MasonH.

Patterson
20October2015
English10per.6
Gardner

AnnotatedBibliographyon
TheHandmaid'sTale

Callaway,AlannaA.,"Womendisunited:MargaretAtwood'sThehandmaid'staleasacritiqueof
feminism"(2008).Master'sTheses.Paper3505.

Inthisseventytwopagemastersthesisonthedisunityofwomen,CallawaypaintsMargaret
Atwoodscautionarytaleasaremindertothelatentfeministmovement.UsingAtwood'smultiplesocial
classesofwomen,sheshowsanimmensedisparitybetweenthem,illuminatinganddefiningagreat
disunity.Intheprocessshealsotacklesthemesofrepressedsexualityandthebrainwashingofwomen
intoapatriarchy.CallawaysaysthatthoughAtwoodusesprevalentsexualityinthiswork,itisher
analysisanddeconstructionoftherelationshipsbetweenmenandwomenandwomenandwomenwhich
providethemainsubstanceofherdystopianfantasy,andshesatirizeschristianfundamentalismasa
vehiclefordiscussionsabouttrueequalityandthepriceoffreedomofreligionorthelackthereof.

Thereaderandgeneralaudienceshouldnotetwothingsaboutthetargetofthismastersthesis.
Thefirstisthat,whileapublicmatter,theideasofgenderandsexismmayonlybeaccessibletothose
whohavestudiedthesubject,andthesecondisthattheargumentsarecommunicatedviathefeminist
perspectiveandthusnotonlyhaveabiasbutaclearmotive.

Conifer,StevenJ.ACritiqueofFundamentalism(2000)TheSecularWebweb5November2015

Asinferablebytheinformationabove,thisarticleiswrittenfromtheperspectiveofan
atheist,andcritiquestheBibleanditsmanyinaccuracieswhilealsocombatingfundamentalismasa
whole.Thisparticularpieceisdividedintothreesections,eachcontainingargumentsand
countertheories.Conifertries,andsucceeds,toshowhowdangerousfundamentalismcanbe,
especiallywhenpracticedbythegovernment.Allinall,thisarticleisarefutationofdangerousold
customs.
Readerbewarned,asthisarticleismeantalmostentirelyforthoseintheatheistcommunity.It
givesdirectrefutationofmanypassagesinthebibleandprovidesnoalternativestoscience.Afterreading
throughtheentirepageitisblatantlyobviousthatConiferwrotethisarticleasawayforatheiststobe
empoweredandabletorhetoricallyfightofthoseoffaith.

Douthat,RossEugenicsPastandFuture(2012)TheNewYorkTimesWebNovember32015
InthisarticleRossDouthatdiscussesthesimilaritiesanddifferencesineugenicsoverthepast70
orsoyears.AtfirstcallingthoseantiquatedmethodsusedinWWIIGermanyasbarbarousandcruel,
Douthatpointsoutthatmoderneugenicspossessesthosesametraits.Bothinthewaythatmanywishto
altertheirfuturebabiesinutero,andthatpeoplewishtopurifygenepools.Withoutadoubt,this
articlespurposeistodenounceeugenicsanditspractitionersaswrongandfoolish.

Thetargetaudienceforthisarticleis,quitesimply,asbroadascanbe.Itisaimedatanyonewho
willlisten,butitismeanttoresonatewiththosepossessingstrongbeliefsinhumanrights.Overall,this
articlepresentsaverymainstreampointofview,anditsstatementsandexamplesattesttothat.

Finn,Ed
MargaretAtwood:ItsNotClimateChange,ItseverythingChange
(2012)Slateweb8
November2015
Inthisinterview,Atwoodisquestionedaboutclimatechangeandherideasonthesubject.As
implied,Atwoodseesclimatechangenotasasingulareventandeffect,butasmultipleeventsandeffects
thatchangetheworldasawhole.AtwoodalsospeaksofherongoingsubmissionstotheFutureLibrary,a
projectdedicatedtoanenrichedfuture.Almostallofthisinterviewwasdedicatedtothefuture,andthe
explorationofadvancementsinliterature.

Thetargetaudienceforthispieceisnotveryparticular.Itcontainsconceptswhichmayonlybe
understoodbythescientificminded,butitdoesntovercomplicatequestionsandanswers.Everythingis
beautifullysimple,withlittlefillerandcompactedinformation.Tobefrankanyonecanreadthisarticle,
it'snotpedanticorcomplex.

Geddes,Dan
NegativeUtopiaasPolemic:TheHandmaid'sTale(2001)TheSatirist
Web21October2015
Geddespositsthattheusingofanarrativetacticsimilartothatof
1984
byAtwood

presentsa
threadofideasthatcometogetherasastoryofsocialdivisionanddystopianreality.Hernotsodistant
futureprovidestheidealbackdropfromwhichideaslikethedeathofthewrittenword,therepurposingof
womenassexobjects,andfreethoughtmaybeexploredindiscussions.Thestarkrealismisabrutal
reminderoftheworldweliveinnow,andhoweasilyitcouldchange.GeddesalsocommendsAtwoodin
paintingtheworldgray,sothateachandeverypersonin
TheHandmaidsTale
isaheroandavillain,
theypossessaptitudesforboth,andsoeverylinethatcanbedrawnisblurredbythecharactersthey
define.

Unlikethepreviouswork,thisarticleisincrediblyaccessibletoanyonewhowishestoviewit.
Thereareveryfewovercomplexandesotericideaspresented,sothearticleisextremelyeasytodigest
andexplore.Theonlywarningoneshouldbegivenisthatthearticleislongandpresentsmanyideas,so
itiswisetopaceoneself.

Morris,Mary MargaretAtwood,theArtofFiction

no.121
TheParisReviewweb7November2015
ThisinterviewconsistsofMargaretAtwood,theauthorof
TheHandmaidsTail
,speakingmostly
aboutrelationshipswhetherofcountries,thesexes,people,orideas.Manyofthequestionsaskedconcern
Atwoodsearlyyears,andasshedescribesthementalityofherearlyhome,andhowcomplex
relationshipscouldbe,thereaderfeelsawonderfulsenseofnostalgia.Morristriestotakefulladvantage
oftheopportunitytogettoknowAtwood,andthroughthatthereaderiseducatedaswell.Intheend,one
isleftwithanastoundingsenseofintimacywithAtwoodsprivatethoughts,whicharelaidtrulybare.

Thetargetaudienceforthisinterviewfallunderasemispecificgroup.Inordertocomprehendit,
andinordertoenjoyit,oneshouldreadafewofAtwoodsworks.Theinterviewgoesintodetailtalking
abouteachofheranthologiesandnovels,soitiseasytobecomelost.Intheend,allthereaderneedsis
priorinformationandaheadsuptoavoidconfusion.