Works Cited-Handmaid's Tale

Works Cited

"Answers search engine: clipping bird wings." Qwikstep.com. 2010. Answers search engine. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://qwickstep.com/search/clipping-bird-wings.html>.

"Apple (symbolism)." Wikipedia. 17 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_%28symbolism%29>.

Ashford, William. "Coca-Cola and Pepsi in Battle Over Bottled Lunar Water." Scrape TV. 17 Nov. 2009. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Business/pages-3/Coca-Cola-and-Pepsi-in-battle-over-bottled-lunar-water-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html>.

"Black." Wikipedia. 12 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black>.

"Diana (mythology)." Wikipedia. 27 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_%28mythology%29>.

Dreyfus, Henry. "Symbolism: Colors." 7 Sept. 2001. Three-Musketeers. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.three-musketeers.net/mike/colors.html>.

"Eugene Delacroix (Liberty Leading the People)." SMARThistory.us. Podpress. 31 Aug. 2010
<http://smarthistory.us/site/romanticism/eugene-delacroix>.

"Female Symbol (for picks)." Weblog Post. Fanpop. 2007. 31 Aug. 2010
<http://www.fanpop.com/spots/fanpop/images/41967/title/female-symbol-picks-icon>.

Gabriel, Christopher. "Lady Miller of the Pigeons." Christopher Gabriel. 12 Feb. 2008. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://cgabriel.com/2008/02/12/lady-millie-of-the-pigeons/>.

"Gilead." Wikipedia. 7 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilead>.

Gutmann, Peter. "Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fifth Symphony." Classical Notes. 2001. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/fifth.html>.

"Lip." Wikipedia. 24 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip>.

"Little Red Riding Hood." 30 Aug. 2010
<http://www.englishtap.com/etlw/read/children/redrh.htm>.

"Mayday (distress signal)." Wikipedia. 25 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayday_%28distress_signal%29>.

"Miko." Wikipedia. 27 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko>.         

"Moon." House of Names. 2010. Swyrich Corporation. 31 Aug. 2010
<http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp/keyword.moon/qx/symbolism_details.htm>.

"Phoenix." Cracked.com.  2005. Cracked entertainment. 30 Aug. 2010
<http://www.cracked.com/funny-5803-phoenix/>.

Phukan, Ruban. "Surreal Hallway." Ibibo. 2006. 30 Aug. 2010
<http://photos.ibibo.com/photo/114724/surreal-dream-hallway-blur-virtual>.

"Prologue." Weblog post. The Diary of Truth.  April 2010. Blogger.com. 30 Aug. 2010
<http://thedarksilhouette.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html>.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Blue." Dictionary of Symbolism. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/>. Path: B; Blue.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Eyes." Dictionary of Symbolism. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/>. Path: E; Eyes.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Red." Dictionary of Symbolism. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/>. Path: R; Red.
 
"Protect Your Lips." SO Kiss & Makeup. 24 Jan. 2009. 30 Aug. 2010 <www.sokissandmakeup.com/protect-your-lips/>.
.
"SOS." Wikipedia. 14 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS>.

"There Is a Balm in Gilead." Wikipedia. 18 Sept. 2009. 31 Aug. 2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Is_a_Balm_in_Gilead>.

"Winged Victory of Samothrace." Wikipedia. 24 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace>.

"Woman." Wikipedia. 31 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman>.

#16- Handmaid's Tale

"The three bodies hang there, even with the white sacks over their heads looking curiously stretched, like chickens strung up by the necks in a meatshop window; like birds with their wings clipped, like flightless birds, wrecked angles... If it weren't for the ropes and the sacks it could be a kind of dance, a ballet, caught by flash-camera: midair" (277).

Atwood's comparison between the bodies and chickens in a meatshop window gives this scene an especially gruesome feeling. Chickens are raised for the purpose of being meat, leading the reader to wonder if the women were hung for a reason other than the crimes they "committed." This is supported by the fact that Aunt Lydia does not announce what crimes the women committed. Flight is often used to symbolize freedom. Atwood compares the bodies to multiple things that have lost their ability to fly. This sense of losing freedom is more than simply dying. Just like a bird cannot control whether its wings get clipped, these women were most likely hung for no reason. Comparing the scene to a dance gives it an ironic twist - dance usually symbolizes celebration. This hanging is a sick celebration, one of the control that the Eyes have over the women.

Work Cited:
Photo Credit:
"Answers search engine: clipping bird wings." Qwikstep.com. 2010. Answers search engine. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://qwickstep.com/search/clipping-bird-wings.html>.

#15- Handmaid's Tale

"And the one on the pigeons, trained to peck a button that made a grain of corn appear. Three groups of them: the first got one grain per peck, the second one grain every other peck, the third was random. When the man in charge cut off the grain, the first group gave up quite soon, the second group a little later. The third group never gave up. They'd peck themselves to death, rather than quit" (70).

The third group of pigeons is similar to the Handmaids. Because there are never consistent results with producing offspring, the society would continue just as it is, even if something changed and made it impossible for the women to produce children (just as the man cut off the grain). By placing this metaphor in the book, Atwood is suggesting that the structure of the society of the Republic of Gilead could lead to the death of humanity. Just as the pigeons would "peck themselves to death" the society would continue trying the reproduce the way they already are - which would result in extinction - rather than attempt to find an alternative.

Photo Credit:
Gabriel, Christopher. "Lady Miller of the Pigeons." Christopher Gabriel. 12 Feb. 2008. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://cgabriel.com/2008/02/12/lady-millie-of-the-pigeons/>.

#14- Handmaid's Tale

"There Is a Balm in Gilead" (218).

This line is from a traditional United States African-American spiritual. It is found in the Old Testament of the Bible. The hymn as a whole describes the concept of salvation which is an idea from the New Testament. Atwood places this hymn in her novel to create a false sense of comfort. Those in charge of the society use the hymn to try to comfort others that the "balm" in their land will heal people, most likely meaning that it will heal women and allow them to give birth again. Atwood adds Moira's twist on the hymn, "There Is Bomb in Gilead" to mock this. This is important since it brings up the theme of destruction rather than healing. It suggests that the changes in the society are making things worse rather than better.

Traditional lyrics:
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
Some times I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.
(Chorus)
If you can’t preach like Peter,
If you can’t pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.
(Chorus)

Work Cited:
"There Is a Balm in Gilead." Wikipedia. 18 Sept. 2009. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/There_Is_a_Balm_in_Gilead>.

#13- Handmaid's Tale

"I pray where I am, sitting by the window, looking out through the curtain at the empty garden. I don't even close my eyes. Out there or inside my head, it's an equal darkness. Or light" (194).

Offred does not close her eyes because figuratively, she sees the same thing whether she closes her eyes or keeps them open. Darkness is not only the absence of light but it usually represents evil or fear. In this way, Atwood is saying that the world of Gilead is evil and scary just like the darkness Offred sees when she closes her eyes. Light is usually used to symbolize good and hope but Atwood's use of it here is different. Because Offred is saying that the world is the same whether she closes her eyes or keeps them open, or whether she sees light or dark, it gives the impression that the situation is hopeless. The state of the society of the Republic of Gilead is at a standstill and it is hopeless.

#12- Handmaid's Tale

"Victory is on one side of the inner doorway, leading them on, and Death is on the other. It's a mural in honor of some war or other. The men on the side of Death are still alive. They're going to heaven. Death is a beautiful woman, with wings and one breast almost bare; or is that Victory? I can't remember" (166).

Atwood uses this passage to explain the battle between life and death. However, since life is portrayed as "Victory" it shows that life is not a right - it must be earned. It seems impossible that people on the side of Death could still be alive but because they are described as "going to heaven" it represents Offred's idea that, due to the way the Gilead society is set up, the only way to live freely is to be in heaven. Atwood first describes Death as being beautiful to represent the idea that the restrictive ways of Gilead make Death look like a wonderful option. The woman Atwood describes is most likely the statue Winged Victory of Samothrace (or Nike of Samothrace). This statue is of a beautiful woman who, in the eyes of the Ancient Greeks, was the perfect example of ideal beauty. This allusion stands as a reminder of the past, a time when Victory would be preferred over Death. It is interesting that Atwood portrays Death and Victory both as women with men standing behind them. Although women are restricted in the Gilead society, they are in actuality revered because the act of bearing children is worshipped. Portraying these two prominent acts - Death and Victory - as women demonstrates the true position of women in the society.

Works Cited:
"Winged Victory of Samothrace." Wikipedia. 24 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace>.

Photo Credit:
"Eugene Delacroix (Liberty Leading the People)."SMARThistory.us. Podpress. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://smarthistory.us/site/romanticism/eugene-delacroix>.

#11- Handmaid's Tale

"The camera moves to the sky, where hundreds of balloons rise, trailing their strings: red balloons, with a circle painted on them, a circle with a stem like the stem of an apple, the stem of a cross" (120).

This scene shows a protest by feminists. The balloons, which represent freedom, have the female symbol painted on them. The fact that they are red symbolizes child birth since red is the color of blood. The female symbol originates in the symbol for the planet Venus - it is an interpretation of Venus' mirror which is a symbol of femininity. The way Atwood describes the symbol is important. Apples are often the symbol of love and sexuality which, when combined with the symbol of the balloon, represents the want for sexual freedom. The stem of an apple is where the fruit connects to the tree similarly to how an umbilical cord connects the baby to the mother. This represents a mother's connection with bearing children. In comparing the mark to the cross, Atwood points out that true spiritual beings give women the same respect as they give men.

Works Cited:
"Woman." Wikipedia. 31 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman>.

"Apple (symbolism)." Wikipedia. 17 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Apple_%28symbolism%29>.


Photo Credit:
"Female Symbol (for picks)." Weblog Post. Fanpop. 2007. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://www.fanpop.com/
spots/fanpop/images/41967/title/female-symbol-picks-icon>.

#10- Handmaid's Tale

"The first egg is white. I move the eggcup a little, so it's now in the watery sunlight that comes through the window and falls, brightening, waning, brightening again, on the tray. The shell of the egg is smooth but also grained; small pebbles of calcium are defined by the sunlight, like craters on the moon. It's a barren landscape, yet perfect; it's the sort of desert the saints went into, so their minds would not be distracted by profusion. I think that this is what God must look like: an egg. The life of the moon may not be on the surface, but inside" (110).

Atwood describes the egg as looking like the moon. Her use of an egg is important since it symbolizes rebirth which is a prominent issue throughout the novel. Her use of the moon is equally important as it is a symbol of the strength to perform duties. In Gilead, the Handmaids have to endure their duty of repopulating the society. The moon is also the symbol of the goddess Diana who watches over and protects women and childbirth. The fact that the egg is "a barren landscape, yet perfect" suggests that life's beauties lie in the simplest, most natural things, such as the natural human instincts (love, for example). Atwood suggests that God might look like an egg because even though an egg looks so simple, it is the core of all life. By saying that the life of the moon might be on the inside, Atwood is suggesting that things are not always as they appear on the outside. This can be applied to the rest of the novel - there is actually more to life than the restrictive society of Gilead.

Works Cited:
"Moon." House of Names. 2010. Swyrich Corporation. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp/keyword.moon/qx/symbolism_details.htm>.

"Diana (mythology)." Wikipedia. 27 Aug. 2010. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_%28mythology%29>.



Photo Credit:
Ashford, William. "Coca-Cola and Pepsi in Battle Over Bottled Lunar Water." Scrape TV. 17 Nov. 2009. 31 Aug. 2010 <http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Business/pages-3/Coca-Cola-and-Pepsi-in-battle-over-bottled-lunar-water-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html>.

#9- Handmaid's Tale

"'Mayday used to be a distress signal, a long time ago, in one of those wars we studied in high school. I kept getting them mixed up, but you could tell them apart by the airplanes if you paid attention. It was Luke who told me about mayday, though. Mayday, mayday, for pilots whose planes had been hit, and ships - was it ships too?  - at sea. Maybe it was S O S for ships. I wish I could look it up. And it was something from Beethoven, for the beginning of the victory, in one of those wars.
    Do you know what it came from? said Luke. Mayday?
    No, I said. It's a strange word to use for that, isn't it?...
    It's French, he said. From m'aidez.
    Help me" (44).

Atwood makes it clear that Offred remembers a lot of things but is having trouble putting all the pieces together. Offred admits that she "keeps getting [the wars] mixed up" and then later cannot remember if ships use S O S or mayday (ships use S O S). Offred also remembers that Beethoven had something to do with it but cannot fully remember how. Beethoven's connection to her memory is that the opening notes of his Fifth Symphony match the rhythm for the morse code meaning "V for Victory," a phrase used during World War II. Offred is from a time when the society was set up very differently and she still remembers pieces of it but the new society is overtaking these old memories. However, she is trying to piece things together and her plea for help at the end of the passage shows that she needs help to escape. The phrase "mayday" is used between the people of the society to hint that they are non-believers and to search out others of their kind. Atwood uses this term because it is their silent plea for help.

Works Cited:
"Mayday (distress signal)." Wikipedia. 25 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayday_%28distress_signal%29>.

Gutmann, Peter. "Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fifth Symphony." Classical Notes. 2001. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/fifth.html>.

"SOS." Wikipedia. 14 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS>.

#8- Handmaid's Tale

"I threw the magazine into the flames. It riffled open in the wind of its burning; big flakes of paper came loose, sailed into the air, still on fire, parts of women's bodies, turning to black ash, in the air, before my eyes" (39).

Flames often symbolize destruction but at the same time, rebirth (the phoenix). Here, the destruction is not only in the physical magazine but in women's freedom. Atwood explains that "parts of women's bodies [were] turning to black ash" to symbolize the destruction of women's fertility and freedom. The society is being reborn, redesigned, to restrict women's abilities. Atwood uses this burning of the magazine to show that change. Offred says that she sees this happen "before her eyes" meaning she was there when this change was set into motion. This separates her from the later generation of women who do not know what society was like before this transformation.

Work Cited:
Photo Credit:
"Phoenix." Cracked.com.  2005. Cracked entertainment. 30 Aug. 2010 <http://www.cracked.com/funny-5803-phoenix/>.

#7- Handmaid's Tale

"I look at the one red smile. The red of the smile is the same as the red of the tulips in Serena Joy's garden, towards the base of the flowers where they are beginning to heal. The red is the same but there is no connection. The tulips are not tulips of blood, the red smiles are not flowers, neither thing makes a comment on the other. The tulip is not a reason for disbelief in the hanged man, or vice versa. Each thing is valid and really there. It is through a field of such valid objects that I must pick my way, every day and in every way. I put a lot of effort into making such distinctions. I need to make them. I need to be very clear, in my own mind" (33).

Since the red of the smile is from blood, it represents destruction. The red on the tulips represents healing. Atwood spreads this color red around her world to show that things are not always as they appear. Just because things are the same color, it does not mean that they are related. This is similar to the fact that even though all Handmaids look the same on the outside, they are not the same people. Some are believers and others are not. Since Offred has to make such distinctions very clear in her head, it suggests that the world itself is very obscure. She has to repeat to herself daily that the objects are real or "valid." This gives the reader the feeling of the society: to be caught in the middle of it feels like a surreal dream.

Work Cited:
Photo Credit:
Phukan, Ruban. "Surreal Hallway." Ibibo. 2006. 30 Aug. 2010 <http://photos.ibibo.com/photo/
114724/surreal-dream-hallway-blur-virtual>.

#6- Handmaid's Tale

"But on one bag there's blood, which has seeped through the white cloth, where the mouth must have been. It makes another mouth, a small red one, like the mouths painted with thick brushes by kindergarten children. A child's idea of a smile. This smile of blood is what fixes the attention, finally. These are not snowmen after all" (32).

Children are used to symbolize innocence. Frequently, the motives behind their actions will not be perceived in the same way by another audience. Therefore, Atwood's phrase "a child's idea of a smile" suggests that the smile may be a mark that to one party is a smile but to another is not. To true believers of the society, the hangings are necessary and good. The believers even make sure that everyone can see the deaths by leaving the bodies on the Wall for a while. However, to non-believers such as Offred, the hangings are evil. This shows how actions can be perceived differently by contrasting people. In the preceding paragraph, Offred had said that these men looked like melting snowmen who were missing their eyes and carrot noses. However, this would mean that the men had never lived. The blood makes it clear that these men were alive at one time and that they are not mere decorations hanging on a wall.

Work Cited:
Photo Credit:
"Prologue." Weblog post.  The Diary of Truth.  April 2010. Blogger.com. 30 Aug. 2010 <http://thedarksilhouette.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html>.

#5- Handmaid's Tale

"This is the heart of Gilead, where the war cannot intrude except on television. Where the edges are we aren't sure, they vary, according to the attacks and counterattacks; but this is the center, where nothing moves. The Republic of Gilead, said Aunt Lydia, knows no bounds. Gilead is within you" (23).

Gilead is a place from the Bible. In this novel, the United States has now been renamed "the Republic of Gilead." Atwood uses this name to make the restrictive society seem, to the citizens, like a better place than it actually is. Having this title for the land keeps the citizens happy and less likely to break out of the set system. By reading this passage, the reader gets the sense that everything revolves around the "heart of Gilead" since it is described as being a place "where nothing moves" just as the center of a circle does not move, even when it spins. This passage hints that the citizens of Gilead are being lied to since "the edges...vary according to the attacks and counterattacks." The United States has been transformed into a haven but it shields the citizens from truth and reality since communication is only on a virtual level. This would make it a possibility that the war is not even happening - it could merely be an invention to keep people in line.

Work Cited:
"Gilead." Wikipedia. 7 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilead>.

#4- Handmaid's Tale

"I walk along the gravel path that divides the back lawn, neatly, like a hair parting. It has rained during the night; the grass to either side is damp, the air humid. Here and there are worms, evidence of the fertility of the soil, caught by the sun, half dead; flexible and pink, like lips" (17).

Atwood uses lips to symbolize sexuality, as they are used for kissing. This explains the simile used here to describe the fertility of the soil. The worms however are described as being "half dead" which relates to the Republic of Gilead since many of the women are not able to reproduce. The worms emerged during the night when it was cool and then were trapped when the sun came out in the morning. Similarly, the women were able to reproduce until the world was overrun with hazardous chemicals. The half dead worms are "evidence of the fertility of the soil" just as a few remaining fertile women are a sign that once, years ago, all women could bear children.

Work Cited:
"Lip." Wikipedia. 24 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip>.

Photo Credit:
"Protect Your Lips." SO Kiss & Makeup. 24 Jan. 2009. 30 Aug. 2010 <www.sokissandmakeup.com/protect-your-lips/>.

#3- Handmaid's Tale

"There are several umbrellas in it: black, for the Commander, blue, for the Commander's Wife, and the one assigned to me, which is red" (9).

The various people of the Gilead society wear different colors to show their positions. The Commander wears black, his wife, blue, and the Handmaids, red. Atwood uses these particular colors for a reason. The black symbolizes the Commanders' authority and the Commanders' wives wear blue to separate themselves from the Handmaids. The blue outfits make the wives seem like the fruitful women of the society, not the Handmaids, because blue often stands for femininity, purity, and birth, since most babies have blue eyes. The red of the Handmaids symbolizes blood which connects them to the birthing process. It also symbolizes masculinity which distinguishes them from the wives.

Works Cited:
"Black." Wikipedia. 12 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black>.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Blue." Dictionary of Symbolism. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/>. Path: B; Blue.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Red." Dictionary of Symbolism. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/>. Path: R; Red.

#2- Handmaid's Tale

"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, descending towards a moment of carelessness that is the same as danger" (9).

"Little Red Riding Hood" is a very well known fairy tale. When Offred says that she is "some fairy-tale figure in a red cloak" she is comparing herself to Little Red Riding Hood. In the fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood's "moment[s] of carelessness that [are] the same as danger" are telling the wolf her destination and mistaking the wolf for her grandmother. Offred's careless moment is giving away that she does not believe in the society. Simply talking to someone too loudly or in the wrong fashion could result in her arrest by the black van. In saying that Offred is "descending towards a moment of carelessness" Atwood foreshadows Offred's future, warning that very soon, she will make this careless mistake. This relates to the end of the book when Offred is taken away by the van.

Work Cited:
Photo Credit:
"Little Red Riding Hood." 30 Aug. 2010 <http://www.englishtap.com/etlw/read/children/
redrh.htm> .

#1- Handmaid's Tale

"The white wings too are prescribed issue; they are to keep us from seeing, but also from being seen" (8).

This part of the Handmaids' uniforms keeps the Handmaids isolated from other people by blocking their sense of sight. Making eye contact is a way that people connect and the Handmaids are unable to do this. Atwood uses this block to demonstrate the Handmaids' isolation. Just like the veils worn by Middle Eastern women, these wings represent submission to the rest of the society and are a sign that the Handmaids are below others. It is interesting that even though most of the uniform is red, Atwood makes the wings be white. This can be explained by shrine maidens, traditional Japanese figures. These maidens wear red and white outfits. The shrine maidens are very different from the Handmaids in their actions but the core of their purpose is similar - the shrine maidens' purpose is to help humans by restoring life and bringing peace and happiness to society, just as the Handmaids must "restore life" by giving birth.

Works Cited:
Dreyfus, Henry. "Symbolism: Colors." 7 Sept. 2001. Three-Musketeers. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://
www.three-musketeers.net/mike/colors.html>.

"Miko." Wikipedia. 27 Aug. 2010. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko>.
          Photo is also from above source.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Eyes." Dictionary of Symbolism. 28 Aug. 2010 <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/>. Path: E; Eyes.

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"Oranges and Lemons Rhyme." Nursey Rhymes Lyrics and Origins. 24 Aug. 2010
<http://www.rhymes.org.uk/oranges_and_lemons.htm>.

"Oranges and Lemons." You Tube. 10 July 2008. 30 Aug. 2010
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdy_B2zDQJs>.

"Planting Trees in North Korea." LOAF Project. 2009. 26 Aug. 2010
<http://www.loafproject.co.uk/html/project_2009.html>.

Platt, Peter G. Shakespeare and the Culture of Paradox. Farnham and Burlington: Ashgate, 2009. 22 Aug. 2010
<http://books.google.com/books?id=eWL9Pj-AjzoC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=shakespeare+annihilate+culture&source=bl&ots=UhzgZtgGcQ&sig=PeOlWb2D7eDoeZxXn6-xjdBhVcc&hl=en&ei=RWpxTNGTCMP7lwfkt5y7Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Darkness." Dictionary of Symbolism. 2001. 22 Aug. 2010
<http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/D/darkness.html>.

Robinson, Steve. Moose Creek Forge. 2010. 26 Aug. 2010
<http://www.moosecreekforge.com/index2.html>.

Simmons, Erika Iris. "Mix-Tape Mixed-Media: Art of Erika Iris Simmons." MonsterFresh.com. 24 March 2009. 24 Aug. 2010
<http://monsterfresh.com/2009/03/24/erika-iris-simmons-cassette-tape-art-iri5>.

Skirry, Justin. "Rene Descartes (1596-1650): Overview." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 13 Sept. 2008. 24 Aug. 2010 <http://www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/>.

"Smith (surname)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Aug. 2010. Wikipedia. 22 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%28surname%29>.

"Yellow." Tinker. 2009. A Glam Media Service. 26 Aug. 2010
<http://www.tinker.com/featured/?category=Topic&categoryType=topic>.

#16- 1984

"Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's/ You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St. Martins,/ When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey,/ When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch./ Here comes a candle to light you to bed,/ Here comes a chopper to chop off your head!"



This rhyme is carried throughout the entire book. Even though Winston does not remember it - he learns it in pieces - various people remember different lines. This song is a nursery rhyme with an accompanying game. Its origins are in the 1600s. Debtors were sent to Newgate prison, which was located at present day Old Bailey. The Bellman would arrive by candle light to inform the debtors of their execution the next morning. Orwell uses a nursery rhyme throughout Nineteen Eighty-Four to demonstrate how traditions are slowly being lost in the Oceania society. Every child used to know this rhyme and now Winston does not remember any of it and most people only remember snippets. Orwell also uses the rhyme to show that even though most memories have been lost on the surface of the mind, they are still somewhere inside each person's head. After Winston hears the rhyme for the first time, he feels as though he can actually hear church bells, "yet so far as he could remember he had never in real life heard church bells ringing" (84). The Party restricts thought, but one slight memory can start a snowball effect.
When Winston is arrested, the voice which is assumed to belong to Mr. Charrington says, "And by the way, while we are on the subject, Here comes a candle to light you to bed, here comes a chopper to chop off your head!" (183). By inserting this memory of the past here, Orwell connects the present Oceania society to the old ways of London. Just as debtors used to be executed, traitors to the Party are broken.

Interestingly, Orwell does not include the entire rhyme in Nineteen Eighty-Four. This is probably because he is trying to make the point that traditions are being lost, so only parts of the rhyme can be remembered. Here is the full version:

"Oranges and lemons," say the bells of St. Clement's,
"You owe me five farthings," say the bells of St. Martin's,
"When will you pay me?" say the bells of Old Bailey,
"When I grow rich," say the bells of Shoreditch.
"When will that be? say the bells of Stephney,
"I do not know," say the great bells of Bow,
"Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chopper to chop off you head.
Chip chop chip chop- the last man's dead."

Works Cited:
"Oranges and Lemons Rhyme." Nursey Rhymes Lyrics and Origins. 24 Aug. 2010 <http://www.rhymes.org.uk/oranges_and_lemons.htm>.

"Oranges and Lemons." You Tube. 10 July 2008. 30 Aug. 2010 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdy_B2zDQJs>.

#15- 1984

"Under the table Winston's feet made convulsive movements. He had not stirred from his seat, but in his mind he was running, swiftly running, he was in the crowds outside, cheering himself deaf" (244).

The words "in his mind" are key here. The Party argues that "reality is inside the skull" (218) and Winston now believes this too. By describing Winston's running as "swift" the reader understands that he feels free in his head, yet he is in reality a prisoner in his seat. Orwell uses this passage to suggest that there is the possibility that none of the society exists and therefore the Party may have been correct the entire time telling Winston that he does not exist. Winston's actions and thoughts in the final few passages of the novel shine a whole new light on the situation - it becomes clear that once people have subjected themselves to the Party, the world truly does simply exist in the mind.



Work Cited:
Photo Credit:

"Audio: Darwinian Medicine All in the Mind." Pool. 28 April 2009. ABC. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://www.pool.org.au/audio/natasha_mitchell/audio_darwinian_medicine_abc_radio_nationals_all_in_the_mind>.

#14- 1984

"Under the spreading chestnut tree/ I sold you and you sold me:/ There lie they, and here lie we/ Under the spreading chestnut tree" (66, 241).

This poem is most likely a spin off of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Village Blacksmith." This original poem tells the story of a blacksmith who lives his life very independently. The original poem promotes this independence through hard work and honesty. Orwell's new version, perhaps the Newspeak version, promotes independence in the light of betrayal and separation which are values promoted in the Oceania society. Each time the song comes on, Orwell describes the note as being yellow. The color yellow is often used for enhancing memories. When Winston hears the song for the second time, he says that "perhaps it was not happening, perhaps it was only a memory taking on the semblance of sound." The song itself had became a memory. The song - which represents the change in societies over time due to its immense alteration since its translation into Newspeak - is used by the Party to drill the importance of betrayal and separation into citizens' heads and the hint of yellow helps these beliefs stick.

Works Cited:
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "The Village Blacksmith." Bartleby.com. 2010. 24 Aug. 2010 <http://www.bartleby.com/102/59.html>.

"Color Therapy." BioPulse. 24 Aug. 2010 <http://www.biopulse.org/color.html>.





Photo Credits:
 "Planting Trees in North Korea." LOAF Project. 2009. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://www.loafproject.co.uk/html/project_2009.html> .

"Yellow." Tinker. 2009. A Glam Media Service. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://www.tinker.com/featured/?category=Topic&categoryType=topics>.

#13- 1984

"'They can't get inside you,' she had said. But they could get inside you. 'What happens to you here is forever,' O'Brien had said. That was a true word. There were things, your own acts from which you could not recover. Something was killed in your breast; burnt out, cauterized out" (239).

Orwell makes the Party different from past rulers because of its ability to "get inside you."  This makes it appear as if a person has changed at their own will. This is what Winston is talking about when he says, "He had won the victory over himself" (245). Even though the Party induced the change it appeared that the battle was all in himself. By doing this the human spirit is killed, which Winston describes as saying that "something was killed in your breast," since the human heart is the core of our physical existence. By destroying humanity the Party takes away human emotions making humans more easily controllable. Through explaining this brainwashing, Orwell creates a world that may appear fictional but brings up the question among readers about whether a society such as Oceania exists in our world. This is a large idea that Orwell wants the reader to hold on to after reading the novel.



Photo Credit:
"Human Heart 3D Model." Falling Pixel. 2010. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://www.fallingpixel.com/human-heart-3d-model/11334>.

#12- 1984

"He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two moves.' Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates" (238). 

Orwell uses this passage to confirm the fact that Winston has been "broken" meaning that he no longer questions the Party. After reading the chess problem Winston looks at the picture of Big Brother and connects the two. Looking at the face of Big Brother assures Winston - he is sent into a mystic state and the belief "white always mates" is drilled into his head as an eternal truth. Orwell uses chess to symbolize this change. The pieces are white and black which can represent both Good and Bad or Right and Wrong. The transition can be seen in Winston as he is persuaded by Big Brother to believe that the phrase "white always mates" means that there is everlasting Good and Rightness in the world. In chess, a player is in an imaginary battle and can play this out without it actually happening. Winston's constant chess playing in the last few pages of the book symbolize his shift from being in the real world to being a part of the virtual world of Big Brother.

Work Cited:
Fine, Reuben. "The Psychology of the Chess Player." New York: Dover, 1956. 24 Aug. 2010
 <http://chess.eusa.ed.ac.uk/Chess/Trivia/psychology.html>.

Photo Credit:
Gullete, Alan. "Chess Problems by Lord Dunsany." 18 Oct. 2004. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://alangullette.com/lit/dunsany/chess/problems.htm>.

#11- 1984

"Once again the sense of helplessness assailed him. He knew, or he could imagine, the arguments which proved his own nonexistence; but they were nonsense, they were only a play on words. Did not the statement, 'You do not exist,' contain a logical absurdity? But what use was it to say so? His mind shriveled as he thought of the unanswerable, mad arguments with which O'Brien would demolish him" (214).

    Winston knows what he believes to be real but O'Brien and the Party are planting alternate ideas in his head. The core of this doubt comes from the concept of existence. If Winston really does not exist outside of the mind, O'Brien is right when he says people can do anything the Party desires since "reality is inside the skull" (218).  However, as human beings we have the instinct to believe in our own existence. Interestingly enough, Descartes, the famous philosopher, shines light on both sides and one can begin to comprehend the conflict about "reality" that Orwell presents in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Descartes' principles were based on the idea that a point is false if there is any doubt whatsoever. Contrary to the Party's beliefs, he believed there is no doubt whatsoever that a person "exists" meaning that is the absolute truth. However, he is also the person who said, "I think therefore I am," and this would adhere with the Party's beliefs. Using both of these philosophies, the truth about "existence" can easily be twisted. In regard to this passage Winston "knows" he exists while O'Brien convinces him that he is not real. Based on Descartes' "I think therefore I am," this nonexistence becomes a reality. This paradox with truth and perception is a major theme running through all of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Work Cited:
Skirry, Justin. "Rene Descartes (1596-1650): Overview." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 13 Sept. 2008. 24 Aug. 2010 <http://www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/>.

The photo is also from the above source.

#10- 1984

"It was O'Brien who was directing everything. It was he who set the guards onto Winston and who prevented them from killing him. It was he who decided when Winston should scream with pain, when he should have a respite, when he should be fed, when he should sleep, when the drugs should be pumped into his arm. It was he who asked questions and suggested the answers. He was the tormentor, he was the protector, he was the inquisitor, he was the friend. And once - Winston could not remember whether it was in drugged sleep, or in normal sleep, or even in a moment of wakefulness - a voice murmured in his ear: 'Don't worry, Winston; you are in my keeping. For seven years I have watched over you. Now the turning point has come. I shall save you, I shall make you perfect.' He was not sure whether it was O'Brien's voice; but it was the same voice that had said to him, 'We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness,' in that other dream, seven years ago" (201).

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, O'Brien plays the role of a god; in a sense, the Party is God and O'Brien is part of this. Orwell uses the number seven because it represents perfection and completeness, as its root "savah" means "to be full or satisfied." O'Brien watched over Winston for seven years until Winston was ready, or complete, and now the time has come for O'Brien to fix Winston and "make him perfect." In Nineteen Eighty-Four, O'Brien states that he will "save" Winston just as salvation results in the savior of an individual by God. In the opening of the passage, Orwell confirms O'Brien's role as a god, as he controls what happens to Winston. O'Brien is part of, or possibly even the center of, the Party which watches over and controls the society as gods would. Earlier in the novel, Winston had stated that it was definitely O'Brien who had foretold him that they would "meet in a place where there is no darkness" (see page 24, "It was O'Brien who had spoken to him out of the dark"). The fact that Winston is now questioning to whom the voice belongs parallels the change that Winston is going through as O'Brien "fixes him" and takes away individual thought. Finally, since darkness often represents germination, Orwell uses this symbol to show that Winston had to travel through the darkness to be mature enough for O'Brien to save him.

Works Cited:
Bullinger, E.W. "Meaning of Numbers in the Bible, Number Seven (7)." Bible Study. 22 Aug. 2010 <http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/7.html>.

Protas, Allison, Geoff Brown, Jamie Smith, and Eric Jaffe. "Darkness." Dictionary of Symbolism. 2001. 22 Aug. 2010 <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/D/darkness.html>.

Photo Credit:
G, Willie. "Darkness." It's My Mid-life Crisis. 5 Aug. 2008. WordPress. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://papawillie.wordpress.com/2008/08/>.

#9- 1984

"She revived, turned to have another look at Winston, and seemed immediately to take a fancy to him. She put a vast arm round his shoulder and drew him toward her, breathing beer and vomit into his face.
    'Wass your name, dearie?' she said.
    'Smith,' said Winston.
    'Smith?' said the woman. 'Thass funny. My name's Smith too. Why.' she added sentimentally, 'I might be your mother!'
    She might, thought Winston, be his mother. She was about the right age and physique, and it was probable that people changed somewhat after twenty years in a forced-labor camp" (188).


    The woman's friendliness is most likely due to her drunken state not because she is Winston's mother. Having the same last name is not a guarantee that they are related, especially since "Smith" is the most common last name in the United Kingdom. However, Orwell created this character at this time in the novel to show a change in Winston. Winston realizes there is a possibility that this is his mother yet he does not react joyously or dwell on the thought. This shows that Winston is already losing any part of him that was ever - or was becoming - human; he has lost the love he was beginning to feel toward other beings. It is also interesting to point out Orwell's choice for Winston's last name. "Smith" literally means "one who works with iron." As stated before, iron often symbolizes inflexible rule and is used to describe both the monotone voices and the boots of the Party members. Winston's last name of Smith symbolizes his connection to the Party. He is destined to become part of Ingsoc.

Work Cited:
"Smith (surname)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Aug. 2010. Wikipedia. 22 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%28surname%29>.

Photo Credit:
Robinson, Steve. Moose Creek Forge. 2010. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://www.moosecreekforge.com/index2.html>.

#8- 1984

"The fragment of coral, a tiny crinkle of pink like a sugar rosebud from a cake, rolled across the mat. How small, thought Winston, how small it always was!" (183-184).

Earlier, Winston had compared his and Julia's lives to the coral inside the glass paperweight. Clearly, since Winston is surprised by the size of it, the glass magnified the tiny pink treasure. However, now that the paperweight is broken and Winston can see the coral out of context he realizes exactly how small it is. The metaphor continues here. Winston was on the edge of admiring humanity and appreciating his own life as an individual but now at his arrest he is thrust back under the tight control of the Party. He sees that in the society, in the larger picture, he is just as minuscule and worthless as the piece of coral. Orwell specifically uses coral in this metaphor because although coral can live on its own, it only thrives when it is part of a larger community (a coral reef). The isolated coral represents Winston and Julia's lives successfully because just as it cannot live well on its own, they cannot thrive in the restricting society of Oceania being emotionally isolated from the Party followers. Just as the glass must break and the coral must be freed from its isolation, Julia and Winston must join Ingsoc.

Works Cited:
"Coral." National Geographic. 2010. 26 Sept. 2010 <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
invertebrates/coral/>.

Photo Credit:
Naylor, David. "Archive for June, 2006." David Naylor: Blog. 3 June 2006. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://davidnaylor.org/blog/2006/06/>.

#7- 1984

"It was starting, it was starting at last! They could do nothing except stand gazing into one another's eyes. To run for life, to get out of the house before it was too late- no such thought occurred to them. Unthinkable to disobey the iron voice from the wall" (182).

The expression "at last" is usually used to declare excitement about the arrival of an anticipated event. Orwell uses this expression to suggest that Winston wanted this to happen. Winston's desire here is most likely due to the brainwashing by the Party. This becomes more clear when it is impossible - even "unthinkable" -  for either Julia or Winston to "disobey the iron voice." Describing the voice as "iron" demonstrates the strength it holds. In the Bible, iron is used to represent inexorable rule and Orwell's use is no different. It is actually impossible for Winston or Julia to defy the voice.

Work Cited:
Kirkpatrick, George. "The Types and Symbols of the Bible." New Foundations. 22 Aug. 2010 <http://www.newfoundationspubl.org/types.htm>.