SF Publication Draft 11

7/23/2019 SF Publication Draft 11

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On That Day We Will Be Free: Refecting Womens Real Experiences in The

Handmaids Talean The Female Man


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"#stract

This paper analy$es ho% &eminist spec'lati(e )ction mirrors the real %orl*

&oc'sing on t%o no(els as case st'ies* The Female Man#y +oanna R'ss an

The Handmaids Tale#y ,argaret "t%oo- To pro(e that these oler no(els

still refect %omens experiences in the present ay* my research loo.s at

themes an e(ents in each no(el that re(eal aspects o& toays %orl 'sing

s'pport &rom Rita Fels.i* /rs'la 0e'in* ,arina ,ac2ay* ,er3a ,a.inen*

De#ra 4ha%* an others- 5 primarily consier the epictions an conitions o&

%omen in the no(els to see ho% these )ctional %orls ill'minate the

heterosexist norms present in o'r %orl- 4peci)c an clear parallels can #e

ra%n #et%een reality an these )ctional stories* sho%ing that the no(els

criti6'e an comment on o'r %orl #y istancing themsel(es thro'gh the

genre o& spec'lati(e )ction- 5n aition to ienti&ying an analy$ing the

realist tr'ths in the no(els* 5 consier the a'thors &eminist accomplishments

in %riting these no(els* concl'ing that they raise a%areness a#o't these

patriarchal iss'es as %ell as sp'r action to start changing o'r society-

Keywords: &eminism* realism* spec'lati(e )ction* science )ction*

,argaret "t%oo* +oanna R'ss* ystopia


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4cience )ction t'rns o't to #e the realism o& o'r time-

82im 4tanley Ro#inson

Introduction

The #est %ay to rea )ctional texts* De#ra Benita 4ha% says* is to see

the (ery real conitions &or %hich they are metaphors 91;rele(ant critical commentary a#o't %omens c'rrent an

real experiences- These o'tate %orls still refect the reality o& %omens

li(es toay #y sho%ing the negati(e e?ects o& gener roles an gener

ine6'ality-


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4F pro(ies &eminist %riters a %ay to isc'ss an analy$e the

&rame%or. s'rro'ning a %omans li&e #y applying general themes an

experiences &ace #y all %omen to a )ctional %orl- "s an 'm#rella term* 4F

incl'es a (ariety o& other %ell>.no%n s'#genres li.e &antasy* science )ction*

an magical realism- On a (ery #asic le(el* 4F spec'lates 'pon topics an

ca'ses the reaer to spec'late in response* #'t researchers %iely e#ate

the e)nition o& 4F 9@ana(an an War !7Aas>they>are* %hich ma.es it the per&ect (ehicle

&or &eminists to sho% the ine6'alities %omen &ace 917;


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the norms o& patriarchal society an pro(ie critical commentary on the %ays

that %omen ha(e to li(e- Feminist tr'ths nee the istance that &antastical

metaphors an stories pro(ie to present themsel(es to the reaer- Reaers

m'st as. themsel(es %hat they can learn &rom reaing &eminist 4F no(els in

relation to o'r %orl* its tr'ths* an its possi#ilities-

Case Studies

To sho% ho% &eminist 4F refects on o'r %orl* 5 %ill loo. at t%o

i?erent texts as case st'ies- "ltho'gh thirty to &orty years separate the

p'#lication o& these no(els an the present ay* their examinations o&

societal str'ct'res an norms s'rro'ning gener still refect o'r moern

ay- By spec'lating on the here an no%* imagining &'t're conse6'ences*

an pro3ecting seemingly 'nconnecte &'t're realities that co'l logically

&ollo% i& o'r %orl contin'es on its path 9@ranny>Francis A


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society 91=


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9117'p---all 5 i %as ress

&or The ,an* smile &or The ,an* tal. %ittily to The ,an* sympathi$e %ith The

,an* fatter The ,an* 'nerstan The ,an* e&er to The ,an* entertain The

,an* .eep The ,an* li(e &or The ,an 9!;


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.no%lege to her o%n mother* sho%ing that %omen learn a#o't the

s'periority o& men &rom chilhoo- "nother character* 0a'ra* also isc'sses

the constr'ction o& gener roles an gener s'periority &rom chilhoo*

(enting her &r'stration a#o't society enying her goals an reams #eca'se

they %ere not &eminine eno'gh- 4he sarcastically explains: Everyone knows

that m'ch as %omen %ant to #e scientists an engineers* they %ant

&oremost to #e %omanly companions to men 9%hatJ< an careta.ers o&

chilhoo 9

ominate )els %hile remaining primary careta.ers o& chilren- Reaers %ill

recogni$e societys &orce&'l p'sh to%ar &eminine roles &or 0a'ra an

+eannine-

+oanna %or.s to remey this #y trying to achie(e the transcenence o&

%oman* #ecoming %hat she calls the &emale man- 4he aims to o exactly

%hat society ta'ght 0a'ra not to o: inherit male roles an achie(e the

s'ccesses that only men can achie(e- ,a.inen notes that +oannas choice o&

ienti&ying as a &emale man allo%s her to ass'meC the nominal title o&

Lman anCIinha#it all the positi(e #inary constr'ctions %ithin the c'lt're

91


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#ecame a man #y )rst learning %hat it means to li(e completely as a &emale-

4he explains the mans iea o& &emale: Ho' really are s%eet an responsi(e

a&ter all- Ho'(e .ept yo'r &emininity- Ho're not one o& those hysterical

&eminist #itches %ho %ants to #e a man an ha(e a penis- Youre a woman

9R'ss ;=&emale roles to #ecome a &emale

man an inha#it the %orl o& men as a %oman-

Existing as a %oman in the %or.place meant that +oanna ha #een

ne'ter* not a %oman at all #'t One O& The Boys* yet still o#3ecti)e #y her

#oy- 5& yo' get goo at #eing One O& The Boys the o#3ecti)cationC goes

a%ayI5 s'ppose they ecie that my tits %ere not o& the #est .in* or not

real* or that they %ere someone elses* so they split me &rom the nec. 'p

9177


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achie(e s'ccess #y her o%n e)nitions- /sing the la#el &emale man p'ts

her in a 'ni6'e place neither traitionally male nor &emale an allo%s her to

mo(e among the ran.s o& men-

While +oanna can o this an achie(e s'ccess* the gener #inary oes

not allo% t%o>%ay mo(ement- +eannine escri#es her #oy&rien as s'ch a

#a#y an )ns it pathetic that %hen he oes it sexC* yo' .no%* sometimes

he cries- 5 ne(er hear o& a man oing thatI 9A7


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separation- The ,anlaners* %itho't %omen* cannot ha(e chilren- 5nstea*

they #'y in&ants &rom the Womanlaners an #ring them 'p in #atches*

sa(e &or the rich &e% %ho can orer chilren mae &rom their (ery o%n

semen 91


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traitionally male role* sho%ing the gap #et%een %hat %omen an %hat men

can achie(e-

+ael also re(els in her a#ility to estroy men an maintain her po%er

o(er them* almost re(ersing patriarchal stanars #y placing hersel& as the

oppressor in her extreme hatre o& men- "&ter one o& the other characters

6'estions the necessity o& .illing a male leaer in a (iolent manner* she says*

5 ont gi(e a amn %hether it %as necessary or notI5 li.e it 91A=cons'ming rage an

3'sti)cations &or her actions are neither healthy nor pro'cti(e- 5nstea* her

sit'ation pro(es the nee &or e6'ality rather than a re(ersal o& the patriarchy

that %o'l place %omen at the top- ,a.inen aresses the re(ersal in her

analysis: The narrati(e o& +aelNs role re(ersal o& the male %orl leaerC*

aie #y +eannine* +anet* an +oannasC horror* pro#lemati$es the iss'es o&

role re(ersal as an e?ecti(e &eminist strategy* %hilst #itterly explaining the

attraction o& s'ch a co'rse 917


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least eight cent'ries 8 5 ont mean no h'man #eings* o& co'rse* #'t no men

9R'ss ;


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Whilea%ay normali$es same>sex lo(e an sho%s the reaer ho% the

heteronormati(e* patriarchal state o& o'r society* then an no%* harms those

%ho o not )t #eca'se they lo(e the same sex-

/pon her entry into o'r %orl in 1;* +anet a3'sts to the r'les an

reg'lations that %omen &ace- 5nteracting %ith men an ass'ming the role o&

%oman o not come nat'rally to her- Mer (oice an agency on her planet

o not #elong to her here- When a man gra#s her an she says* 0et me go*

+oanna tells her to say it lo'- 4ome#oy %ill come resc'e yo'- +anet

replies* @ant 5 resc'e mysel&J +oanna says* Ko- +anet arg'es* Why notJ

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ca'se a shortage o& healthy #a#ies an mothers- Each Manmai #elongs to

a high>stat's man* a @ommaner* %hose Wi&e cannot repro'ce- 4he acts as

a sort o& s'rrogate mother* an the Wi&e o%ns the chil- This %orl* calle

ilea* is a pro3ecte &'t're o& o'r %orlG O?res generation sa% the s%itch

&rom the %orl as %e .no% it to a %orl %here people recei(e roles #ase on

their stat's an repro'cti(e capa#ilities- Women ha(e no &reeomG

e(eryone per&orms a speci)c role to .eep the co'ntry &'nctioning* an e(ery

e(iance &rom the esire orer o& society res'lts in p'nishment- O?res

sit'ation refects an ampli)es ine6'alities an pro#lems that exist in o'r

c'rrent %orl-

5n ilea* a %omans only (al'e comes &rom her #oy an repro'cti(e

capa#ilities- ,en* an e(en other %omen* only (ie% O?re as 'se&'l an

%orth%hile #eca'se she can pro'ce a healthy chil &or her @ommaner-

They o not see her personality an min as the most important parts o& her

existence- O?re explains that the Manmais arecontainers* its only the

insies o& o'r #oies that are important 9"t%oo 1!=


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al'ing her so'l str'ggles against ho% society (al'es the #oy her so'l

inha#its- Toays %orl seems to p't a slightly larger importance on the so'l*

altho'gh society clearly still o#3ecti)es %omen an o&ten sees them as

#oies instea o& people- ilea* ho%e(er* oes not &oc's at all on her so'lG

the ne% %orl only %ants her #oy* its capa#ilities* an its #iological estiny-

O?re constantly tal.s a#o't #ecoming empty an &eeling empty: %hat %e

praye &or %as emptiness* so %e %o'l #e %orthy to #e )lle: %ith grace*

%ith lo(e* %ith sel&>enial* semen an #a#ies 9!1


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%ays- ileas %oman>centere str'ct're collapses %hen the reaer reali$es

that only healthy an chil#earing %omen matter- ilea sens 'nimportant

%omen* 'n)t &or #irthing chilren or &or #elonging to prominent men as

trophy %i(es* into esignate places calle the @olonies* %here they m'st o

har man'al la#or* sometimes cleaning 'p ea #oies or raioacti(e spills*

%ith an increase chance o& eath- The @olonies &'nction as the 'mpster &or

'seless %omen- "s a re%ar &or #earing a healthy chil* a Manmai %ill

ne(er #e sent to the @olonies* shell ne(er #e eclare /n%oman 917'p

o't)t 'ner the g'iing han o& her @ommaner at +e$e#el* she reali$es that

he is sho%ing me o?* to them* an they 'nerstan that* they are ecoro's

eno'gh* they .eep their hans to themsel(es* #'t they re(ie% my #reasts*

my legs* as i& theres no reason %hy they sho'lnt 97


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@ommaner #ringing his Manmai to pro(e his manhoo* his control o& his

%omen* an his possession o& his Manmai- The men ha(e no reasons to

a(oi o#3ecti&ying an e(al'ating %omen #ase on their #oies %hen

ileas %omen alreay )t that role in their rigi society- Women reaers %ill

recogni$e an 'nerstan O?res 'nease at the mens prying eyes as %e

experience it in o'r %orl as %ell-

ilea teaches %omen that they eser(e these in3'stices &rom men

aro'n them- D'ring Manmai training* the "'nts an the Manmais

themsel(es engage in (ictim>#laming* con(incing (ictims o& rape that they

eser(e it an le on their rapist- "t )rst* the (ictims e&ene their

innocence an sai they i not eser(e #lame* #'t %hen one o& the "'nts

as.s the cro%* B't whose&a'lt %as itJ the other Manmais>in>training

chant* Her&a'lt* her&a'lt* her&a'lt 9;!


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These strict* re6'ire positions mean that extra physical contact prompts

p'nishment- "s O?re explains* 5t has nothing to o %ith passion or lo(e or

romance or any o& those other notions %e 'se to titillate o'rsel(es %ith- 5t

has nothing to o %ith sex'al esire 91!!


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reesta#lishes the traitional roles o& %omen as another &acet o& their

oppression in this society: homema.ers* mothers* an trophies- 5nstea o&

allo%ing them to act o'tsie o& their gener roles* en&orcing these traitional

gener roles p'ts %omen more )rmly in their #oxes- They m'st play the part

o& a tr'e %omanG no one can ris. acting o'tsie o& their gener roles- This

rigiity constrains men too* an reaers m'st remem#er that the oppression

o& %omen a?ects men as %ell- The @ommaners m'st act respect&'lly* &ollo%

the r'les* an r'n the ho'sehol per&ectly- Het Fre #rea.s r'les #y changing

some scripte roles* engaging in extra emotional an sex'al contact %ith his

Manmai in the @eremony* in an attempt to ha(e control o& his sit'ation-

Mis ecision to #ring her to +e$e#el sho%s more o& his attempts to )ght

against society- Mo%e(er* +e$e#el 3'st en&orces the per&ormance o& gener

rolesG altho'gh e(eryone &eels li.e they gain agency #y #rea.ing r'les an

fa'nting their sex'ality* they 3'st mo(e into i?erent assigne roles- The

%omen %ho %or. there per&orm their role o& prostit'tes- The @ommaners

per&orm their roles as po%er&'l* masc'line* in>control )g'res- The Manmais

per&orm their roles as o#3ects parae aro'n the cl'#- ileas tolerance o&

+e$e#el inicates the hien pro#lems %ith the &reeom present in these

ne% roles- The societys emphasis on per&ormance an roles contin'es to

separate geners an enco'rage the oppression o& #oth men an %omen*

e(en %hen people try to #rea. &ree-

0i.e the @ommaners* the Manmais try to )ght ileas oppression*

'sing lang'age to challenge society- ilea oes not allo% %omen to rea or


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%rite* an #ans certain %ors an phrases %hile re6'iring others in scripte

sit'ations- 0ang'age* in #oth ilea an o'r %orl* controls tho'ght an

shapes perceptions a#o't the %orl- ,a.inen o#ser(es that &eminist 4F has

trie to challenge patriarchal lang'age str'ct'res that exist in o'r %orl

91=


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Manmai* the Manmai replies* /ner Mis Eye* %hich O?re

ac.no%leges as The right &are%ell 9;


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rea eitherG the entirety o& literacy is not theirs to claim- The #arriers on

spo.en lang'age* %riting* an reaing prohi#it %omen &rom learning thro'gh

%ors at all- When O?re reas %ith the @ommaner* she says* 5 rea

6'ic.ly* (oracio'sly* almost s.imming* trying to get as m'ch into my hea as

possi#le #e&ore the next long star(ation 9"t%oo !7;


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Conclusion

These t%o texts emonstrate ho% &eminist 4F contin'es to criti6'e an

raise a%areness a#o't the conitions o& %omen in o'r %orl- E(en tho'gh

4F* on the s'r&ace* primarily concerns itsel& %ith %orls an sit'ations &ar

remo(e &rom o'r present reality* it connects to an comments on o'r o%n

%orl an the conitions in %hich %e li(e- 4Fs istance &rom o'r reality

act'ally highlights gener ine6'ality #y exaggerating seemingly normal

elements o& %omens li(es to sho% their 'n&air an oppressi(e nat're-

Thro'gh the experiences o& the %omen in these oler 4F %orls* reaers can

see the contin'e importance o& &eminism- These texts* altho'gh ate* still

resonate %ith reaers %ho can recogni$e their o%n experiences in the stories

o& these %omen an see ho% &ar %e ha(e or ha(e not come in these &e%

ecaes- The messages o& The Female Manan The HandmaidsTale are

e(en more cr'cial )e+ausethey still refect conitions o& %omen toay-

B't &eminist 4F is more than 3'st a commentary- "s %e might expect*

these texts ha(e another p'rpose: to inspire real>%orl change 9Barr A


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aro'n them an act rightly &or the inha#itants o& o'r planet- 4F can inspire

social change simply #eca'se 4F really oes contain in&ormation a#o't the

conitions aro'n 's an criti6'e aspects that nee impro(ement- With this

in&ormation* reaers can start to spec'late a#o't an isc'ss* potentially

e(en )x* the persistent pro#lems in the %orl aro'n them- These &eminist

4F texts can 'ltimately ca'se a%areness* action* an change- "s R'ss says

%hile aressing her o%n no(el* Do not complain %hen at last yo' #ecome

6'aint an ol>&ashioneIDo not get gl'm %hen yo' are no longer

'nerstoo* little #oo.- Do not c'rse yo'r &ateIRe3oice* little #oo.Q For on

that ay* %e %ill #e &ree 9!1=


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@ranny>Francis* "nne- Feminist Fi+tion- Feminist 0ses of *eneri+ Fi+tion- Ke%

Hor.* 4t- ,artinNs Press: 1;;- Print-

Fels.i* Rita- /eyond Feminist "estheti+s- @am#rige* Mar(ar /ni(ersity

Press: 1;A;- Print-

Floo* "lison- 2im 4tanley Ro#inson: 4cience FictionNs Realist- *uardian

1nline* 11 Ko(- !;- We# 1 "pril !1-

0e'in* /rs'la 2- The Left Hand of Darkness,Ke% Hor.* The Ber.ley

P'#lishing ro'p: 1;;- Print-

,ac2ay* ,arina- The 2am)rid%e 3ntrodu+tion to the 4ovel,Ke% Hor.*

@am#rige /ni(ersity Press: !11- Print-

,a.inen* ,er3a- Feminist .o#ular Fi+tion- Ke% Hor.* Palgra(e: !1- Print-

R'ss* +oanna- The Female Man- Boston* Beacon Press: 1;- Print-

4ha%* De#ra Benita- 5omen! '+ien+e and Fi+tion- The Fran.enstein

3nheritan+e- Ke% Hor.* Palgra(e: !- Print-

Documents

SF Publication Draft 11