Conversations

Week 1

I believe that Tessie Hutchinson just didn't understand how real the threat of death was. It appears to me that the population of the village, including Tessie, doesn't quite understand what is at stake until they near the time when the lottery "choosing" happens, and when that time comes near, they are extremely eager to find someone to kill that isn't them. In fact, that is exactly what happens nearing the end of the story, it's what causes everyone to turn on the victim so fast. Tessie is just putting some sort of facade of not caring until the time for her to die comes dangerously close, when she begins to feel how real this killing is.

Week 2

I believe that "Bloodchild" was just as thought provoking as "The Lottery", in somewhat different ways. In Lottery, the killings seemed completely senseless to us, as there was no real, tangible results arising from it. It freaked us out how no one stepped up to try to end the process that was going on because it was so ridiculous. In Bloodchild, however, the "killing" (it's not really a killing, it's pain, terror and, well, giving birth to aliens from your gut with the chance of death - the element can be compared to Lottery's killing) cannot simply be dismissed as immoral and senseless. The Tlic aliens are more helpless than the Lottery villagers to end this cycle of "killing", since they rely on human incubation to produce young; it also seems that they are fully aware of the pain they are causing. However, I say "more helpless" because they aren't completely helpless. It is suggested that they can and did at some point prior to humanity's arrival use some sort of animal to host their children, albeit with more difficulty.

Bloodchild in general was far more lively than Lottery. Even though we are reading about an alien world, the emotions involved make it feel more relatable than the Lottery.

Week 3

When I began reading the story, it felt.. strange. That's probably the best way to put it. With every line, the anticipation of first-person dialogue became more and more intense, until the section labeled "4" came about, and I realized that the moment would never come. Nevertheless, the style of writing grew on me. In fact, I'd say it's even more immersive than standard first-person narration, for a reason I can't really put my finger on. Perhaps, it's because the agent always refers to "you" rather than herself. Furthermore, when I read about the dissociation tactic that she uses to leave her body, it reminded me of my dad explaining how to do something of the sort during dental procedures, so I could - in some way - relate.

At the point where the the thought recorder was brought up, I immediately expected the agent to die by the end and for the story to be the recovered guide. This expectation grew even more once I read about the data transfer device, and was solidified once she was shot and explained that the data in her brain could be recovered even after she died. While this doesn't seem like the case when the helicopter brought her up, it's quite possible that she ended up dying the very moment the story ended. Why else would it end right there? Convenience of storytelling? Maybe. The ending is ambigious enough to allow the reader to decide for themselves whether or not the agent died or not, however.

Week 4

Saunders' use of the voice is essential to the telling of the story.

The story is a direct allusion to the illegal immigrants and 3rd world factory staff who work in deplorable conditions, who we try not to think about. The way the SGs are referred to in the story is, in a way, the way we refer to those people. Whenever "dad" refers to them, he only does so in a manner that focuses on something else more important to him, such as the garden he wants to buy, someone's financial state, and the fact that they ran away which puts his family in a very bad condition. When he does refer to the SGs, he tries to justify it with what looks to us as terrible excuses.

The sort-of-first person perspective is what allows us, the readers, to see what is going on in dad's head. It's easy to relate to the character. When you think about it, we think the same way. We mainly care about the things that affect us most directly, and weakly try to care about things outside of that scope. With dad, who has so many problems at hand, his plight is almost understandable, despite the immoral thing that is going on everywhere in this world.

Week 6

The worldbuilding Atwood presents to us is somewhat subtle, but when I noticed it, my point of view was greatly impacted. The story begins by describing the life of someone that seems to live in some sort of weird prison, but after some time, it begins to become more and more understandable that Offred - the person who's telling the story - lives in a harsh, dystopian world.
As far as I see it, Offred lives in a nation called the Republic of Gilead, which monitors it's citizen's behavior extremely closely. This government allows the women to do nothing - disciplining them to be the perfect baby-carrying material for the men. The world Atwood constructs feels like some sort of post-apocalyptic future, in which some event caused our world to change entirely (the girls still use blankets labeled US, which is a nod towards the notion that it isn't that distant.)
In fact, Offred lived in a society that wasn't so terrifying not that long ago, from the looks of it. Women had their own names rather than ones derived from those of men, and people had far more freedom to do whatever they want. However, with the advent of the new, strict order of Gilead, the women could at least enjoy a life without harassment.

Week 7

The two types of flashbacks that I saw were those that occured before Gilead's formation and those that occured during the transition period between the United States and Gilead.

These flashbacks give us not only insight into the person Offred was, but also the person Offred is now. Her history shaped who she is now, and tells us why she thinks what she thinks throughout the story. Personally, I believe they allow us to relate more to the character. Offred was not always a subject to this incredibly authoritarian regime, as at some point, she was a person we can imagine in our society and even someone we can see in ourselves. She was tranformed over time, and by seeing her past - both the one from before and the one during the transition - we no longer see her as simply a product of the society she lives in, but as someone like ourselves going through an arduous process and turning into the subject with some radical thoughts she is now.

Week 8

The pseudo-commentary at the end of the book, found in the epilogue, provided a sort of meta-discussion about the story, drawing back to themes the author wanted us to leave with. It looked at the text much in the way a historical document we'd find today would be - examined heartlessly. As such, it gave us some insights into the overarching civilization that was the Republic of Gilead, and showed what Offred was as a mere individual in this society.

I believe that this ending was specifically designed to invoke certain ideas and feelings for us to leave the book with. The last thing we read is usually very memorable, so sending the reader off with this type of epilogue would make sure they remember them when they think about the book. One of these was the fact that this could very well happen to us. It's no coincidence that the author chose a place so close to home - America (actually the place we live in) as the setting for the story. On top of this, the author channels - through the professor - to not simply disconnect yourself from and judge these people you read about, but rather understand what circumstances brought them to do what they did. After all, it's easy to put yourself on a pedestal above these people.

Peer Responses

Week 1

Julie Soderstrom:

Mob Mentality - OUTSIDE RESEARCH

 The topic you chose to research is excellent. While I've known what mob mentality was for the longest time, I've never understood the specifics. The way you presented the subject was well done - giving a succinct overview of each aspect and theory. However, my one gripe is that I wish you'd go more in-depth into the third theory that combines the two previous - is there anything else to it?

 It's also interesting that mob mentality affects us in every way, even ways that aren't completely negative - which is what we usually associate it with. I've never thought of it that way, and that's probably because we only recognize it when the mob mentality phenomenon is involved in something like looting or something of the sort that makes a lot of noise and is blatantly obvious.

Amir Wathstein:

Amir Wathstein Crux

 I can definitely see the theme you refer to in the story. It's also very, very prevalent in our own world. We can see "tradition" weighing on people's thoughts and beliefs everywhere - in fact, it's so fundamental to us that it's basically ingrained into most if not all democratic nation's political system. Young individuals often embrace the progressive ideas of the time, which involve changing the way things are as they begin to enter and understand the real world, and this is opposed to older folk who tend to subscribe to more conservatives ideas, or those that have been in action throughout their lifetime.

 While it's true that the old man might have been desensitized, I believe that it also comes down to change. The tradition didn't make life so terrible as to prompt any revolution or anything, and any feelings associated with the tradition likely died down immediately after the lottery was over. Therefore, people didn't really feel the need to change what was going on. The older Summers got, the less he wanted things to change, and that's what happened in the story.

 Week 2

Andrew Mainhart:

Crux Essay

 The way you wrote your essay - clear and to the point - is commendable and made it easy to read. To improve the essay, however, I'd recommend introducing a conclusion that sums up the points that you made and explains how each quote contributes to your main idea. At the moment, it feels as though much of the essay is "unused" in a way - since it's currently the reader's job to connect the quotes to the main idea, it probably doesn't do as well of a job as it could and may leave a reader confused (who potentially might not have read the story). This isn't as big of an issue as it appears, though. The quotes you chose to use to convey your idea were perfect for the job.

Julie Soderstrom:

Crux

 

 Your essay is very effective at conveying your idea about how the crux affects the story. It's concluded, which leaves the reader with the idea you wanted to express in the first place. It's very easy to follow since you structured it in a way that places the main idea in the second sentence, right after the crux quote you chose. The one thing I'd recommend is to introduce a paragraph break in the introduction. You included 2 quotes alongside the crux which makes it slightly more difficult to read, and breaking it apart would allow you to focus on each one and make the essay more understandable in general.

 When it comes to the actual point of your story, it's pretty convincing. While I previously was set on the idea that the Tlic were simply using the Humans with little regard for them as sentient beings, I now am beginning to wane in that stance, as the quotes you provide overwhelmingly suggest a different kind of relationship than I previously imagined. At the same time, however, it could also be clever manipulation...

Week 3

Brandon Aronoff

CRUX

 

I find that it’s extremely interesting that while we chose effectively the same quote as our crux, the ideas we chose to write about were completely unrelated. I think that should tell us a lot about Jennifer Egan’s writing prowess. This one, tiny bit of exposition flipped the perception of the story for two people in completely different ways.

 

At first glance, your essay has no paragraph breaks, which – in my opinion – is a major problem. After reading, however, I realized that this is a formatting issue that could be remedied very easily in your case. Basically, I recommend to simply create a paragraph break prior to presenting a new thesis statement. This will make it a lot easier to read and follow.

 

Otherwise, the essay made points well. Although, I can’t say that I fully agree with the idea that one of the takeaways of the story is that women can be a major threat to “us” despite seeming harmless. I’d rather say that, in general, a human being is very capable of carrying a hidden motive – although we have to remember that this individual is practically half-machine and not a regular person, which could make things a little different.

 

Ashish Patel

Crux

 

While I feel as though the first two paragraphs were strong and conveyed the point you were trying to make very well, I felt as though the formatting of the essay and the third and final paragraph – the conclusion – need some work.

As far as I understand, your main idea – the one you conveyed through the introduction – was that Black Box contains ideas that supersede the spy-novel elements that we read about. I agree with that, and the quotes you put forth are well chosen to support your argument.

However, your concluding paragraph in its current state is, to put it blatantly, irrelevant and doesn’t really “conclude”. It doesn’t support the main idea you were trying to bring to our attention from the beginning, nor does it sum up the points you made prior. I think that with a bit of revision, this issue could be remedied by merging some the concepts you bring up at the end with the points supporting the main idea, creating a takeaway that neatly wraps up your essay.

Otherwise, your essay was convincing and understandable. The points themselves, in my opinion, were presented quite well.

 

Week 4

 

Wills Martin

Wills Martin Crux

 

I know that this isn't the focus of your essay, but the family didn't come off as low-class to me - they felt more lower-middle in my opinion.

I couldn't relate to your crux, unfortunately, because I have to admit that the "cover image" that was provided with the link gave away a huge portion of the upcoming twist. I was also expecting the twist because SGs were constantly mentioned, and we read 2 "immoral twist" stories in class already.

However, your essay is based off of your own experience, and that's absolutely how it's supposed to be. As a crux, it's well constructed for the purpose - revealing to us your thought process during the reading. Your supporting points are clear and straightforward, and most importantly, you have an excellent conclusion which sums up why you felt the way you did about the crux.

As for the actual point you make, the quote you chose makes sense. It does give enough exposition to let the reader understand what is going on as well as why.

 

Christopher Kelly

Crux

 

While the crux quote was well chosen, and the primary point you made is strong, I didn't feel as though your essay body supported your conclusion. It felt a lot more like a summary - the second paragraph being exposition, the third being the events of the story, and the conclusion being mainly the actions of the child. I felt as though only the final sentences in the conclusion contributed to the thesis.

If those were your supporting points (It's totally fine if they were!), you should try to write a sentence or two explaining how they tie into your main idea/thesis; and make sure to start with a thesis soon after the quote. That way, you don't leave all the guessing and thinking to the reader. Then, integrate all of these into a conclusion that leaves the reader with the thesis and the way the points mesh into it fresh in their mind.

Otherwise, the writing was smooth and the essay in general flowed well, although it was a bit jarring at the very end due to the thesis idea being stated for the very first time mid-conclusion.

 

Week 6

 

Steven Hafif

Steven Hafif - Outside Research

 

I agree with the other comments. This appears to be a crux essay, in which you took quotes and elements from the text and related them to the real world through parallels.

Otherwise, I feel as though the connections you made are valid. It appears that Atwood took multiple terrible, almost dystopian settings and merged them to make her own. In my own crux essay, I described how the part of the story where a group of Japanese tourists were taking photos felt much like the perspective of a local in nations where freedom is limited and tourists are allowed in very occasionally.

While you could have gone more in depth about how these parallels affected your perception of the story, it was a good essay. The points were understandable and a proper conclusion wrapped up the essay very well. It left me wondering about what other real world sources Atwood drew inspiration from.

 

Victoria Wilson

Crux

 

Your crux was insightful. I never really thought about how suicide could be seen as a form of freedom or control, but it really is. In some cases, it's the only thing a person has power over, and when that is clearly taken away in the story, it symbolizes how the women who live in this nation have literally no control over anything.

Otherwise, I wish you went a little deeper into potential connections to the real world. This crux shows us that the story might contain a theme - a political commentary about how freedom and surveillance/protection should balance each other out.

Your conclusion was excellently written. It left me with a question to ponder, which led me to make real-world connections as shown above. The points were clear and the essay flowed well, in my opinion.

 

Week 7

 

Brian Stump

Monologue

 

The monologue was great. The feelings lying behind that first person point of view drives us to understand who's talking without pushing it.

While reading this, I felt as though it really made a great addition to the story itself. While it's not something that Offred would say or write herself (obviously), it brings us more insight into the relationships and general social dynamics of the world. Telling a part of the story from the point of view of an individual who isn't Offred gives us a broader view on how people interact with each other in the baby-factory houses of Gilead.
Of course, you did a great job; but yet I feel as though there were certain areas that could be expanded in to.

Personally, I'd be interested to hear this person talk more about themselves, since we already know so much about Offred's life. It would really help flesh the narrator out a little more as a person, rather than a static, well, narrator of a story.