Literary Speculation: The Handmaid's Tale

Upon first reading the theme of this week I wasn’t even sure how to distinguish between genre and literary fiction. So I googled it and read a Huffington post article, loosely defining genre fiction’s purpose as entertainment and escapism and literary fiction’s purpose as speculation and reflection into reality. In my opinion, the line between the two can be blurred, although there would be prime examples for both ends of the spectrum. Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” in my opinion would be a good example of literary fiction. While you do tend to get lost in the dystopian setup of post-American Gilead, it is a clear reflection of feminist concerns against a rebirth in conservative American values in the 80s. The Handmaid’s Tale is not a novel you want to get lost in, it’s a novel you read for insight into the consequences of power in the hands of sexist, “traditionalist” thinkers in which you can compare and contrast our modern world with the fictional one Atwood presents.

Gilead is America re-arranged by religious extremists due to rising infertility rates. The protagonist, given the name Offred as property “of Fred,” is a handmaid: a fertile woman forced into a life where her sole purpose is to bear children for a wealthy married couple in which the wife in infertile. It is speculated that the husband is also infertile, but the sexist society puts all of the blame on the woman, of course. The novel obviously also examines female desire and sexuality, microscoping in on the imbalance between the public need to see women as chaste and pure but the private need to see women as overly sexual creatures.

I have also seen most of the Hulu series based on this novel, and one of the things I liked better about the film series rather than the book was the inclusion of Ofglen’s homosexuality. In the book she never mentions being gay or having a wife, although she could have been without revealing that to Offred, but the show adds that to her character and I think it adds to the modern reflection, as gay rights are a very prominent and important current topic of discussion. I also found it interesting that in the novel, racism is in effect, Gilead has expelled people of color. In the show, however, people of color are included in the society as far as we’ve seen, although the Commanders all seem to be white. Although I understand the importance of roles for people of color in modern film, I find it odd that racism would not be a factor in this horribly discriminate dystopia.

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Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

For the week of Cyber and Steam Punk, I decided to try a bit of steampunk with Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker. Although I have yet to finish the novel, I love all that I’ve read of it so far and am excited to finish it in the future. A large reason for my interest in this specific novel was for the main characters. I sampled quite a few of the books on this week’s list before buying one, and the characters of Boneshaker caught my attention. Briar is a fresh take on a typical heroine in my eyes. It was refreshing to see an older female protagonist whose main concern is her son rather than some superficial reputation or love interest. I was also attracted to this character because she is strong in a very subtle way, which is something I admire. She’s not in-your-face, she is willing to let life lead her but at the same time is extremely capable of taking matters into her own hands. I also enjoyed Zeke’s character so far, the teenage boy archetype but not in an obnoxious way. He’s stubborn but good-hearted, and has childlike hope.I think the two of these characters are believable and therefore make the imaginative setting believable.

Which brings me to the second reason I picked this novel which is obviously for the universe in which it presents itself: a poison gas-filled, Victorian mess in which the dead come back to life, technology is at its peak, and privileged society is still sticking to mob mentality culture. I’ve been a long time fan of zombie fiction and am super intrigued to see how it could mix with steampunk tropes and themes.

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Harlan Ellison: Fiction of Ideas

For this week of big ideas, I read two short stories. The first story was one that I recognized as a short story I read two years ago and remembered loving, called “Repent Harlequin” Said the TickTockMan. For both of these short stories, I tried my best to understand the greater meaning but it may have been lost on me. “Repent Harlequin” obviously criticizes totalitarian dictatorship, and makes the point that all it takes is one person with the right amount of courage to spark change among oppression. It is similar to the themes of 1984- and Harlan Ellison even makes that comparison himself- as it is set in a totalitarian dystopia in this case where sticking to schedule it crucial and becomes a matter of life and death. I’d like to believe Harlan Ellison is also making the point that it is okay to enjoy life and care less about the way your life is “supposed” to be structured. That’s what I enjoyed so much about this story the first time I read it and even more the second time.

Since I was already familiar with Harlan Ellison, I decided to read his other short story next: “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”. I must admit, I found the gory details extremely disturbing from the beginning, but I realize this is essential to the plot and found the premise interesting enough to finish it. A mastercomputer has eradicated the Earth of all humans except for four men and one woman as pets to eternally torture for its own amusement. The AI does this as punishment to the human race as well for having created it to understand everything fully but not be able to actually do anything; the AI finds life meaningless and wants to share that agony with the survivors. At the start of the story, the narrator is essentially devoid of hope for redemption, and by the end shows human compassion as well as an act of defiance by deciding to mercy-kill the four other survivors instead of himself. This leaves him in a far worse situation, except for the small peace he finds in knowing he put the others out of their misery and angered the machine.

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In-Class Assessment: Bloodchild by Octavia Butler

1. What is your reaction to the text you just read?

While the Tlic alien race is very foreign and unsettling, I find the concept of alien races connecting on an emotional and physical level interesting, as well as disturbing. The Tlic are similar enough to “Terrans” where communication and emotional understanding is possible, but the entire continuation of their species depends on the compliance of a weaker race. It seems that the humans have been bred into compliance through force and/or manipulation, not to mention a seeming lack of other options. It is mentioned that the humans left their home planet due to discrimination, and had to stay on this new planet despite being afraid of the new creatures they faced. The concept of a complete societal manipulation makes me angry, much like the protagonist feels before he is guilted and subdued into compliance.

2. What connections did you make with the story you read? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.

I could see allusions to slavery and racial discrimination within this short story. A foreign race of humans come upon an alien planet and are taken into custody to be used as host animals. The only reward the humans get in return is not having their entire species slaughtered. This could be compared to slavery on Earth where people’s bodies are taken as property to be used at the will of their captors. Some slave owners even attempted to treat their slaves “fairly”, much like how T’Gatoi gave Gan the “option” to choose whether him or his sister would be implanted. But it’s a false freedom in which the only option they are given is to comply or face death.

3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?

I could see this short story being successful as a graphic novel or animated short film. The visual element would aid in comparing and contrasting the human and alien race. The scenes are also pretty graphic which would convey the fear and submission efficiently. I’m not sure if I would change any plot element, because Octavia wrote the story the way she intended and I don’t feel it would be my place to alter that. If the medium required it, I may have to make creative changes to the portrayal of the Tlic and would have to assume the race of the protagonist and his family which may lead to implications Octavia didn’t intend, so it would require a lot of thought in regards to what the statement of the story really is.

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Space Opera- The Stars My Destination

The Stars My Destination is an impressive introduction to the space opera subgenre of science fiction. It combines familiar with the unfamiliar. The science supports the fiction, rather than the other way around. The storyline exists for its own purpose and the science only acts to help in relaying that message. There is a larger idea, involving common human complexities, and although the sciencey world around it adds interest and mystery, it is not entirely essential.

The Stars My Destination takes place in a future where teleportation (called “jaunting”) has been achieved, although it has strong limitations. The universe is on the brink of war and our protagonist is an anti-hero who falls into the middle of the chaos driven purely by his brutal need for revenge. He begins as the ultimate Common Man archetype, uninspired by anything and everything. Only when he is wronged by being abandoned in space by a potential rescue team is a fire lit in his belly to save himself, but his only goal is to destroy the people who left him there to die. The novel is a character’s journey to self-awareness- which is a popular literary theme- but thrown into the realm of space travel, teleportation, and telepathy.

I can definitely see elements of fantasy within this type of science fiction. While the concept of teleportation is rooted in scientific questioning, in modern day it is still entirely imaginative. But the novel presents it as fact and the reader goes along with it. The same could go for alien races in other space opera works like Star Wars. There is no true scientific evidence to suggest competent life forms on other planets or in other galaxies, humanoid or otherwise, but the genre has been saturated with aliens enough that readers can understand the believability. This is similar to fantasy vampires, witches, spirits, etcetera.

There is one narrative element that I both loved and hated about The Stars My Destination. Every woman who comes into Gully Foyle’s life- apart from Olivia, who turns out to be the subject of his revenge- falls in love with him despite his horrible treatment of them. Robin is raped by Gully and treated terribly the rest of the time and she still develops feelings for him which makes me cringe as a woman who tries to encourage strong female characters. The reason I also love this pattern, however, is because I understand its presence. Gully is a man driven by his passionate revenge scheme, and he will eventually lose interest in anyone who stops being of use to him. Every strong female character ends up helping him because they can see something good within his evil, and they end up getting hurt because of it. To show the complexity of Gully’s character, you need the conflicting emotions of the people who surround him, and I think that’s very interesting.

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The Novel of Spiritual Education

The Harry Potter series played a large role in my childhood, as it has for many others. Though I was too young to appreciate the books when they first came out, I saw every movie and picked up the books during middle school. Like many children facing adolescent struggles of puberty, I fell in love with the magical world that mirrored ours. There were characters I could relate to having problems that I could identify with. This subgenre of fantasy is aimed to guide the youthful audience through wisdom and entertaining action. The series tackled moral complexities which grew in intensity with each installment as both the characters and the audience aged. These moral complexities can range from facing fears to falling in love. A common pattern, however, is that the characters need to educate themselves and be brave while retaining their individuality in order to prove that they are worthy opponents for the challenges before them. This is seen on a more literal level in the first novel, in which the three main characters each have a unique quality that enables them to pass through the obstacles to reach the “Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s” stone.

One of my favorite elements of Rowling’s wizard world, however, is the concept of dementors and patronuses. Dementors could be considered a physical manifestation of depression. They suck out every happy feeling, every cherished memory, and leave you as an abyss of negativity. The concept is enough to scare anyone, regardless of age, because no one is happy all of the time and we all come to face negative phases of our lives. But Harry Potter shows children that there is always hope with the addition of protective spirits, patronuses, who dispel dementors and keep you safe. While dementors and patronuses don’t exist in the muggle world, children can use this example to see that even in the darkest of times, when problems can seem to be all around you, you are never truly alone and there will always be someone willing to help you see the light. That is just one of the many moral dilemmas Rowling explores in the Harry Potter universe, and it is aimed at children to guide them and maybe help them see whatever they are going through in a different light.

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Neil Gaiman- The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The fantastical world coexists with our mundane reality in The Ocean at the End of the Lane: the fabric of time can be snipped and mended by an immortal grandmother; wormholes to other realities can manifest themselves in your heart; a duck pond can be an ocean of understanding. And while this tale is undoubtedly a fantasy short novel, the narration really boils down to a coming of age story about a boy who is trying to find ways to cope with hardship. The unnamed protagonist faces death multiple times over a very short amount of time and begins to experience strange phenomena, such as waking up with a coin stuck in his throat. His friendly, magical neighbors down the lane explain these oddities without ever really giving him answers. Or, at least, their answers make sense for the world as they see it. The Hempstocks don’t exist as contemporary manifestations of myth but rather exist to aid and control the magic already at work within the universe.

What I enjoy most about the genre is the tendency to narrate through the eyes of children. The Ocean at the End of the Lane begins with an adult protagonist facing a funeral and only when he is presented to the “ocean” does he begin to remember his childhood. It could be argued that the Hempstocks may have altered his memories, as they’ve done with others. Or it could be argued that the reality of his past may not have had these fantastical elements and instead been the imagination of a boy questioning and trying to understand the adult world. He loses a friend in his cat and then is exposed to the corpse of suicide. He questions the desire for wealth and struggles to understand the presence of a beautiful woman who has come to break apart his family by seducing his father. Death, greed, and sex all play important roles in adult life and as a growing young boy he decides to look for answers. Lettie and the Hempstocks have the existential knowledge of everything in their backyard and even they know some things are best kept a mystery. The entire novel is a taste of magic in a modern setting, and we are all left wondering how and why memories can change and if the way we view adult life is worth sacrificing childhood.

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The Hobbit: A Hero's Journey

The Hobbit is the perfect example of a formulaic hero’s tale. Bilbo Baggins begins his journey as a painfully ordinary man, most comfortable in routine and unwilling to disband from it. Only through the supernatural persuasion of a mentor (Gandalf), does he feel the compulsion to embark on a journey, knowing fully well that he will never be the same afterwards. This “refusal to call” and “crossing of first threshold” are critical elements in the primary stage of the heroic adventure.

The second phase- initiation- begins as they journey through the wilds to Rivendell, and Bilbo immediately feels the difference between his old mundane life and the unexpected perils of adventure. He constantly reflects on his desire for leisure and luxury, and for many people this must make Bilbo a fairly relatable character. He is pushing himself out of his comfort zone and at first it is scary and only makes you long for a time when everything was in your control. As Bilbo progresses through the journey’s trials, though, he slowly begins to see his worth as a member of the team and as an individual. When they reach the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo is able to play the role he was hired for: to act as a sort of spy/thief. He steals the golden cup as well as the Arkenstone, gathers intel about Smaug’s weak spot, and tries to make peace among races through negotiation. After war erupts and Thorin is at the end of his life, Bilbo receives atonement for his actions through the declaration of friendship. This allows the “apotheosis” phase to help Bilbo realize how much he has grown. He has accepted the changes within himself and embraces the return phase, where he does return to his daily routine but he has undoubtedly been changed for the better and earned the respect of many. This is a classic ending to a heroic tale, one used to satisfy the reader and make them feel as if they too can journey to find the hero within.

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Aunt Maria: Witches in Power

Diana Wynne Jones’ Aunt Maria uses the witch archetype for many reasons. One reason was to establish this dystopian world with a great rift between sexes; a rift that is unnatural and should not be accepted as a decent way to live. This is almost revealed explicitly when the revived Antony Green speaks of the way life is at Cranbury. “They divided into men’s ways and women’s ways then, and they’ve been thinking up more and more rules ever since to make the difference seem even bigger. Women allowed men the strong, out-of-doors things – provided the men put the virtue of their thoughts and ambitions into this box, so that it couldn’t get loose and run wild – while the men gave over all the secret, indoors things to the women – on condition the main power was kept safe by just a few strong women who would work by the rules.” This book pushes for gender equality and is aimed at a young audience, which I think is important. The female characters range from evil to pure, sane to insane, strong-willed to naive. The male characters range from mild-tempered to hot-headed or soft-spoken to loudmouthed. And progress is only made when they all work together, regardless of sex or age. Jones is implying that in order for a community to function properly, there needs to be mutual respect.

I thought it was interesting, then, how we are immediately made to dislike Aunt Maria and the secretive power she yields. Even though at first she seems relatively harmless, it could be argued that the reader should assume there is an unbalance due to the matriarchal structure of the Laker family. Of course it slowly is revealed that Maria is a true threat because she acts selfishly to hold onto her power. Mig, on the other hand, is a young girl who sees the truth because she considers her and her brothers to be equal. I found it interesting when she said “I’ve been letting Chris do all the real active thinking. Perhaps it’s because Chris is a year older than me. But I am not usually like this. I think it is the way everyone here takes for granted that having ideas is not women’s work and not nice somehow. In future, I swear to do better.” That is the moment when she is reintroduced to the fact that women need to be as active as men and men need to be allowed to express their emotions. After she finds that balance, she is a stronger lady who helps save the day.

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Vampire Academy

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been biased against the vampire genre ever since seeing Twilight. I tried to keep an open mind when starting Vampire Academy and while I still found the characters predictable and the drama a little tiresome, the book’s vampire lore actually had me hooked. I found the complex social structure of the vampire world interesting. Not only was there conflict between living vampires and dead vampires, there was conflict between full vampires and half vampires and royals and lower class families. I can see why a high school was a successful setting to fully expose the society’s social inequalities and the personal insecurities linked. For instance, I thought the blood whore concept was very interesting. Throughout the novel- as well as the entire genre- it’s generally agreed that having your blood sucked by a vampire is practically orgasmic. But there is a stigma around morois drinking from a dhampir during sex. In the book it’s suggested that often moroi men search for female dhampir blood, which would probably just enhance the sexual experience, but for some reason it’s taboo. In my opinion, this speaks to “slut-shaming” in our own society. If a woman chooses to embrace her sexuality, she becomes a slut. Meanwhile it’s generally accepted that men can have as much free sex as they want with no labels or blame. While this might not have been Richelle Mead’s intention, I understood the blood whore concept to sort of exploit that.

This also brings me to the relationship between Rose and Lissa which is one I enjoyed seeing in a young adult novel. Their friendship throughout the entire book takes precedence over romantic interests and endured the obstacles thrown their way. Rose dedicated her life to protect her friend, and Lissa loved Rose so much she chipped away at her own spirit in order to bring Rose back from the dead. The concept of wielding the spirit element was another intriguing point for me. To heal others meant to damage herself, and I think that would feel relatable to many people, especially young adults. I think the way Mead handled self-harm was important. Rose wanted to comply with Lissa’s wish of secrecy, but there comes a time when that’s no longer acceptable. The loved ones of someone who self-harms needs to step in and help them regain self-control.

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