So the funny thing about my O character is that her name doesn't really start with O...
O is for... Offred...
Or Ofglenn or Oftom... or whatever name currently donned by the narrator of The Handmaids Tail.
Truly what I consider to be one of the most important pieces of 20th century literature, Margaret Atwood's masterpiece tells a chilling tale of the true and final marginalization of women in modern society.
Offred is the handmaid to Fred (her name, then, becomes Of Fred). This means that Fred is important enough to procreate. Since his barren wife cannot produce children, he gets a handmaid to help do the deed.
The picture of a society that values women only for their ability to help men is truly eye opening, and required reading for any feminist or feminist in training. It truly delivers something to think about.
Love that book. The writing is as incredible as the story.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I've heard the book mentioned a fair number of times but never really knew what it was about till this made me look it up.
ReplyDeleteI like your blog theme for the month. I don't remember many character names but it's a good idea for the A to Z challenge.
A to Z commenter
Reading at Dawn blog
Great choice of character! It's such a brilliant, and disturbing, book.
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