Book Seven Definately Not Heaven

Book #7= The Handmaids's Tale by: Margaret Atwood

This story was about my personal hell. It described a place I never want to go back to, not even in my head. A place where all my rights, accomplishments, and privileges were ripped out from underneath me. The sad thing is I know at one time our world was something of this, not as extreme, where women could not own property, have jobs, be educated, where they were valued on how fertile they were, how clean the floors were, how good their cooking was and if it was ready on time. I'm so thankful to live right now. I only want to be valued and judged for the thoughts that I think and the words that I speak. I want to be respected and listened to. The whole time I was screaming at the main character who would not speak up! We all think we would die for our beliefs, but most times our strong desire and will to live outweighs all. Today I can do and be so much, and I owe a thank you to the amazing women before me who did speak up for what they believed.

Once upon a time, things were different, we all had our places, and our roles. Then women broke out and redefined their role. I know this has caused great stress on men and what it means to be masculine. Men are not sure what their place is anymore. This is what sparked this world in the book, and it is scary because it does make sense, and makes it more realistic.

This book made me once more so thankful for the freedom I have right now. The fact that I get to go to college, that I really can be anything I want, even the fact that I can go anywhere whenever I want!

There has been so many horrible things in history done to so many people, there are horrible things going on right now. The fact that humanity is capable of doing such awful things with their own beautiful hands is frightening. We do not feel bad about the way we treat things, and that is exactly what we do to people much of the time. "That is what you have to do before you kill. You have to create an it, where none was before" (193). This is why objectifying women is such a big deal. In this I was reminded that we must always see each other as people.

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes:

"It's good to have small goals that can be easily attained."

"There is more than one kind of freedom. Freedom to and freedom from."

"A thing is valued, only if it is rare and hard to get."

"To want is to have a weakness."

"Perspective is necessary. Otherwise there are only two dimensions."

"The pen between my fingers is sensuous, alive almost, I can feel it's power, the power of the words it contains."

"Nolite to bastards carborundorum."

"Why is it that night falls, instead of rising?"

"You can't help how you feel, but you can help how you behave."

"You might even provide a Heaven for them. We need you for that. Hell we can make for ourselves."

"Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse for some."

"Live in the present, make the most of it, it's all you've got."