We began preparing IO topics in small groups that consisted of people who analysed the same article by Moira Donegan in their Paper 1. This group preparation has really helped to clarify a few different aspects and forced me to think deeper into the issue instead of being somewhat superficial. As we are there is a lot of thinking going on and a lot more things are being unpacked from the two texts being studied, that I perhaps wouldn’t have gotten if I was on my own.
We decided to focus on the global issue of women perpetuating their own oppression for self-preservation. What exactly does this mean? We are looking at how, in both texts, women make decisions that are not beneficial to other women but that are still made because they will benefit them as an individual. This is clear in THT as Serena Joy known that her freedom will be reduced but that it won’t completely disappear as she is a Wife. However, she does not believe in what she preaches and her actions cause the great oppression of the Handmaids. In Moira Donegan’s article she condemns women who still vote for Trump, white women more specifically. These women are part of the “privileged” group and therefore will feel only the reduced effects of the vote they cast compared to women who belong to “minority” groups. This is a perfect representation of women perpetuating their own oppression for self-preservation.
We unpacked what these two texts have to offer in terms of this “provocation”, looking closely at the authorial choices. The text type of these two works is a very important part of the analysis as they are different and therefore reach two different audiences, regardless of having the same intention. The way they tell the story also sheds a negative light on these women, especially because of their target audience, who agrees with their liberal opinions.
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