What was probably one of the most difficult scenes to read, allowed for a great deal of interpretation...and possible controversy. I interpreted this scene to be taking a stab at the Bible. The idea of Virgin Mary is shown through the graphic scene of “the Ceremony,” where the Commander is to impregnate is wife, through his Handmaid. Offred explains, “She [Serena Joy] holds my hands, each of mine in each of hers. This is supposed to signify that we are one flesh, one being. What is really means is that she is in control, of the process and thus the product” (Atwood 94). Atwood is clearly taking a stab at the Bible, noting the irony that exists. Many passages of the Bible preach to treasure women for they are the bearers of children, while at the same time, Mary, mother of Jesus, is said to be a virgin, and therefore did not take advantage of her womanhood. When a Handmaid gives birth to a child, the Wives assume all responsibility, and are said to have given birth to the child themselves. The name “the Ceremony” reflects the idea that sexual interaction is simply ceremonial, something that is done without the necessity of love or interest. This is just one of the many clever satiric biblical allusions used throughout this work.
"Grayness comes through the curtains, hazy bright, not much sun today. I get out of bed, go to the window, kneel on the window seat, the hard little cushion, FAITH, and look out. There is nothing to be seen. I wonder what had become of the other two cushions. There must have been three once. HOPE and CHARITY, where have they been stowed? (110)."
This quote caught my attention immediately because of the clearly emphasized words: faith, hope, and charity. Interestingly, the cushion that reads "FAITH" is described as "hard" and "little." Faith means a myriad of things in this novel, the most obvious being the faith in God that sets the foundation of Gilead. The other prevalent uses of faith are faith in oneself and faith in change for the better, which go hand-in-hand. The hardness of the cushion is representative of the foundation of Gilead, the faith in God that is forced int his suppressed society. The hardness could also represent the struggle that Offred finds herself having with faith and God. "If God exists, how could he do this to his people?" is an expressed mindset. The cushion is described as small because while faith may create the basis of Gilead, it is not enough to create happiness amongst the people. Although Offred may kneel on the cushion and kneel on faith, its size makes it unstable. The line "there is nothing to be seen" could be indicative of her lack of "sight" of and faith in God. Charity can mean Christian love or aid to the helpless, both of which are lacking in Gilead, just as the pillows' locations are unknown to Offred. Hope, meaning the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that what happens next will turn out for the best, is also absent from Gilead.
While I found several instances in this book where graphic chapters were difficult to read, I think that the way Atwood incorporated her personal opinions of various social issues and religion is brilliant. The though development of Offred was so clear and so personal that I grew some sort of personal attachment to the character. My favorite character was Moira. I loved how she represented the strength in women (as described at the beginning of the novel) and then represented a collapse due to desperation and acquired weakness (Jezebel's). I feel as though this book had the most to discuss out the ones we've read thus far and enjoyed the class discussions on this novel most. This was my favorite book of the marking period.
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