The Power of Words
Paul Joseph Goebbels, a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany once stated: “Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will (www.azquotes.com). In literature, the usage of propaganda is prevalent in totalitarian states, which functions as a method of control to manipulate people and acquire power. According to Mr. Blythe’s Class Notes, propaganda is defined as “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person”. In other words, propaganda seeks to change the opinion of the society, understanding of the population and manipulate people into thinking that they …show more content…
According to Mr. Blythe’s Class Notes, “bandwagon” attempts to “persuade the target audience to take a course of action ‘everyone else is doing it’. This technique reinforces people’s natural desire to be on the winning side [...] Convince the audience that a program is an expression of an irresistible mass movement and that it is in their interest to join”. In other words, this technique subconsciously forces people to conform to an idea that is greatly adopted by the majority of the population in the society. In this poster, this technique is demonstrated through the slogan “Join us. You are the only hope for humanity”. The slogan implies that many people have joined the Red Center already, which plays heavily on people’s need for belonging, thus making the Red Center a more attractive place. Also, “You are the only hope for humanity” implies that by contributing their bodies to the state and obligating their duties, women are able to save humanity. Pursuing this further, this gives all women the illusion that they are being viewed as important and can contribute to the society as much as men can if they are “the only hope for humanity”. Thus this feeling would eventually lead to the illusion of feminist ideas that women are empowered as independent individuals and are in control of their own bodies. By becoming a Handmaid, they are making a decision willingly to save the society. However, the slogan is highly ironic considering what it promotes is the opposite of what is happening in Gilead. In reality, women in Gilead are considered as inferior and unimportant. They have no independence, power or control over their bodies (no reproductive rights). All Handmaids are merely possessions for reproductive purposes. The government takes women from their families and tries to erase their pasts. Women are being turned into empty childbearing vessels and are prohibited from reading, writing, or
Paul Joseph Goebbels, a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany once stated: “Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will (www.azquotes.com). In literature, the usage of propaganda is prevalent in totalitarian states, which functions as a method of control to manipulate people and acquire power. According to Mr. Blythe’s Class Notes, propaganda is defined as “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person”. In other words, propaganda seeks to change the opinion of the society, understanding of the population and manipulate people into thinking that they …show more content…
According to Mr. Blythe’s Class Notes, “bandwagon” attempts to “persuade the target audience to take a course of action ‘everyone else is doing it’. This technique reinforces people’s natural desire to be on the winning side [...] Convince the audience that a program is an expression of an irresistible mass movement and that it is in their interest to join”. In other words, this technique subconsciously forces people to conform to an idea that is greatly adopted by the majority of the population in the society. In this poster, this technique is demonstrated through the slogan “Join us. You are the only hope for humanity”. The slogan implies that many people have joined the Red Center already, which plays heavily on people’s need for belonging, thus making the Red Center a more attractive place. Also, “You are the only hope for humanity” implies that by contributing their bodies to the state and obligating their duties, women are able to save humanity. Pursuing this further, this gives all women the illusion that they are being viewed as important and can contribute to the society as much as men can if they are “the only hope for humanity”. Thus this feeling would eventually lead to the illusion of feminist ideas that women are empowered as independent individuals and are in control of their own bodies. By becoming a Handmaid, they are making a decision willingly to save the society. However, the slogan is highly ironic considering what it promotes is the opposite of what is happening in Gilead. In reality, women in Gilead are considered as inferior and unimportant. They have no independence, power or control over their bodies (no reproductive rights). All Handmaids are merely possessions for reproductive purposes. The government takes women from their families and tries to erase their pasts. Women are being turned into empty childbearing vessels and are prohibited from reading, writing, or