Parallels and Contrast in the Color Purple and the Handmaids Tale - Book Report/Review Example

Parallels and Contrast The Color Purple and The Handmaid’s Tale When considering Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1986) and Alice Walker’s TheColor Purple (1982), the reader is immediately struck by the parallel of the post slavery and pre-slavery-slavery contexts within which the stories unfold. In Walker’s book, it is a post Civil War setting, and the setting is Georgia, where any one familiar with post Civil War history might know that the 40 Acre and a Mule rule allowed former slaves to own 40 acres and a mule as remuneration for having endured slave; and as a method of antagonizing white southerners. Still, it is immediately difficult from Celie’s “Dear God,” letters to discern the exact date, but the post slavery setting is obvious by the ownership of property; and that the only “enslavement” that is apparent is the enslavement of black women, especially very young black women, to black men (Walker, pp. 11-15). Celie, her mother, her sister Nettie, and the other women introduced into Walker’s story seem not to be aware of a lifestyle where they had a choice other that of being subservient to men. Nor do they have any control over the use of bodies by the men in the lives (p16-18). Walker’s protagonist, Celie, begins experiencing the subservient demands and physical demands made by men in their society at the time; she has no choice, she is physically used and abused, although Walker does convey the idea that Celie may have been somewhat prepared for her role even if only by observing her mother’s condition of subservience and as a witness to the physical abuse her mother suffered. That Celie’s first physical experience was at the hands of the man she believed to be her father, worried Celie only to the extent that it caused a crack in the relationship between herself and her mother. Still, Celie sees the man, Albert, who comes to the family initially to negotiate for Celie’s sister, Nettie, as an escape; knowing that she will continue in a subservient role in Albert’s household (Walker, pp. 16-18). At this point, the themes of mental and physical enslavement are evident, even in the post Civil War setting. In Atwood’s story of The Handmaid’s Tale, it’s as though time has moved backward, away from the contemporary life and lifestyle that the young protagonist can still recall in the quiet moments she finds for herself (Walker, pp. 3-4). We do, however, quickly become aware that a “war” is going on (Atwood, p. 19)She, like Celie, has been relegated to a life of subservience to the male authority, left with no choice as to how her body is used, and she is controlled, and will suffer repercussions if she attempts to escape a life she does not want (Atwood, p.8). The “Red Nun,” begins speaking of the imprisonment of the young women who, like herself, are selected as the candidates who will – and the reasons are not immediately clear as to why – propagate the species (pp. 3-8). Those young women who will serve as the receptacles for the deposit of the product of the males they are assigned to, to become pregnant by those men (Atwood, p. 16). Although one quickly suspects that it the role of the young Red Nuns goes well beyond serving as a the surrogate receptacle; and in the case of the protagonist, we know that the man, the minister, to whom she has been assigned – and in contrast to the role of Celie in Albert’s life – is pleasured by the erotic nature of the presence and physicality of the young girl. Albert, on the other hand, is unmoved by Celie, finding her ugly in appearance, and that which it is intended for the role of the Red Nun, is actually experienced by Celie; simply as the receptacle for the base satisfaction of the dominant male. However, Atwood’s Red Nun’s “master” The contrasts to these early conditions of enslavement and physical use and abuse in both books, is the notion of pregnancy. Pregnancy is not the goal of the men in Walker’s work, as it is in the Atwood work. In fact, in Walker’s book, Celie is finally decided upon by Albert based on her strength and ability to take care of men and perform physical labors; while in the Atwood book, the selection made by the Commander is, at least superficially, presented as one of propagation of the species, or at least the families to who the young Reds have been delegated or assigned. Another contrast in the two works is that of the hierarchies, where in Atwood’s work even males are subjected to a hierarchal role in society. For instance, Atwood’s protagonist notices early on that the Commander to who she has been assigned has a chauffeur, but that the chauffeur must be low on the social ladder as he has not be assigned a woman (Atwood, p. 18). Walker’s antagonist, Albert, has his fill of women, coming home drunk after having presumably availed himself of the pleasures of other women; to Celie, who is only grateful for Albert’s choice to ignore her (Walker, p. 38). Whereas, for Atwood, women, especially the Reds, reserved for special relationships of non-relationships; there is limited access to them, and even more limited freedom of movement that might put them in a position where they are likely to meet men and form relationships (Atwood, p. 28). “Modesty is invisibility,” said Aunt Lydia. ‘Never forget it. To be seen – to be seen is to be penetrated (p. 28).” Having established here some of the basic parallels and contrasts, there is a prevailing theme of misogamy. Women, in either story, are basically for that of the male pleasure. This leads to yet another parallel in the two works, since each work presents women in a light of pre-flight, escape from the circumstances that hold them enslaved. Although in Atwood’s story, the notion of a male relationship for the young Red is not an unthinkable one; she is not adverse to the idea of the male touch, and even considers men in a “rescue,” scenario, and quickly develops a fondness for the Commander’s chauffeur, Nick (Atwood, p. 38). In contrast, Celie, Walker’s protagonist, never develops feelings for a man. Celie’s affection, and the only way that affection is returned to Celie, is by Albert’s lover, Shug; who is a part of the hierarchal structure that Celie is not permitted by Albert to consider herself a part of; and it is Shug who nonetheless brings Celie into that fold, alongside herself (Walker, pp. 51-53). This presents yet another contrast between the stories, as the relationships between women in Atwood’s story are subject to covetousness, jealousy, and suspect of one another (Atwood, pp. 26-27). However, the bad feelings arise out of the enslavement, the hierarchal order that has forced upon everyone, not just the Red Nuns. While in Walker’s work, Celie’s hero, the source of Celie’s affection, Shug Avery, has escaped the conditions of “enslavement,” and she moves about freely; and when she returns, Albert is reduced to his emotions and susceptible to Shug in a way that Celie has not seen him before, since Albert cares about Shug, wants to take care of Shug when she is sick (Walker, p. 51). In each author’s work, there are people who defy the norms that have been established by the authors. In Walker’s work, Sofia is one such character. A strong, independent woman who takes charge of Albert’s son, Harpo’s life; the pair wed, and their relationship is one where Sofia is the dominant force in the relationship. However, like in Atwood’s story, a woman who is strong, who defies the parameters of acceptable convention, is noticed and disappears (Walker, pp. 88). Sofia is sent to prison, having fallen victim to the attention of racism that she drew to herself through her independent behavior. In Atwood’s Tale, to be defiant can cause one to disappear too (Atwood, p. 18). In both works the protagonist has a strong desire to escape; and Celie does ultimately escape Albert’s abusive misogamy (Walker, p. 223), even finding her freedom through her own hands, what she once did for free, she turns into a business. While Atwood’s protagonist apologizes that the story doesn’t end differently; and is found still longing for freedom at the end of the story (Atwood, p. 267). However, the parallel here is that in each book, the hope for freedom, the grasping for freedom, even if only for a moment, is never far from the mind, or reach, of the protagonist. Each protagonist is challenged with the escape; and it is works to the end that Walker’s does escape, and that Atwood’s does not. However, Atwood’s protagonist, whose name others did not know, because that wasn’t the way their society allowed it to be – anonymity meant safety – and it becomes impossible to know if Atwood’s character was successful in escaping, or – because the revolution was faltering at the end of the story; didn’t make it like the many before her. Both stories were presented in first person accounts; Celie’s, always in the form of the letters to the people that she cared about. Atwood’s story was presented from the first-hand, first person account of the young Red Nun, almost in a day-to-day diary form. Both presentations of the stories work for the structure within which each story culminates to the climax. The characters that are introduced in support of the story line and themes are well developed, and support the structure of the overall story by their role in the dynamics as the events unfold. Although, and inarguably, Walker’s characters have a more positive outcome; Albert’s expression of remorse as he helps to reunite Celie with the family, after having played a major role in the mental abuse by depriving Celie of that connection for years. There is a sense of resolution that comes from Walker’s story with the reunion of Celie with her children and sister (Walker, p. 249). Atwood gives the reader no such satisfaction, but emphasizes that sometimes life is hard, life is uncertain, and leaves the reader speculating as to how the story ends – since we do not know what became of the young Red protagonist. What we know for certain is that “Things are back to normal (Atwood, p. 282), after having been upset by the revolt, and now, things move forward because they do not move backward. It is the future, not the past, where one must look forward to. It becomes necessary to live in the moment, not in the past, and Atwood has proven that, “Things are back to normal (p. 282).” Both works bring the reader a literary experience of creative fictional characters, thought Atwood’s is, because of its reverse rights political agenda, is always uncomfortable, but always interesting too. It’s easy to slip into Walker’s work with a comfort level, because the reader is familiar with the future, and knows that there is resolution to the challenges presented by the dynamics in the story. Atwood’s work is more unsettling because it presents for the reader the challenge of a deviation from the “normal,” to that with which the reader is unfamiliar with. It moves towards a future about which the reader is unsure, though Atwood creates for the reader interesting and dynamic character situations and interactions, its ambiguity in the political atmosphere of loss of rights – especially in that instance where the Japanese tourist approach the protagonist and ask to take her picture – that gives the reader the “back at you,” sense because it is coming from Japanese tourists; and the social cultures are reversed (p. 29). Where once the Americans were curious about the demureness of the Japanese women in Japanese culture, there now exists that curiosity amongst Japanese about the American women whose roles as Red Nuns, and the purpose associated with that role, is a role of curiosity, somewhat a mirror of the Japanese past, about which the Japanese tourist are now focused on. So, it would seem, Atwood has gone to great length to make the reader feel a little less comfortable at the end of her story; refusing to give the reader the satisfaction even of knowing what ultimately became of the young protagonist. While Walker gives the reader the comfort zone, the happy ending. The many parallels that exist between the two works, even those that were not fully explored in this paper, come to an abrupt end at the end of each story as the reader’s imagination takes distinct right and left turns respectively. Read More