Here is a report from the very first meeting of the mama book club. We were sorry that some of you couldn't make it, but nonetheless had a great time. We even managed to stay on task about half the time, when we weren't discussing our children's eating and sleeping habits. I found it interesting that we posed a lot of questions about the book, and never fully answered any of them. I am hoping that we can continue the discussion here. Who was present? Kelly, Bridget and Edie, Rachel and Ila, Erin and Santiago and myself and Joe.
Some of the questions that came up:
Is this a feminist or antifeminist book? Yes, Margaret Atwood is a feminist, yet, the "old" feminists are not portrayed very well in the book, the main character is passive throughout her life, and her fierce friend Moira ends up a prostitute. Why is the main character so passive? Is M. Atwood implying that we are all complacent in the atrocities that go on? What happened at the end? Why did she choose to end the book that way? (We felt a bit let down by the ending) Why are the only female characters who are named Moira and Janine (and the aunts? Are those their real names?) Incidentally, apparently you can infer in the beginning that the narrator's name is June.Any thoughts on this?
How plausible do you find this scenario? We found some obvious parallels to the U.S. in the recent years. Do you find the book hopeful or hopeless? We thought that it was hopeful: that no regime can keep people down forever.
Any other issues anyone wants to raise?
We have decided to meet again on February 23, and to read the book that Molly recommended: Night Circus by Angela Carter (whom I haven't read, so I look forward to reading her). Other recommendations for the near future: Reading Lolita in Teheran and Eat, Pray, Love. We haven't decided who will host the next meeting, but that will be easily decided. I can definitely host again.
Two more things: 1) Wikipedia has some nice information about The Handmaid's Tale, especially if you were confused by how Gilead is run (and why is it called Gilead anyway?) 2) Did you know that The Book Stop opened on 4th Ave, they have a great selection, and never any customers inside? So next time you are on 4th Ave, pay them a visit. Maybe they have Angela Carter books, too.
5 comments:
Ksenija, Thank you for organizing and hosting the inaugural mama's book club. It was a pleasure to meet all of you.
One of the issues that we didn't talk about, but especially after reading the blurb on Tucsonmama.com and other places about The Business of Being Born, I was interested in was the nature of pregnancy and birthing in the book. The doctors are kept at arm's length during the birthing process and they are portrayed as a group that has been kept down. Atwood makes reference to how little intervention/monitoring is done during the pregnancy in comparison to previous in this regime. Is this a statement on her part about the business of being born?
ps. I'll host if we're still looking for a location?
As someone who needs things to be all black or white, I was uncomfortable with that part, since I actually liked the birth process described in the book. I am not sure what her purpose with this is.
I assumed (and you know what happens when you assume) that Atwood's purpose was to address the lack of choice in the pregnancy and birthing process. It is too late for me to actually articulate this at all in written form, but I think the control of pregnancy and birth is a feminist issue. I really struggled with the descriptions of pre-natal care in the book and the image of the doctors outside. I'm afraid I'm not making much sense. Too late, must sleep.
You are right, it is a feminist issue, and the women in the book don't have choices. I bet there are no abortions in Gilead. But, I find it interesting that nowadays women's options are limited in the opposite way: if you are not informed, then the doctor is likely to make the decisions for you, give you an epidural and be more than happy to do a C-section (this from a woman who had a C-section, mind you). This scares me. I guess that's why I found some beauty in teh birthing scene in the book. I don't know if I am making sense now...
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