In the world we live in, here in Canada, we have a lot of independence. We are free to do what we want with some obvious limits outlined in the laws set forth in Canada. This freedom allows us to make our own identity in Canada. Now imagine if that freedom was taken away and the identity you created is lost. This is what is outlined in the books 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale. An individual cannot truly have their own identity in a society with no autonomy, no matter how much they rebel or how hard they may try.
When you restrict the independence of a population, some will still fight for their identity, but after being oppressed for too long, the environment they live in can take its toll on them recognizing even themselves. “You wanted a good …show more content…
It meant, ‘Don’t let the bastards grind you down.’’ […] I force a smile, but it’s all before me now. I can see why she wrote that, on the wall of the cupboard,” (Atwood, 235) Fred’s previous handmaid wrote the phrase mentioned in the quote on a cupboard to remind her to rebel against them and that what was happening to them was not right. This phrase is a motivational quote to fight against the society that would try to remove the true you by imposing their rules upon you. “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,” (Atwood, 9) Due to her time in Gilead, Offred cannot recognize herself anymore. She has been turned into what the Government of Gilead want her to be, a handmaid. She is a distorted image of her former self and she cannot truly see herself. She is a tool the Gilead made and she is now being used for her “purpose” in society, which just removes her true …show more content…
“To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone --- to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone: from the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, from the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink --- greetings!” (Orwell, 36) Winston is remembering his past when he was free and independent and he is trying to hold onto that to give himself hope for the future. This goes further by showing his hope for the future that maybe one day the world will be free of the Party and their philosophies. He is trying to remember the past and hope for the future in this time of restrictions and removal of identity. “The command of the old despotisms was ‘Thou shalt not.’ The command of the totalitarians was ‘Thou shalt.’ Our command is ‘Thou art.’” (Orwell, 334) The method that the Party used to remove freedom and identity and independence is showcased here as they show how they rule compared to previous governments. Through the usage of “Thou Art”, the Party can control the way people think and act by commanding their every move. They say what you are, leaving one with nothing but what the government wants them to
When you restrict the independence of a population, some will still fight for their identity, but after being oppressed for too long, the environment they live in can take its toll on them recognizing even themselves. “You wanted a good …show more content…
It meant, ‘Don’t let the bastards grind you down.’’ […] I force a smile, but it’s all before me now. I can see why she wrote that, on the wall of the cupboard,” (Atwood, 235) Fred’s previous handmaid wrote the phrase mentioned in the quote on a cupboard to remind her to rebel against them and that what was happening to them was not right. This phrase is a motivational quote to fight against the society that would try to remove the true you by imposing their rules upon you. “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,” (Atwood, 9) Due to her time in Gilead, Offred cannot recognize herself anymore. She has been turned into what the Government of Gilead want her to be, a handmaid. She is a distorted image of her former self and she cannot truly see herself. She is a tool the Gilead made and she is now being used for her “purpose” in society, which just removes her true …show more content…
“To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone --- to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone: from the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, from the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink --- greetings!” (Orwell, 36) Winston is remembering his past when he was free and independent and he is trying to hold onto that to give himself hope for the future. This goes further by showing his hope for the future that maybe one day the world will be free of the Party and their philosophies. He is trying to remember the past and hope for the future in this time of restrictions and removal of identity. “The command of the old despotisms was ‘Thou shalt not.’ The command of the totalitarians was ‘Thou shalt.’ Our command is ‘Thou art.’” (Orwell, 334) The method that the Party used to remove freedom and identity and independence is showcased here as they show how they rule compared to previous governments. Through the usage of “Thou Art”, the Party can control the way people think and act by commanding their every move. They say what you are, leaving one with nothing but what the government wants them to