irony and satire that creates the world of Gildean.

Since this is going to be my last blog for the semester, I would like to reflect a little on the process of doing these assignments. I can safely say I learned a lot from this. I not only was forced to think in ways that were challenging and foreign to me, but I also was able to gain new insights from my peers and take the next step in critical thinking as well. While it was sometimes hard to find time to write the blogs, it made the process of writing my papers so much easier. I had all of my thoughts down, and brainstorming was already done for me by my blogs and the rest of the class’. This truly has been a learning experience for me, but I can honestly say it was one of the most beneficial assignments I have ever done. Finally, I would like to thank everyone who read and commented on my blogs, as I learned so much from everyone else. Thanks everyone! I hope my “English Dominance” was helpful to you!!! Have a great rest of the semester, and good luck with finals!