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The Fall Of The Handmaids Tale

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1. In the beginning of The Handmaids Tale, there are 3 quotations that form the front piece of the book and insight the readers into the important aspects of the book. “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children…” This quotation resembles how important it was to give children. That if Rachel gave no children she might as well die, “Give me children or else I die”. This quotation sets the theme for infertility. Rachel allows Jacob to get the maid pregnant because she wants to claim the children as her own. The desire for children is put above any other sin committed, such as this version of adultery. The reason for this quotation in the book is to imply that these actions will be taken in The Handmaids Tale. The second quotation,…show more content…
That you shouldn’t do something like breed women and take away every aspect of their lives and basically make them a machine to breed children. The reason for this quote is that it shows what is right from wrong and that somethings are just not meant to be done. 2. Costumes and colors symbolize the roles of handmaids, wives, commanders, etc. Handmaids are forced to wear red dresses that cover all aspects of their body. The color red symbolizes fertility, which is very important for handmaids to have. It also represents the blood of the menstrual cycle and childbirth, “everything except the wings around my face is red: The colour of blood which defines us.” Therefore, red identifies the role of a handmaid as a child bearer for the wives. Wives can be identified by their clothes and where they sit in meetings .The costumes the wives wear are usually more flattering and more fitted and always blue. Blue is a royal color which can represent that the wives have a high status which is why their clothes are blue and more regal. Blue is also seen as a frigid color and that can represent the actions of the wives to the handmaids. The roles of the wives are to help the handmaids get pregnant but they despise them instead. “It 's not the husbands you have to watch out for, said Aunt Lydia, it 's the Wives. You should always try to imagine what they must be feeling. Of course they will resent you. It is only
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