The Handmaid's Tale and Philosophy: A Womb of One's Own
The Handmaid's Tale and Philosophy: A Womb of One's Own
Robison-Greene, Rachel
product information
Condition: New, UPC: 9780812699920, Publication Date: Sat, December 1, 2018, Type: Paperback ,
join & start selling
description
8In The Handmaid's Tale and Philosophy, philosophers give their insights into the blockbuster best-selling novel and record-breaking TV series, The Handmaid's Tale. The story involves a future breakaway state in New England, beset by environmental disaster and a plummeting birth rate, in which the few remaining fertile women are conscripted to have sex and bear children to the most powerful men, all justified and rationalized by religious fundamentalism.

Among the questions raised by this riveting and harrowing story:

The Handmaid's Tale displays the connection between sex and power. What light does this story shed on sex and power in our own society?

● The divinity of the feminine is associated with the female capacity to give birth. Is this association inherently exploitative?

● In the story, the revolution rapidly rebranded people by changing their names and placing them into functional groups with specific titles. How important is change in language to the suppression of individual freedom?

The Handmaid's Tale sees everything through the eyes of one character. How is it possible to construct a self and an identity at odds with the definition which the culture attempts to impose?

● In oppressive societies, even the most oppressed do show some freedom of choice. What is the limit of autonomy in a repressive society ruled by a fanatical ideology?

● Our present ethics of sex relies heavily on the notion of consent, but in the world of The Handmaid's Tale there is little scope for consent. How is the power of consent constricted by the broader social conditions?

● The feminist idea of Care Ethics can be used to critique various gender relationships. How does Care Ethics evaluate our own society and the society depicted in The Handmaid's Tale?

● The society portrayed in the story is marked by fierce religiosity, yet the Christian God presumably disapproves of its brutal exploitation and oppression. What is the relation between a loving Deity and the literal interpretation of scriptural passages?

● Among many dystopian stories, what makes The Handmaid's Tale particularly memorable, and what purpose is served by the contemplation of imaginary dystopias?

● Suicide is common in The Handmaid's Tale, and contemplating the possibility of suicide is even more common. Can life be worth living if the political and religious structure is thoroughly malign?

● Beneath the theocratic preaching, there is the practical suggestion that everything is being arranged for the good of society and therefore of everyone. Who gets to decide and enforce what is in society's best interests?

reviews

Be the first to write a review

member goods

No member items were found under this heading.

notems store

Captive: Beautiful Monsters Vol. 1

by Lane, Jex

Paperback /Paperback

$11.37

A House with Good Bones

by Kingfisher, T.

Hardcover /Hardcover

$20.24

The Vampire Curse: Royal Covens ...

by Thorn, J. R.

Hardcover /Hardcover

$29.40

listens & views

AT TOWN HALL

by ODETTA

COMPACT DISC

out of stock

$10.75

NEW WAR (AUS)

by NEW WAR

COMPACT DISC

out of stock

$17.99

Return Policy

All sales are final

Shipping

No special shipping considerations available.
Shipping fees determined at checkout.
promoting relevance through notable postings ]
share it, buy it, sell it ]

A notem is a post that highlights an experience, idea, topic of interest, an event ... whatever a member believes worthy of discussion. Each notem becomes a pathway by which to make meaningful connections.

notems is a free, global social network that rewards members by the number and quality of notems they post.

notemote® © . Privacy Policy. Developed by Hartmann Software Group