Creative Writing 3.4 Kobi Maibach

She coiled a lock of dark hair around her bony finger, pulling, and releasing. Tension in her finger erupted as she curled another strand around. This motion had become a habit of hers whenever things became too quiet. It was never quiet for long, however just for a split second this motion eased her mind with each release that came from the tension. A bad habit she admitted, but one that helped.

The room felt empty, still, almost peaceful; but this only left space for other things to creep in. A chilling breeze stroked the back of her neck sending a jolt of shivers over her pale skin. Taking her stare away from the glass table she looked over to the open window that had carried through a draft from the dark abyss outside.

Down below the city had fallen asleep, taking with it the noise from the hustle and bustle of life. It was dead silent.

This silence was now suspended in the room waiting to be broken as she played with another strand of hair, waiting for the hit. 

“Yuna? Can you feel it yet?”

In an instance the silence had been shattered. Yuna sighed.

“No. Nothing yet.”

“Feel nothing? Perhaps it was a dud. Want another?”

Yuna shook her head remaining hunched on the couch staring into the glass table with widened eyes. 

“Ok then. Well I’m popping out for some fresh air. Coming?”

“No thanks Asako,” Yuna mumbled back paying very little attention to her sister, keeping her trance on the table in front of her.

“You sure you’ll be ok?” her sister asked in a caring manner.

“I’ll be fine,” Yuna mumbled hesitantly, wishing Asako would stop treating her like a child.

She shrugged. “Very well. I believe you.” Asako made her way to the other end of the house, sliding the door shut behind her.

Yuna was determined to show Asako that she was better than some sort of wounded animal that needed looking after. It had been like this for too long and Yuna had grown restless from feeling of being unable to choose how she lived. Even simple things were hard for Yuna to enjoy without the constant shadow of Asako looming over her. Yuna remained on the couch by herself savouring the loneliness Asako had bestowed upon her, these moments were rare.

Her shoulders were tense, creating discomfort in her neck as it became strained from the stiff posture. She’d tried loosening them up by sitting deeper into the couch, but she found this too have no affect. Wriggling restlessly on the couch, she waited in silence for the antipsychotics effects to kick in. However all this waiting had done was awaken the creatures that slept in the depths of Yuna’s dark and fractured brain. 

Lurking in her head the voices had awoken with intent to corrupt Yuna and her weak mind. They would not cease until Yuna was utterly helplessness, hushing and echoing their fiendish insults, making her believe in every single word that they punctured her with.

Mistake. YouMistake. ThisWasAMistake. Regret. RegretYourMistake. 

A sharp pain emitted from the side of Yuna’s scalp as she jerked her hand away from her head. 

“FUCK!” Yuna cried.

Placing her fearful eyes upon her quivering hand Yuna found a clump of dark hair in her palm. Her hair. Yuna’s eyes followed the hair down to the roots to find it had become stained with a dirty looking red. Torn out in a split second.

With a groan Yuna dropped the hair to the floor and doubled over to clench her stomach. Hot, boiling, sickening! Cupping her mouth Yuna held back the instinct to regurgitate the contents of her stomach, swallowing back the vile flavour. The taste of acid in Yuna’s throat made her taste buds limp away from the foul smack of citric. 

Disgusting. YouFool. HowDareYou. YouCan’tEscapeUs.

SHUT UP!” She screamed.

There’sNoEscape. NoAlternative. YourStuckWithUs.

“SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!” Yuna wept, straining her lungs from the sudden outburst. Tears began emerging in the corners of her eyes as the voices bombardment raged on with no sign of mercy. “Please stop. I BEG YOU!” Yuna put her hands into her face as she bawled up on the couch with tears streaming down her face. The tears had begun to rush down her cold pale skin and onto the white shirt she wore, which had become saturated in a pool of agony. This misery she felt day in day out was a never ending cycle of pain that left Yuna feeling desperate for an escape. Many years of taking antipsychotics had brought Yuna nothing but a feeling of emptiness. She wanted to be normal, she wanted to function and most definitely wanted the voices to cease forever. Everyone around her had been supportive, caring and reassuring when she was first diagnosed with her disorder but as the years rolled on and her disorder became more and more severe her support began to dwindle to a fragile number. When these times of hardship fell upon Yuna all but Asako had remained by her side, but the thought of Asako now  just made Yuna erupt into a fit of tears. She was a mess.

The door slid shut behind her slim frame as she stepped outside into the dark night. A sea of endless lights filled Asako’s vision as she gazed upon the city. Asako often came out here at night to find time for herself where she could finally be alone and in her own mind. It was always a hardship to be around Yuna. Many of Yuna’s friend and family had become distant with her over the years, being unable to understand or find a sense of compassion for Yuna. Asako had brought it upon herself to remain by Yuna’s side even if the consequences were too affect her own mental health. She knew she wasn’t Yuna’s doctor or her legal guardian but regardless she felt she was the one to blame if something were to ever happen to Yuna. They were close in age with just a mere 5 years separating them; this age difference had brought them together as the closet of siblings.They had grown up together, fought together, laughed together and loved together. Over the years Asako had placed the duty of being the older protective sibling upon herself and made it her duty to protect Yuna from anything that were to ever harm her. It was times when Asako was alone that she could be reminded of why she was fighting by Yuna’s side;to regain what she had lost. Bringing out her earphones Asako slipped the two marble sized pods into her ears and found her favourite album, Dusk To Dawn. Pushing play, she let the slow melody of swaying cellos, soft drumbeats and harmonious voices blank her mind of thought and set her free from her duty. Sitting down in the singular armchair she closed her eyes and became immersed in the sound, fading into a peaceful sleep where thought began to cease. Asako’s mind was brought back to life when the smell of something metallic crawled up her nostrils. She breathed the air in again to find the smell of a sweet, yet dry pungence fill her nose. A feeling of discomfort crawled up Asako, sending a trail of goosebumps sprawling over her skin. She felt like a dog that could anticipate something bad before it actually happened. She couldn’t place her mind on anything definite until she stupidly found the answer. Yuna. Asako screamed Yuna’s name at the top of her lungs. With haste she pulled out her earbuds, leapt out of the chair and sprinted to the front door. Tugging at the handle with all her might she found it would not open, it had been locked from the inside. “YUNA OPEN THIS DOOR!” She screamed, with terror shaking her speech. Slamming her other hand against the glass door she continued to pull at the door, praying desperately for it to become loose. Tears began emerging in her eyes as she refused to let go of the handle, this couldn’t be happening. It felt as if time began to slow down. There was no telling what Yuna had done; but that is when she saw it. A trail of dark red blood slithering down the side of the couch, a pale hand, limp. 

3.9 Essay V for Vendetta

The film V for Vendetta directed by James McTeigue presents us with a thought provoking concept about how people can set themselves free through anarchy. The director portrays this idea of anarchy and freedom in a bleak and controlled London that has been completely overtaken by facist leaders who control the people through fear. The way this society functions is similar to that of Nazi Germany in that if you dont confine to the leaders beleifs and ideloigies you will be erased. Inside this oppressive environment the viewer is meet with the character V,  a masked anti hero who serves as a crucial character in the understanding of the films meaning and the directors intent. V is a vigilante who takes a stand against the government in order to set the people free by creating a state of anarchy. V’s motives can be viewed as questionable as he uses acts of terrosim to get his message across and create change in the people however this leaves the viewer wondering. Is the use of terrorism to create a state of anarchy really the best alterantive from how the current goveremnt is running things. The two scenes I am analysing from V for Vendetta are The domino scene and The End Fight scene. I will be analysing how these scenes use symbolism and sound as cinematography techniques to enhance the directors intentions.

James McTeigue presents us with the idea that people have the ability to set themselves free if they come together in a state of anarchy. This idea is conveyed to the viewer in magnificent style during The Domino scene that uses symbolism and sound to its advantage to create an unforgettable and empowering scene. In this scene the viewer sees the unravelling of V’s plans as the people of London begin rioting and creating a state of anarchy just as V had intended. We see this through symbolism, clever use of allusions and well ograstrated sounds. The most powerful symbol that has been used in this scene is the Dominos which convey a message about people stepping up against their governments by coming together and setting themselves free. This is shown to us when V flicks over the dominos he has set up on his floor of his house and watches them fall over in a stunning manner. As soon as the dominos begin falling the scene cuts to shots of riot footage that has occurred in human history and then back to the dominos falling over in slow mo. In the background a low droning sound can be heard that gradually gets louder and increases in tempo as the trail of dominos continue to fall over. This slow build up creates a sense of tension and makes the viewer more engaged in the scene as they are told by the music that this is a dramatic scene that holds lots of importance. The dominos start by standing straight and in order just like the government wants the people to be but as soon as one person shakes up the system a chain reaction occurs that results in a spark among the people. A revolution emerges. This revolution that emerges in V for Vendetta shows viewers that individuals can have big impacts on the way larger groups of people think and how they fabricate their own ideas. For instance individuals such as Martin Luther King, Jr, Abrham Linchon and Nelson Mandela lead large groups of people or even entire nations into new eras of thinking and brought new ideas to the table that may of not been perceived as good by all but were ideas that shook up the system nonetheless. These individuals I have listed were the start of a domino effect that begins with one person and later becomes and enormous trail of people who come together with like minded ideas and beliefs due to the first individual who sparked the flame. This chain reaction is shown to us in this scene through the riots of people tearing up streets and causing havoc. I believe the director has included these shots of people being outraged during the revolution to make the viewer think about how an anarchist protest such as a riot can benefit people’s freedom. In a state of anarchy people can accomplish a lot through force to gain their right to freedom however the James Mctieuge wants the viewer to ask themselves if this is a reasonable way for people to overcome that which oppresses them. I believe the director has intentionally shot the dominos at close ups to symbolize how riots look, messy and unpredictable. 

As the trail of dominos nears its end the viewer is shown a birds eye shot of the dominos forming a large red V. The letter V acts as V’s trademark as it symbolises V’s motives behind the rebellion and acts as a symbol of defiance. The symbolism behind this red V is an empowering symbol for the viewer as it is distinctive and represents V’s core beliefs and ideas around freedom for the  people in a singular letter. The letter V is presented as the upside down anarchy symbol which is another clever way the director has made a connection between freedom and anarchy as V stands for the freedom of people and his very trademark symbolises the way he is going to achieve this. In this birds eye shot of the red V the music has new layers added with the inclusion of a cello and male singers which creates a lovely harmony that empowers the viewer. This scene is meant to be an important moment for the audience as it portrays people liberating themselves from their governments as a grand and courageous act which is shown to us through people coming together in an anarchist state. The director has included this to provoke the viewers thoughts around what can be achieved through anarchy however he never tells us that we should confine our beliefs to that of his as the director is merely letting us think and perceive this scene as we choose too. The scene comes to an end with the final domino being hit by a domino on either side of it as a loud pinging noise is heard. A silence is emitted after this final domino is struck to represent the end of V’s plan. Shortly after the silence a soft Piano is heard in the background as V inspects this domino which is a rather suiting change in the soundtrack as it shows the audience that this final domino plays a crucial yet touching role in the plan. This domino symbolizes V’s death as the last thing that must happen in his plan which I believe is important as it shows how devoted V is to the cause and how he truly has no fear to die for his beliefs. The clever use of symbolism and an emotional soundtrack in this scene makes the viewer feel a deeper connection to V as we realize he is not a selfish, aggravated terrorist but a freedom fighter that would put his own life on the line to gain freedom for the people.

In the final fight scene the viewer is further presented with ideas on how people can become free through anarchy in both symbolic messages and through the use of sound. This is shown to the viewer during a confrontation that occurs between V and Chancellor Sutler. The scene starts with Chancellor Sutler giving a speech that’s being broadcasted all over London about the grave danger that is upon the people. Whenever Sutler has given a speech throughout the entirety of the film he always fills the entire screen in a big close up angle that tells the viewer he is a man of great power and authority. These cleverly used angles symbolise Sutlers dominance over the people and shows how he is a man not to be messed with. During Sutlers speech we hear him plant false information in the heads of the people by using fear and manipulative speaking to control the peoples ideas. In his speech he says, “This violent and unparalleled assault on our security will not go undefended. Or unpunished. Our enemy is an insidious one, seeking to divide us and destroy the very foundation of our great nation” The viewer knows that V does not intend to harm the people or their freedom as he wants to free them from the oppressive government. I find this line rather ironic as it sounds more like Sutlers final plea to tell the people to remain united under his corrupt system rather than a speech to comfort the people. The reality of the situation is that Sutler is the true threat to the people’s freedom which can be further seen in the line, “My fellow Englishmen: tonight, our country, that which we stand for, and all we hold dear, faces a grave and terrible threat”. There is no real threat from V but that of the manipulative and controlling system that Sutler has created which controls the people through fear. I believe the director has created Sutler as a character to remind the audience of previous leaders who gained too much control over their governments and lead their countries into shambles. Sutler can be compared to the likes of Adolf Hitler who also used manipulative speaking to plant false information in the people’s minds. Hitler blamed all of Germany’s economic and societal issues at the time on the Jews who in reality had nothing to do with these problems but were instead used as a scapegoat by Hitler. These two men are both manipulative leaders that will use words to their advantage and in turn disadvantage those that they rule. Men such as Hitler and Sutler are part of a group of leaders that are too often feared by the people when the reality is these are leaders that should be overthrown by the people as their leadership is unfair and unjust. James Mcteigue is aware of leaders such as Hitler and Sutler that have existed throughout history and still exist within modern society so he uses this film as a means of warning the viewers about what can happen to a country when their leaders gain to much control.

As Sutlers speech comes to a close the scene cuts away from the TV screens broadcasting the speech and takes us to a dark abandoned subway where a man concealed by a black bag is brought down to his knees in front of V by Creedy’s men. When the bag is taken off of this anonymous figure the audience is baffled to find out that it is none other than Sutler himself who has been captured with a look of sheer dread on his face. As V approaches Sutler a low angle shot is taken from behind Sutler to make V look big and authoritative, this shot symbolizes the transition in power between the two characters as the wide angle shots that are always used when shooting Sutler have been replaced with a medium shot that captures both V and Sutler at the same height. As V bends over to speak with Sutler a look of sheer terror spreads across Sutlers face. There is a strong emphasis on the loud and hysterical whimpering that Sutler is making to show the viewer what a coward Sutler truly is when confronted by the man he said he would bring down. I believe the director has used these cinematography techniques to show the viewer how this is the end of Sutler thus the end of the current government. As V is bent over to talk with Sutler he says, “A farewell gift, for all the things you’ve done, for all the things you might have done, and for the only thing you have left”, as he places a rose in the chancellors chest pocket. These final words that V speaks to Suttler show us the type of man V truly is. He is not a careless terrorist, he is a freedom fighter for the people that does everything with strong intent. The rose further symbolizes this as V always places a rose on those he murders to symbolise both violence and justice for the people. These roses are grown by V at his home with care and love. This love he has for the roses is carried through to those he places the roses on as he murders those who have created this oppressive government system to show his love and dedication for the people that he intends to set free. The director has intentionally used the rose as a symbol that has two meanings combined into one so it can be perceived by the viewer as they wish. Perhaps the viewer is more inclined to see rose as a symbol for terrorism and viloence that shows V is nothing mroe than a cold hearted killer or maybe the viewer sees the roeses as a liberating symbol that represents freedom for the people by bringing justice to those who wronged the people. After the rose has been placed in Sutlers chest pocket V walks away and speaks the name “Creedy” to make Creedy aware it is time for the chancellor to be killed. With that a bullet is put through the chancellors head and the end of the current government has arrived, V’s plan has finally meet its end. 

James McTieuge has delivered a thought provoking title that deep and cleverly integrated messages about freedom and anarchy as well as showing us what can happen when governments gain too much control over the people. V the anti hero of this story uses acts of terrosim to rid of the main political members of the current government in order to set the people free. As viewers we are never forced to think of V’s actions as good or bad, we are merely presented with the idea that people can liberate themselves through a state of anarchy. This film can be seen as a warning to the people to show us what happens when our governments gain too much control over the people. Take a look at nations such as modern day China or North Korea that treat their people more so like commodities rather than actual human beings. This film shows us that we should be stronger than our governments by having the government fear the people not the people fear the government.

English 3.4 – Handmaids Tale

The society of Gilead manipulates and controls the people through an oppressive government that is all to familiar.

Margaret Atwood’s exceptionally well crafted novel The Handmaid’s Tale shows readers the cruel and punishing reality of a dystopian setting that’s revolves around a regime which confines women of their human rights and uses religion to validate the outcomes and decisions that are made in society. The book is set in a bleak and outdated Harvard university which has now become the home of The Republic of Gilead, a republic that is primarily male dominated. Though many who have read The Handmaid’s Tale are likely to think Margaret Atwood has created a book that touches on sensitive topics which have been blown out of proportion the reality is the novel is grounded in a scenario that could possibly occur in our lifetime as I can see some strong links between the society of Gilead and that of a pre existing regime, “I made a rule for myself: I would not include anything that human beings had not already done in some other place or time, or for which the technology did not already exist. I did not wish to be accused of dark, twisted inventions, or of misrepresenting the human potential for deplorable behavior.”- Margaret Atwood

Inside of Gilead the leaders are called Commanders who belonged to a group known as the Sons Of Jacob prior the creation of Gilead who were high ranking political members that devised plans for a new society that would be lead completely by them. Through the use of extremist tactics they were successful in their plans which lead to the founding of The Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian patriarchal theocracy. It’s said by Offred the Protagonist of the novel that. “they shot the president and machine-gunned the Congress, and the army declared a state of emergency”, and adds that “the entire government” was “gone like that”. With the US government in shambles due to the suddiness and severity of the planned attacks the Sons Of Jacobs had executed they then took advantage of the US government’s predicament and begun to enforce changes in the law. It is unknown to us as to how they succeeded with their plans as we are only ever told information through Offred who isn’t a particularly  reliable source as she has been brainwashed by the red centers and forgotten much about her past.

In a totalitarian regime everyone is not necessarily going to agree with the leading parties ideas which is why the leaders need to find ways of manipulating the people through brainwashing them into thinking their way is the right way. As an example during the Nazi regime Hitler had to find reasons why people should vote for the Nazi Party so he uses manipulative tactics by blaming all of Germany’s economic issues on the jews by using them as a scapegoat to exploit the German peoples desperation and anger they had towards their government. By doing this Hitler had planted a seed in the minds of the German people which grew and grew until it eventually became a reality as many of the German people started to confine their beliefs to that of Hitler’s. The government of Gilead uses similar tactics to that of Hitler’s through the use of propaganda to manipulate the masses and using it as justification for their actions. Hitler manipulated the German masses by encouraging his actions as a good thing that must be done to resolve the issues within their society however in Gilead the leaders use religion to cover up the reality of the intentions behind their actions. For instance the Gilead uses religion as a way of justifying what is done to the Handmaids. Handmaids are normal women but have been deemed fertile so they are forced to become Handmaid’s which requires them to be stripped of all their basic human rights and take part in a monthly ritual in which they are raped by the commander of the household in order to hopefully get pregnant. This is done to overcome the fertility crisis that has struck the human race. I believe Margaret Atwood has chosen to write about such explicit and sensitive topics because it raises points on things that are often pushed into the shadows. This is a story that discusses about how a group of people must suffer heavy losses in order to benefit another groups ambitions. I believe the predicament of the Handmaid’s who are raped in order to benefit the leaders aspirations is very similar to how Hitler raped the Jews by stripping them of their dignity and scarring their religion for ever. It is said by one of the power driven commanders known as Fred that “Better never means better for everyone… It always means worse, for some.” This type of mentality suggests how egotistical and uncaring people can be in order to achieve their ambitions for power. When situations become dire for humans we tend to become greedy and selfish in order to preserve our own wants, however if humans persit in this type of mentality we will never evolve as a species in which acceptance is a key fundamental for everybody. People who are hungry for power like Hitler and the Commanders in the novel still exist within modern day society which is why we need to educate those who hold these ego driven beliefs or else society will continue to remain in a loophole where resolutions are rarely found.

Time does its bidding on the people of Gilead who eventually forget about their past life before the regime as they have given in to the new ways that the leaders have forced upon them which leads the people to perceive their circumstances as ‘normal’. As said by Offred she wishes she hadn’t resisted the indoctrination Gilead had forced upon them as she begins to give in to the pressures of the society and begins to perceive her life as normal, “I would like to be without shame. I would like to be shameless. I would like to be ignorant. Then I would not know how ignorant I was.” It’s at this point where the manipulation has successfully worked its magic and there is no longer any stigma behind the new ways that have been implemented into society. As the story progresses the idea of the characters escaping from this oppressive government becomes lost as  I believe Margaret Atwood has done this to help emphasize how powerful and demoralizing a government like Gilead is. We as humans have done cruel things to our race in the past so why wouldn’t these things happen again? I look at the handmaids tale as a caution sign that is essentially letting us know what a ‘bad’ future could look. It’s happened before, its happening now, it will happen again.

English 3.4 Planning for handmaids tale

What do I want to write about?

Allusions-biblical, historical, literacy. Setting-locations, history. Characters-what they represent, what they show us about society. Society-how the book reflects our society-classism. Totalitarian regime. Themes of control. Oppression.

Classism-Control of women-Its happened before it could happen again

Structure of essay

Opening regarding the novel and giving context to the genre the author and what I will discuss Put forward a thesis on..

The Conformity women in Margret Atwood’s novel The hand maids face is oppressive and morally wrong.


Discuss in depth about how and why Margret Atwood has made the theme of Control prominent in her novel. More specifically the control of women. Discuss how the women in the novel are oppressed but are essentially forced to come to terms with their predicament for the sake of staying alive. Discuss why the author has included this idea of being trapped in the novel-its part of the genre, what does it show us about Atwood. Why does Atwood show us how these woman are suffering but shows no sign of hope or alternative.

There is never a sense of the main character ever escaping in the novel, there are no alternatives in this society. It all feels set in stone as if there is no turning back time and going back to what society once was. The women suffer and this is shown explicitly, they take whatever small escapes they can get to gain a little ‘freedom’

Use quotes to back up points and use factual information-Refer back to the book constantly

Make comparisons to other novels within the genre

Conclude

Do the women have rights in this scenario?

Notes: The hierarchy of Gilead is structured around classes shown through the statues that the men hold above women which has a very big influence on how the women are controlled in Margret Atwood’s dystopian novel. There are classes within Gilead that are split into higher and lower ranking roles in society. These roles are entirely designated based on gender and often lower ranking roles are assigned to those who prove less helpful to the society in Gilead.

There are Handmaids who are both treated with respect by everyone within Gilead yet they are still stripped of all their rights. They are forced to bear children for the upper class couples-Commander and his wife. Handmaids are essentially commodities to the upper class people of Gilead, when a handmaid produces no baby she is sent away to a new family whilst in turn replacing an existing handmaid who also provided no children for the household. Handmaids are stripped of their names and have a name given to them that reflects whomever is in possession of them. For instance Offred is the handmaid belonging to Fred.

There are the wives whom are wives to the commander and essentially have no purpose in serving Gilead which results in a lot becoming lifeless and depressed. They cannot produce children which is why they have handmaids who act as surrogate mothers for them.

The Martha’s are the maids of the house that belongs to a commander and his wife. They do the work around the house and are often older women who are no longer fertile.

Econowives are the wives of lower ranking citizens within Gilead and act as servants to their husbands.

Aunts – Hold a higher status than the majority of women in Gilead and are listened to and respected by the men. They are the only women in Gilead who are permitted to read and write. Aunts run the training centers named “Rachel and Leah Centers”(Red Center) These centers are used to house and train handmaids.
aunts are the only women in this society permitted to read or write because they have to give reports and educate the rest of society as to their place in it Atwood.

Unwomen are those who no longer serve any use to society and are sent away to work in the colonies where they will inventively die from radiation sickness.

Gilead is a patriarchal society-a government run by men

Men in Gilead are also put into a class system of their own with Commanders at the top then eyes, angels and guardians.

Makes links between the systems used in Gilead and how they represent modern day society. What is classism like now and in the past?

How are the men in this system classes. When making comparisons keep it simple-Use sexy paragraphs

Then I think: I used to dress like that. That was freedom.  Pg 38

Womens bodies in the handmaids tale is their lives.

“So now that we dont have different clothes, I say you merely have different women.”

There are no more, films no more magazines no more substitutes.”

“There is no such thing as a sterile man anymore, there are only women who are fruitful and women who are barren.”

“Moira had power now, she’d been set loose, she’d set herself loose. She was now a loose woman.

I think we found this frightening.

Moira was like an elevator with open sides. She made us dizzy. Already we were losing the taste for freedom, already we were finding these walls secure. In the upper reaches of the atmosphere you’d come apart, you’d vaporize, there would be no pressure holding you together. “


“It’s strange to remember how we used to think, as if everything were available to us, as if there were no contingencies, no boundaries; as if we were free to shape and reshape forever the ever—expanding perimeters of our lives. I was like that too, I did that too. “


“The fact is that I no longer want to leave, escape, cross the border to freedom. I want to be here, with Nick, where I can get at him. “

“We are not each others anymore now we are just his”

“She doesn’t make speeches anymore, she has become speechless” serena joy

“I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely.” This is from Offred’s view and how she doesn’t want to be confined to living a life that Gilead wants her to live page. She believes she is more than what Gilead sees her as, a fertile women. 73

“Now we walk along the same street, in red pairs, and no man shouts obscenities at us, speaks to us, touches us. No one whistles.”

“We are fascinated, but also repelled. They seem undressed. It has taken so little time to change our minds, about things like this.”

” As long as we do this, butter our skin to keep it soft, we can believe that we will some day get out, that we will be touched again, in love or desire. We have ceremonies of our own, private ones. “

Then I think: I used to dress like that. That was freedom.

There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it. 

There are other women with baskets, some in red, some in the dull green of the Marthas, some in the striped dresses, red and blue and green and cheap and skimp, that mark the women of the poorer men. Econowives, they’re called. These women are not divided into functions. They have to do everything; if they can.

Shows how the women have their individuality stripped from them

Mother, I think. Wherever you may be. Can you hear me? You wanted a women’s culture. Well, now there is one. It isn’t what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for small mercies. (21.34)

Maybe none of this is about control. Maybe it isn’t really about who can own whom, who can do what to whom and get away with it, even as far as death. Maybe it isn’t about who can sit and who has to kneel or stand or lie down, legs spread open. Maybe it’s about who can do what to whom and be forgiven for it. Never tell me it amounts to the same thing. 

Now we walk along the same street, in red pairs, and no man shouts obscenities at us, speaks to us, touches us. No one whistles.

There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it.

“Fertility was the real commodity. And it happen to lay in people”

A dream within a dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow —
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?  
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand —
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep — while I weep!
O God! Can I not grasp 
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

A dream within a dream written by Edgar Allan Poe will make you question your life’s purpose as soon as you’ve read the final sentence. As deep as that may sound it’s true, for this poem holds some very powerful messages that can be unraveled by the reader if they are willing to put in the effort. The poem has a rather grim tone and discusses some things that most people tend to not think or talk about on a daily basis. That being death. Even though it’s a dark poem there is beauty within, for it’s a poem that leaves one questioning many things. The poem is incredibly opened ended and can mean something entirely different from person to person. Different people will take away a different message from it and that’s the beauty of this poem. This poem is depicting the reality of how time is passing away and there is nothing we can do about the inevitable end that all humans face.

Many lines in the poem can be interpreted differently, for example “O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave?”, this line can be interpreted in various ways but one of the more common ideas presented here is that life is like a wave that has its up and it’s downs and like life, a wave will have to reach the shore and come to an end. There is no denying that death is inevitable and when said like that everything sounds rather miserable. Even so life is filled with so many joys that it becomes easy to brush of this truth. Death is something one mustn’t dwell on as it easy to find yourself becoming absorbed in a world of negativity. This poem resembles the reality we all face in life but that doesn’t mean one must surround themselves in these realities. We all face death regardless to the quality of life we live but that doesn’t stop us from living. Its important people must live a life of fulfillment in which they set and achieve their ambitions. Time is always ticking by and some people are unable to grasp onto the time they have and put it to good use, whilst others can achieve extraordinary things with their time. The line from the poem, ‘And I hold within my hand, Grains of the golden sand’ reiterates this idea as it is referring to the sand as time. The poet is saying he is aware he controls his time on earth and its up to him how he uses it. By controlling time I do not mean he can control the time continuation but can control what he chooses to do with his time. The author makes its out like time is a personal belonging that is only affected by what he does with it, “How few! yet how they creep, through my fingers to the deep.” This line helps to strengthen the mentioned idea that time is a personal belonging to the poet because he regards the grains of sand as being in his hand and how little sand he clutches. This shows us that he is aware of his time as he is able to create a metaphor for how he perceives his time which shows he has a great sense of awareness around his own personal existence on earth. This concept is rather empowering because it gives the reader the feeling that their time on earth is only as good as what is made of it. How does one chose to spend their precious time, their ‘grains of golden sand’. Life and time. They are are the same thing intertwined into ones purpose. Your purpose is dependent on how willing you are to take action towards whatever aspirations you have. Time is not a physical thing but merely something we human beings have created for the sake of systems, measurement and security but this poem takes it out of the context and puts it into a philosophical perspective. When someone becomes aware of time and sees that they are not controlled by it but are the one who is in control of their time amazing things can be achieved. However it’s up to you how you perceive time and only you can be the decider of your fate.

You may find a positive message buried inside the poems discreet writing or perhaps you’ll be left with a negative outlook on life or maybe nothing at all. This is why it’s important after reading this poem to take some time in thinking about the poem and any questions that arise.

Creative writing Portfolio

The Lonely Tree

The cold is sharp on your skin, piercing underneath your clothing. Shivers creep down your spine, the chills are a mix of freezing cold temperatures and the feeling of isolation. Around you is a white landscape that contains little life. Looking to the horizon you see nothing but whiteness stretching across the flat landscape. You feel intimidated by this barren landscape, it feels strange to be so far away from human civilization. Rotating yourself in a circular shape you notice a singular tree that sits atop a small hill. The tree is just a skeleton, naked without its leaves. The coldness has stripped the once thriving land of vegetation and all that remains is the white sheet of snow you stand atop of. Staring at the blank landscape you are intrigued by the tree that’s sits alone.

You make a start for the lifeless tree, hearing the crunch of compacting snow under your feet. You look back at where you’ve walked to see a small trail of footprints pressed deeply into the snow. Peering into one of your footprints you see a mixture of snow mixed in with the brownish soil that lies below. You’re reminded that there is land underneath the snow that is desperate for sunshine. Your gaze drifts away from the ground to the sky where you see the dim sun being shielded by a blanket of cloud. A chilling breeze pierces your skin as you stand still in the open landscape. You level your head and stare at the tree that sits atop the hill. Inhaling the air you feel the coldness enter your lungs and chill your inners.

Letting out a cold shiver you continue on your path to the tree, the one interesting thing in this deserted land. Your trail of footprints has grown long as you arrive at the bottom of the hill. The hill looks rather ominous in this deserted land but you begin to ascend up it regardless of its appearance.  Your feet dig deep into the snow coated hill where the lonely tree stands, however a feeling of tiredness begins to enclose your body. The cold air has been slowly eating away at your warmth leaving you with little energy. The blood in your body is flowing slowly, it feels as if there is only ice chilling through your veins. You inhale, then exhale. Feeling light your head begins to buzz as you become unable to focus on the anything in this wintry land.

The snowflakes begin pelting down with ferocity as your eyes become blinded in a white layer of snow. You feel as if your clothes have been stripped from your body as you feel completely exposed to the brutal weather. Brushing the snow off your face you begin to feel numb as your joints tense up. Feeling drained of energy you collapse to the soft ground with your limbs sprawled out and your head facing the murky sky. Peering up at the pale clouds you see snowflakes drifting down, they land weightlessly on your skin as the snow around swallows you up. 

6th book response

Do not go gentle into that good night
Dylan Thomas


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

What are my initial thoughts about this poem as to what its about? Its written a very different way. 

Curiosity arose inside of me the first time I read Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night as I was overwhelmed with questions and needed to re read the poem to figure out what it meant. This may be a common scenario for many people but it was more than just my questions that urged me to read the poem over again. It was the words. I began to enjoy the tone the author uses in the poem more and more because of its well crafted writing. This helped to evoke emotion inside of me that I hadn’t gotten from reading a piece of literature in quite a while. Author Dylan Thomas has put so much care into these sentences he has written and it really helps bring quality into the poem.

I was recommended to read this poem by a friend and since I had never heard about Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night prior from being told  about it I went into this poem feeling rather intrigued. I noticed at first that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary poem due to the tone of the words and the passion I could feel from reading it. After reading through it a couple of times I began to find a meaning within the poem. The line, “Do not go gentle into that good night” was what first gave me insight into the poems meaning as it is used constantly throughout the course of the poem, so I figured it must have some deep connection to the poems purpose. I believe this line is somewhat of a plead from the author because he wants someone to hold onto their final night a little longer. From this I could understand that whomever the Dylan was referring to was of great importance to him. It was when I realized this that I also made sense of the sentence, “And you, my father, there on that sad height”, that this poem is dedicated to Dylan’s father.

I find it rather beautiful that Dylan Thomas wrote such a mesmerizing poem to honor his dying father. I don’t know the emotional feeling of loosing a parent but this could be why Dylan’s poem is written with such an emotional tone. Its as if this poem is Dylan’s cry for help, pleading for his father to stay a little longer.  There’s not many cases where I have read a poem that been written from this perspective and it really helps make this poem feel more sincere and heartfelt. However in certain places the poem doesn’t seem entirely dedicated to his father. There are mentions of men such as the, “Wise men, Good men and wild men” who are also pleaded to not go gentle into the good night. In my opinion the author describes these other men to symbolize how different people will react when death is upon them. Which is whats so significant about the line “Do not go gentle into that good night”, as I believe it describes how one must put up a fight in which there is no feeling of regret, rage or shame in the final days of their life. The contrast of “good men” and “wild men” shows that the author wants every man despite any of their wrong doings in life to rest peaceful when death comes. We are all just human and even though some people don’t deserve sympathy for their sins all people are still deserving of one thing above all. To die happily. However I also believe when the author mentions the, “Wise men, Good men and wild men” that these could be characteristics of his own father. No man is perfect as you can never go through life without making mistakes since that is how we learn as humans and perhaps that’s why Dylan would be referring to his father as “wild” or “wise” simply because he was. I believe that the line, ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ is a plead from Dylan which makes sense when referring to his father because at the end of the day no one really wants their parents to die. No one can emotionally prepare for the loss of a loved one and to me that’s what this poem symbolizes; a man who doesn’t want his father to let go. 

There is one guarantee in life. You, are going to die. We can’t control when or how we die and this is something we must come to terms with otherwise we can live a life full of fear towards the end and regret towards what we never did. Even people who have made bad decisions and done bad things in life deserve to rest in peace. I believe that all people perceived as bad are often just as innocent as anybody else but have been shaped into something they are not by world around them. I believe in no god but I believe to rest in peace is to die with no fear when the end has arrived.  

If you want a poem that has been superbly crafted with pure emotion and love then I cannot recommend Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night enough. You wont be able to read this poem once without fully understanding it so take your time and enjoy the process of deciphering each sentence and its meaning. I would highly recommend you take a few minutes to read this poem as there is plenty of thought provoking text in this poem that will leave you questioning several things about death.

A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow —
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?  
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand —
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep — while I weep!
O God! Can I not grasp 
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

I rarely find that questions arise from my inner self after reading a poem, but A dream within a dream written by Edgar Allan Poe made me question my lifes purpose as soon as I had read the final sentence. As deep as that may sound its true, for this poem holds some very powerful messages. The poem has a rather grim tone and discusses some things that most people tend to steer away from. That being death. Even though its a dark poem I found beauty within, for it’s a poem that leaves one questioning many things. I cannot summarize what the poem is about other than what I believe its about because A Dream Within A Dream is a bit like art. Different people will take away a different message from it and for me that’s the beauty of this poem. What I believe this poem is depicting is the reality of how time is passing away and there is nothing we can do about the inevitable end that all humans face. 

There is no denying that death is inevitable and when said like everything sounds rather miserable.  Even so life is filled with so many joys that it becomes easy to brush of this truth. Death is something one mustn’t dwell on as it easy to find yourself becoming absorbed in a world of negativity. This poem resembles the reality we all face in life but that doesn’t mean one must surround themselves in these realities. We all face death regardless to the quality of life we live but that doesn’t stop us from living. I believe its important people must live a life of fulfillment in which they set and achieve their ambitions. Time is always ticking by and for some they are unable to grasp onto the time they have and put it to good use, whilst others can achieve extraordinary things with their time. I find this line from the poem, ‘And I hold within my hand, Grains of the golden sand’ reiterates this idea as it is referring to the sand in what I believe is time. Its as if the poet is saying that he is aware he controls his time on earth and its up to him how he uses it.  By controlling time I do not mean he can control the time continuation but what he chose to do with his time. The author makes its out like time is a personal belonging that is only effected by what he does with it. This concept stuck with me after reading the poem as it made me feel motivated and empowered with the sense that my time on earth is only as good as what I make of it.  How does one chose to spend their precious time, their ‘grains of golden sand’. Life and time. I find that they are the same thing intertwined into ones purpose.

I believe ones purpose is dependent on how willing someone is to take action towards their aspirations. I believe this is why the author is saying that time is created in the imagination. Time is not a physical thing but merely something we human beings have created for the sake of systems, measurement and security but this poem takes it out of the context and puts it into a philosophical perspective. When someone becomes aware of time and sees that they are not controlled by it but are the one who is in control of their time amazing things can be achieved. However its up to you how you perceive time and I cannot be the answer to how you do so. What I can do is recommend you read this poem and take some time to think about its contents for yourself. You may find a positive message buried inside the poems discreet writing or perhaps you’ll be left with a negative outlook on life or maybe nothing at all. What I believe is important to do after reading this poem is to take some time in thinking about the poem and any questions that arise. For people with more philosophical minds I can guarantee you will question about the greater image of life after reading  A Dream Within A Dream.ezdXD

Book response The Hate U Give

The hate U give

Angie Thomas

Starr Carter is a teenage African American that lives in two separate worlds. One of these worlds is the poor neighbourhood of Garden Heights where she has grown up with her family and the other is the posh prep school she attends. Starrs parents want to give her a life better than what her neighbourhood offers so they invest a lot of money into giving Starr a proper education. She finds it hard to balance between these two worlds as they are so different from one another, but this balance she tries so hard to maintain is completely broken when she witnesses her unarmed best friend, kahill get shot dead by a police officer. Being the only witness at the scene causes Starrs life to become busy with news networks and police. It’s amazing how much friction is built up when Khaill gets shot as it causes Starrs neighborhood to erupt into a violent protest for Justice. The novel is surprisingly in depth about real world issues and discusses many of the racial problems people face in the USA.

 

Despite this novel being fiction it taught me plenty about the world we live in because The Hate You Give tries very hard to keep things close to reality. This book is centered around the shooting of Kahill and how people reacted to it. Multiple protests were held by large groups of African Americans who called for justice, some of these protests were violent whilst others were people speaking up and demanding for something to be done. Many of the problems that occur in this book are based on actual events that happened. I am aware of the struggles African Americans have been through in the past at the hands of white people and within modern America there is still plenty of friction between the whites and blacks as there has never been resolutions to all the previous problems. This caused stigmas around how some people perceived blacks in USA which I will delve into later. The Hate U Give makes this friction between whites and blacks very clear when Starr is confronted by officer one fifteen,‘ “Hands on the dashboard!” the officer barks at me.“Don’t move” I do what he tells me, but my hands are shaking too much to be still” ’. Kahill and Starr get pulled over by officer one fifteen who tells them they have a broken taillight. When Kahill hesitates to cooperate with the cop officer one fifteen loses his cool and tells the two to wait by the car. As the officer has his back to them Kahill walks around the car to see how Starr is doing but that’s the moment he gets shot dead by the officer. Kahill was unarmed and the officer wasn’t being provoked in any noticeable way. It happens so quickly and feels so weird because there was such little build up to the shooting, it just happened. The shooting made me angry because I couldn’t understand why this man would pull the trigger on an innocent black teenager.  I am highlighting the fact that Kahill was indeed black because I strongly believe that if he were to of been white this event would of turned out very different.

The lesson.

The book is heavily centered around the shooting and how the results of it afflicted Starrs life. Shortly after the shooting Starr is asked if she would like to have an interview with the cops as it would help them understand the situation better and get another perspective. When Starr is interviewed about the night of the shooting the cops ask her multiple questions that slowly become less and less related to the matter at hand. Those questions being things such as if Starr knew Kahill sold drugs on the street. Starr never denies any of these questions but never admits she knew about them either. I found it upsetting that the cops were asking about questions unrelated to the shooting, especially ones that were asked in such a crafty way. The reason I find it upsetting is because its clear that the cops are trying to justify Kahills death with the association he had in selling drugs. I found it incredibly disrespectful for a number of reasons but the thing that resonated with me the most was how racist the cops were being. The cops are trying to make this look like a typical black drug dealer got shot and that officer one fifteen is actually the one who deserves praise. But in reality officer one fifteen shot the black teen because he presumed Kahill was going to threaten him. The cop didn’t question his actions, instead he presumed based off of a poorly misconceived stereotype. The cops in this novel are ill minded by making a tragedy look like a fortune and I have no respect for people that are liars because there is no justice in keeping the truth locked up.

Roughly a week later an update on the shooting appears on TV discussing how the victim was involved in selling drugs. The cops were only using Starr to manipulate what she said so they could tell a different story to the media. The story the cops told the media looks like this on the headlines, “Black Drug Dealer has been shot dead”. I find it absurd that the police find it acceptable to make Kahill look like the bad guy because in this novel the cops are really the bad guys. Firstly an officer shoots an unarmed black teen and then they are blinded in racism and go on to tell the media that Kahill was a threat. If I were Starr I would be absolutely furious with the cops and most certainly take a stand in the protests held for Kahill to show my support for what really matters. What I believe really matters is for everyone to be equal despite what Stats or the media tell us because the reality is not everyone in the USA is treated with the equality they deserve.

I want to further discuss the reason as to why Officer One Fifteen shot Kahill as I believe the reason why the officer presumed Kahill was a threat is vital in regards to the entire novel . When he shot Kahill it was unjustified and wrong but its important to understand why the cop pulled the trigger.  I am not trying to justify his actions for I am disgusted by the outcome his actions caused, I’m merely trying to express my opinion on where the stigma this cop has towards black people came from;which I believe falls onto Racial Profiling. This is when law enforcement suspects somebody of being associated with illegal activity without proper evidence and purely assuming so by their race. Racial profiling occurs everyday in the USA and unfortunately for Kahill it was the cause of his death. What Racial Profiling does is awful because it creates a fear in the people towards those they should trust, those being law enforcement in this situation. I also believe it isolates communities because they feel as if they have no protection.  These signs of racial profiling are made clear in the book as Starr Carter remembers what her dad told her to do in a situation with cops,‘ “Starr-Starr, you do whatever they tell you to do,” he said. “Keep your hands visible. Don’t make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you.” I knew it must of been serious’. At a young age Starr was told how she must act if she ever had to deal with the cops. This struck me with anger and annoyance because there was only one clear reason why Starr was given this talk. That reason being that black people are racially profiled to such a level in some areas of USA that they need to take action to prevent or lessen any  incidents from occurring. I know none of my friends or myself were given a talk about this type of scenario and I completely understand why. However circumstances in New Zealand are rather different for we never had a history of racial segregation or black slavery tied to us. It’s unfortunate that families such as Starr’s have to take such precautions to prevent anything bad from happening to one another but it’s also their reality.

After the shooting there is very little written about the cop other than how his life has been a struggle ever since the incident. It’s hard to understand the cops point of view on the situation when so much of the novel focus on the family and friends of Kahill. We get some insight into the cops emotions and thoughts after the shooting in a brief interview with a news station. The cop tells the interviewers how he saw the situation, ‘ “And they kept glancing at each other, like they were up to something, Brian says that’s when he got scared, ‘cause the could have taken him down if they teamed up.” I couldn’t have taken anyone down, I was too afraid. He makes us sound like we are superhuman. We are kids.’  The reason officer one fifteen thought they could of taken him down is based off the stigmas. In his mind the officer truly believed that these kids were capable of taking him down. He was so convinced that Kahill and/or Starr were going to team up and ‘take him down’ that he took the matter into his own hands and shot the Black teenager that supposedly posed a threat. These actions were purely based of presumptions that lead to the death of an innocent black teenager. Though it is awful that we must learn from such tragic things in life they are also what allow us to learn and move forward. The only way for stigmas such as the ones I have discussed can be abolished and put in the past is if people become more accepting. If we were all respectful of peoples ways then there would be so much more acceptance in this world and people could be who they wished to be.  I am not saying that if someone is religious you should join their religion or if someone is from another country and talks differently to you that it is required for you to learn their culture. Just be respectful of their ways because everyone is tied to different backgrounds making us see the world in different ways. If someone comes along and tells you your way is wrong how do you think you’d react;I imagine you’d be annoyed and upset. This is why I believe we must look at everyone as their own unique self and be prepared for all the diversity we will encounter in life. 

 

The Hate U Give will make you question how we think as a society as there is plenty of thought provoking moments in this novel.  I won’t spoil the ending because it’s such a gripping novel that its truly worth finding out for yourself.  The book takes in depth looks into American society and how the blacks are treated over there. Despite this book being fiction is holds incredible value as it is written in such a honest way that reflects plenty abut the world we live. I highly recommend this to as much people as possible as it will open you up to the USA in ways you may of not seen it before.