Discuss the use of the historical notes in the Handmaid’s Tale

The historical notes are part of the novel but not part of Offreds narrative. They are there to provide an explanation of what happened to Offred and tramp her story into historical perspective. The historical notes are set 200 years after the Gilead regime. They are a parody of an academic discussion almost Offreds tale. The principal(prenominal) speaker whilst being a woman is also a Native American. This can be seen in her name Professor Marian Crescent Moon. As the conference graduates it becomes evident that most of the scholars are Native American e. g.Professor Pieixoto. This is unusual as traditionally whites on Natives usually study anthropology. However Atwood chooses to frolic this around to make the reader puzzled and makes a racial statement. The conference is held at the university of Denay in Nunavit. Denay is in northwest Canada which suggests that they control the Northwest of Canada as they come out to give birth a high social status. This reflects the time in which Atwood was writing as in the 1980 there was a fiery debate concerning this issue, in this and in her version the minority won and dominated.Atwood firstly uses the historical notes to make fun of academic conferences. This is obvious as the scholarly jargon is self-conscious and the humour exceedingly unfunny and complex. Therefore whilst amusing to the academics it is an instant off-putting for the reader which in turn outs him/her of the academics. Essentially all the reader wants to know is what happened to Offred and not if they are passing game on a fishing trip or not. These nature walks and fishing jaunts are menti unmatchedd briefly but purposefully at the beginning of the notes The fishing expedition will go for struggled. The conditions in which these people live are clearly naturally better and healthier than in Gilead.Atwood makes a point this to show a contrast but also explain why they are so ignorant in understanding Offreds life, as they could never contemp late what it was like and so could not sympathise with her suffering. The historical notes are a device used by Atwood to show the reader that everything she has written had actually happened before in one form or the other. The reference to Iran is probably most significant Iran and Gilead Two-late-twentieth-century Monotheocraties. They were so similar as in Iran the nations conservative Islamic revolution happened. It involved study de-modernizing and drastic restrictions of freedom of women. From this it is clear that Atwood got most of her inspiration from when creating the Handmaids.The Islamic authorities insisted that they were just protecting women and giving them a better quality of life. This is reflective of the commander in Offreds narrative when he says Weve given them more than than than weve taken away. The professor says the Romania had anticipated Gilead, in the 1980s banning all forms of birth control. This of course is what happened but it had divesting effec ts ion the spread of aids and orphaned babies.Pieixoto also adds the collective rope ceremony was an English village custom in the 17th century and is similar to Gileads Salvaging. Moreover, the red colour of the handmaids was borrowed from the uniforms of German prisoners of war I Canada in the second word war. Finally Margaret Atwood uses the professor to state her point by devising him say that there was little that was truly true or truly indigenous to Gilead its genius was synthesised.Consequently saying that there is nothing in the novel that hasnt already happened in the world we live in today. The professor at the same time as not picking up on Offreds personal account does realise the clever workings of the regime. For sheath the aunts had names derived from common commercial product to familiarise and reassure the handmaids. As mentioned Pieixoto is not interested in Offreds personal story but rather how it can tell him more about the Giliadian regime turning Offreds story into his own history. He is wholly oblivious to Offreds feminist themes. He says that our job is to censure and understand.Clearly he doesnt and completely sidesteps the critical moral issues raised by her account. He seems more interested in establishing the identity of her commander than herself the elusive commander, the gentlemen in question. Additionally he spends about two pages talking about him. The authenticity of the tapes seems to override the importance of their content. The covers of the tape are also significant as they reflect Offreds subject matter. Elvis Presley The prospering Years, he was one of the first male singers in the 60s to be associated with dirty sexual attraction i. e. the thrusting of the hips.Also there were tapes entitled Boy George Takes Off, he was an homosexual musical icon and Twisted Sister they represented loose independent women. Most of all of these names and the suggestions behind the names Gilead would have severally disapproved o f. This is just other way of Offreds small but yet significant rebellion against the regime. Professor Piexioto is an intriguing invention. Amongst the unusual social order in the historical notes and women appearing to be respected once again, Atwood throws in this completely contradictory character. He seems to by a complete sexist chauvinist pig.This is similar to the commander with whom he nonetheless shares a line my little yack away and little excitement. This suggests that both the professor and the commander think of themselves very highly. It is obvious that Professor Piexioto does not think its a little chat but rather an important speech/lecture. Atwood intentionally merges these two characters together to show that male attitudes and opinions, even though 200 years have passed, have not altered. The professor proves this in his speech when he talks about tails and frailrioads rather than female roads as called by Offred.He also whilst making a dig at the North America n peoples intelligence also insults both womens and Offreds intellect by saying she was an educated woman, insofar as a graduate of any North American college of the time may have said to be educated. Consequently, the historians discredit her story she already told us that the commander was in marker research. Nevertheless he goes along a separate line of investigation and coming to the same conclusion. Furthermore he seems annoyed with her for not providing him with more information about the Giliadian regime.This can be seen when he exclaims many gaps remain, some of which could have been filled in by our anonymous narrator, had she been in a opposite turn of mind. Then he adds It has a whiff of emotion this absolutely should outrage the reader as her whole story is based upon intense emotion and suffering, which he has no regard for. Ironically, the professor does exactly what Offred anticipated from the point of view of history. Well be invisible. So although Offred does get her story out she is treated the same as she was in the regime.Atwood does this to create a different kind of distopian in the readers mind and as in the narrative unsettle and make the reader outraged by confusion. The historical notes are supposedly here to answer unanswered questions but all it is extremely long explanations of a research with no concrete answers, which nettle as new and yet again, unanswered questions start to format. This is a device used by Margaret Atwood to further stimulate the reader into discussion not notwithstanding abut what happened to Offred but also question the society we live in today.