Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” has become a seminal work in the world of feminist literature. The novel follows the chilling story of a woman known as Offred, who is forced to play the role of a Handmaid in Gilead, a brutal dystopian society based on Puritan values. In Gilead, women are stripped of basic rights and are restricted to a few subservient roles.

On Sept. 10, 2019, over 30 years since its release, “The Handmaid’s Tale” received a sequel: “The Testaments.” The sequel was highly anticipated, especially by readers of the 1985 novel who wanted answers to the many questions Atwood left open about the fates of the characters. Even before its publication, “The Testaments” was shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize. In part to avoid entanglement with the ongoing story of the Hulu show based on “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Atwood sets “The Testaments” 15 years after the events of the first book. 

“The Testaments” differs in many ways from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” most strikingly in its use of three narrators. The novel benefits the most from the perspective of Aunt Lydia who, as an aunt, is one of the few women with any power in Gilead. She works closely with a wide range of people in the society and has access to a wealth of personal information about them, which she carefully uses to achieve her own goals. Aside from masterfully conveying bits of information to the readers through Aunt Lydia’s perspective, Atwood struck gold in including her mature, morally complex narrative, as it contrasts with the idealism shown through the other two younger narrators.

The stronger of these idealistic views is expressed through Agnes’ perspective. Agnes is a young woman who grew up in Gilead and knows no life outside of it, and her experiences provide readers with a glimpse of how the society has indoctrinated a new generation. As a girl, she is not taught how to read or write in school; instead, school is a place for learning the crafts dedicated to women of her high social standing as well as religious teachings based on Gilead’s interpretation of the Bible. From a young age, Agnes is taught, and believes, that her body is shameful and if it tempts men into hurting her in ways that she does not know, it is partially her fault. Atwood crafts Agnes as an unwitting victim of her upbringing that reflects misogynistic and deeply harmful values held in the modern day, magnifying them through the horrors Agnes endures.

One of the few areas where “The Testaments” falls flat is in its third narrator, Daisy. She is a teenage girl who grew up in Canada, which borders Gilead but is not under its rule, and where women and girls participate in society much more normally. Daisy’s perspective had enormous potential, as she is the only character who has not known life in Gilead and views it from the outside, but instead she reads as an unlikable protagonist and undergoes less character development than the other two narrators. Atwood also writes a romantic arc for Daisy, possibly to emphasize that she is a normal girl, but it is out of place and distracts from what could have been a chance for her to mature and be self-reflective. Her constant complaining and optimism do not fit well together, and the few moments where she shines are solely due to the empathy of other characters.

Despite this flaw and others involving plot and pacing, “The Testaments” is another example of Atwood’s relevant storytelling. In “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Atwood told a plausible story through an extremely limited viewpoint, prompting social discussions in the real world, particularly about the treatment of women as well as a never-ending list of unanswered questions from readers about the fictional world. “The Testaments” seeks to answer some of these and prompts readers to reflect on what they would do if they noticed the small and gradual changes that can precipitate inhumane atrocities.

Photo Credit: Shown here is the cover of the hardback first edition of “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood. Photo by Grace Reeb.

The International Pronoun Day campaign encourages everyone of any gender to share their pronouns on social media as a way to celebrate and support the day.  

Pronouns are terms we use to describe ourselves in the third person in place of our name. These can include:

•          he/him/his

•          she/her/hers

•          they/them/theirs

•          gender-neutral pronouns, such as ze/hir/hirs

Everyone has the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity. For many - though not all - people who are trans, a shift in pronouns is an affirming part of the transition process and can have positive health outcomes. It can help a trans person and the people in their lives start to see them as their affirmed gender. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns, otherwise known as misgendering, particularly affects trans & gender nonconforming people and can be devastating. Using the right pronouns is a critical step in acknowledging the humanity of trans and gender nonconforming individuals.

Sadly, anti-trans violence is on the rise and disproportionately affects trans women and femmes of color. It is our shared responsibility to make sure that the most vulnerable members of our communities are respected, supported and feel safe. Sharing your pronouns, regardless of your gender, normalizes the practice so it’s not just on transgender and non-binary people to do it. In solidarity, you can also add your pronouns to your email signature and social media profiles year-round. Sharing pronouns might seem like such a small thing to do if your pronouns align with the gender identity you were assigned at birth, but it can be life-changing to someone who constantly has to deal with being misgendered. 

Respecting people’s pronouns is an important part of making UMBC a safer, more inclusive and supportive community. International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. It’s really just about recognizing the dignity of another human being.

For more information or to pick up your own pronoun buttons come visit us at The Mosaic or join us later today for Bagels and Banter Pop-Up #1.

For more information on Mosaic LGBTQA+ centered events, please email Heidy George, Program Associate for Student Diversity and Inclusion at hmg@umbc.edu, or mosaic@umbc.edu.

Most people have heard the word entrepreneurship, but what exactly is artrepreneurship? Come to one of our Speaker Series events with Vinita Sud Belani where she will talk about her experience as an entrepreneur in the tech world to where she became an artrepreneur. The event will take place on TODAY from 12-1pm at the University Center room 310.

About the Event

Come listen to serial entrepreneur Vinita Sud Belani talk about how her experience as an entrepreneur in the tech world propelled her to become an artrepreneur.  She turned her passion for theatre into a platform for bringing together not just demographically diverse communities, but also the business and the artistic community and the amateur and the professional artists of that community.

Vinita will focus on the importance of clarity and relevance in an organization's mission statement. She will address questions that are just as critical for artrepreneurs as for entrepreneurs to build a successful business.

-  How far up the value chain does one need to go to to build a good product?

-  Are you selling vitamins or painkillers?

Come learn how to build an organization that is agile enough to incorporate on the ground learnings into a strategic vision without impacting the core mission and vision.

About Vinita

Vinita received a BS and MS in Computer Science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science from India. In addition she has her MBA  from Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) from France, and a diploma in french language and culture from France and in German from the Max Mueller Institute from India. 

Vinita also comes from a wide range of work experience ranging from SOGETI CapGemini as Vice President, Socketworks International as the founder and CEO, the director for business development at FirstRain, founder and co-CEO at Paguro, and as an IT project manager at ANZ Grindlays Bank. 

Some awards and memberships Vinita has includes being a board member at MATRI, where she helps survivors of domestic abuse and domestic violence, along with being a previous board member of SEED, an international education initiative connecting high school students with scientists working on global projects.

Most people have heard the word entrepreneurship, but what exactly is artrepreneurship? Come to one of our Speaker Series events with Vinita Sud Belani where she will talk about her experience as an entrepreneur in the tech world to where she became an artrepreneur. The event will take place on TODAY from 12-1pm at the University Center room 310.

About the Event

Come listen to serial entrepreneur Vinita Sud Belani talk about how her experience as an entrepreneur in the tech world propelled her to become an artrepreneur.  She turned her passion for theatre into a platform for bringing together not just demographically diverse communities, but also the business and the artistic community and the amateur and the professional artists of that community.

Vinita will focus on the importance of clarity and relevance in an organization's mission statement. She will address questions that are just as critical for artrepreneurs as for entrepreneurs to build a successful business.

-  How far up the value chain does one need to go to to build a good product?

-  Are you selling vitamins or painkillers?

Come learn how to build an organization that is agile enough to incorporate on the ground learnings into a strategic vision without impacting the core mission and vision.

About Vinita

Vinita received a BS and MS in Computer Science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science from India. In addition she has her MBA  from Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) from France, and a diploma in french language and culture from France and in German from the Max Mueller Institute from India. 

Vinita also comes from a wide range of work experience ranging from SOGETI CapGemini as Vice President, Socketworks International as the founder and CEO, the director for business development at FirstRain, founder and co-CEO at Paguro, and as an IT project manager at ANZ Grindlays Bank. 

Some awards and memberships Vinita has includes being a board member at MATRI, where she helps survivors of domestic abuse and domestic violence, along with being a previous board member of SEED, an international education initiative connecting high school students with scientists working on global projects.

Monday - October 21st (12-1p)

The Commons, Mosaic Center (2B23)

All self-identified LGBTQA+ students are welcome to join! 

Limited seating. Lunch provided. Please RSVP.

Wednesday - October 23rd (12-1p)

Apartment Community Center Multipurpose Room

All self-identified LGBTQA+ students are welcome to join! 

Limited seating. Lunch provided. Please RSVP.

Friday - October 25th (12-1p)

Commons: Upper Flat Tuesdays

All self-identified LGBTQA+ students, faculty and staff are welcome to join! 

Limited seating. Lunch provided. Please RSVP.