Emotional pain/pleasure. Shows the true connection between the body and the soul. Too often, Offred is fucked by the Commander and feels nothing, while Serena Joy is affected, instead, emotionally.

This mixing of her ideas, her preservation of Moira in the physical artifacts she sees is what keeps her sane for the rest of the book despite her efforts not to bring her past into everything.

Serena Joy's muffling cries symbolise the real comparative and biologically sinful nature of the act, that everyone else is awkwardly yet restraining to ignore. The "fart in church" really indicates a biological necessity, a response to a strict and man-made construct such as the church.

Almost comedic, satirical line, it is usually "one false move and you're dead" but this power of women comes from the fearing of their own safety being in the hands of a sole man.

This is a two-way sort of objectification, in this sense women have all the power...

This represents 1) Real and true, collective female power. And 2) A foreshadowing that a woman, god knows who, but perhaps his own wife, Serena Joy knows more than he does. This may be instead Offred, who we know makes an escape by the end of the novel and sort of "wins".

His almost constantly changing appearance, taking up all sorts of professions and roles creates the idea of the universality of men, despite different individuals, times, cultures

This chapter gives off a strange sense of female power -- perhaps because they are all together. It gives off more female power than when one is alone.

Atwood makes use of these otherworldy comparisons, or analogies to convey the idea that death is healing. Although she specifically states it is not true, the fact that she mentions it plants an idea into our minds.

Another clear example of women-to-women vain. This power that COULD come out from their partnership is covered in jealousy and suspicion.

To save something, but they are mob executions. Also further accentuates the idea of death as escape . Gilead is hell. Death is escape from that...

Slight pessimistic thought and realisation of the unchangeability of the human condition

This line sums up their power in the form of little rebellions. More specifically, this sums up OFFRED's POWER. Offred's disjunction in terms of time matches closely with her blinders. Though she was never able to 1) escape from her past, 2) record her story continuously (as per the historical notes) she gained power by these bite-sized and disjointed "gasps" in order to share her female voice

The communication here transcending language and rules, and barriers. What optimism!

This is a little rebellion. In some way, THM/Atwood is optimistic about the human condition -- that despite total repression, women together can find little pieces of freedom here and there.

They become animals!

Another display of entertainment, where the collective power is abused for the real violation of human rights...

A comparison to sport, this vicious and powerful collective. To aunt lydia this is nothing but entertainment, but to the handmaid's this is a competitive game of volleyball, or killing.

Her comparison to a vegetable? Why? Vegetative state? Offred firstly has the tendency to compare things to growing plants/vegetables/flowers/eggs...

1. Vaccines contain dead or attenuated forms of the virus or its antibody to provoke an immune response in the body.
2. Each B-lymphocyte produces one specific antibody. The adaptive immune system recognises pathogens and produces clones of specific B-cells, called plasma cells, and for further immunity, memory cells.
3. The mass production of specific antibodies that bind to the viral antigens recognise the virus and destroy it.
4. It can be destroyed through agglutination, opsonization, complement activation or neutralisation. In any case, the virus is engulfed by a phagocyte through endocytosis where it is digested by hydrolytic enzymes and rendered harmless.
5. Specifically, the antigen binds to the specific B-cell and expressed on the MHC gene, producing an antigen specific B-cell. The antigen is also engulfed and displayed on phagocytes (antigen presentation). Consequently, the phagocyte binds and activates a T-cell which becomes a helper T-cell which consequently activates the specific B-cell which divides by mitosis to form plasma cells/memory cells which mass produce the antibody
6. After the elimination of the infection, memory cells remain as future immunity to any future infections.

1. Microvilli on apical side provide large surface area for diffusion and active uptake of materials from glomerular filtrate.
2. Invaginations on basolateral side also increase surface area for transport of materials into capillaries.
3. One cell thick epithelium for rapid transport/reabsorption
4. Lots of mitochondria for active transport (ATP)

With auxin, the plant will exhibit positive phototropism and bend towards sunlight through elongation of the shaded shoot by high auxin concentration

Without auxin, the plant will not grow towards light/no positive phototropism.

Cytokinin

Light intensity

Genetic code and ratio of purines to pyrimidines is universal across species because all commonly inherited from LUCA (last common universal ancestor). Genetic code is universal and shows divergent evolution from a common ancestor (LUCA)

that was a duplicate, so just add that the 4 bases of DNA are universal.

1. Increased genome sizes are not necessarily linked to more complexity of organisms.
2. The genome contains coding but also many non-coding genes that do not code for polypeptides. The proteome of an organism may be smaller even with increased genome size.
3. Introns, telomeres and DNA coding for tRNA and rRNA are examples of noncoding DNA.
4. Gene expression determines what genes are expressed and not all coding genes are activated to be expressed into a polypeptide.

However eukaryotic genomes tend to be larger than prokaryotic genomes.

Data supports the hypothesis because ratio of purines:pyrimidines remains at/around 1.00 across species

Ratios of A:G, T:C across various species are significantly higher and lower than (deviating from) 1:1 ratios. Hence, data shows that they are not made up of equal amounts of adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine.

Adenine

An ironic phrase as the diction seems passionate and self-aware. He is saying what many people would say as an honest and kind-hearted person

Here, Iago is swearing!

I assume this means more positive electron affinities, as less energy is released (less exothermic than non-metals).

This symbolises how death is the only means of rebellion?

It seems that this is the only original part.. the rest has been modified.

Here, women jealousy

Could actually indicate an abandonment of morality in order to maintain power and stay active as a human being... the duality in meaning is what conveys this.

they kill you after you cannot sexually appeal any longer. What irony when the republic was made to stop sin and fulfill the population demands while being biblically correct... And yet there are institutionalized places for rape, brothels, because the human desire isn't somehting that can be taken away.

Wait they do WHAt? They do an operation to remove the ovaries if they aren't sure? What irony!

What kind of problems? What surgery, are these women purposefully infertile? Why is it that they don't care about the potential babies from the women who are lesbian? What?

"Power is said to inspire" -- The source of the immaturity that is in the hands of the most powerful, doing reckless and harmful actions.

Her true identity, that is, what differentiates her from other women is "cloud" like now, and what is more real is her central object, her womb, her fertility. Much more real than her entirety.

Also symbolizes the way men pick women apart into components rather than as a whole.

Dissociation of mind and body -- what does this mean?

Even fake news is appealing to her. Why? "It must mean something". Offred and the others each lack meaning in their lives, which is why Serena looks for duty, even if it is all fake.

Juxtaposed with the Commander's Wife, the artificial neatness. The fakeness. The inauthenticity

Symbol of fertility dwindling, and she feels that when she had been fertile, time went faster. Now, time is always threatening her, being menacing.

AND, she connects this to the motif of emptiness and fullness. Time passes nicely when she is full -- fertile.

And yet, these associations are true. But her sanity won't take it. It also connects to the separation of mind and body that happens. It becomes less a part of her.

She loses her identity in Gilead. Especially without their names, which plays such a big role in identification. And so she conjures stories of what happened, even if they are contradictory to save herself.

Emptiness and time

What does this say about change? And humanity? What does this say about Offred?

This here is what signifies what is wrong with men's perceptions of women. The "long parentheses of nothing", unfilled time, is erotic of women, being devoid of life, to men. Men have always been this way.

Here it seems that she is envious of Serena Joy's way of passing time.

Ideal Gas is a model! It is incorrect based on the fact that gases never have 100% the assumptions it states but it proves to be very useful!

Ohhh, so it's directly (no synapse required). Would this be considered the electrical synapse as stated before?

What stimuluses are there??

Also how do synapses work between sensory cells?

Meaning a "synapse" between this nerve ending and the sensory cells of the skin? How do the sensory cells in the skin propagate a signal? Chemically?

Which can return back to normal no? Does this just cause a delay?

What does this stop? Why do these pathways that end up being blocked half-way even exist?

How does it stop reuptake? Does this have anything to do with the calcium ions?

This is personally relevant to health class where it taught us that the rats would just have lots stuck in the synaptic cleft.

Perhaps it just blocks the receptors with itself.

What are exogeneous chemicals? OHHH not created in the body

Yeah it wouldn't make sense for the ions to go into a place of low capacitance.. maybe is the myelin sheath too thick for the channels to be there? WHy?

Inside -- different parts have different membrane potentials. Outside -- If Na+ moves in through a channel!

Neurotransmitters diffuse!!! From high to low concentration, passively. That's why they are inactivated by enzymes and reuptaken to the presynaptic neuron.

Have to know and note down this specific example

Need to know structure of neurons

OOh

Presynaptic? Post? what is the difference?

Basically even signalling molecules need intercellular signalling molecules to get released SMH

Directionality!

There are ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES? Where do we find these?

Specific example

The differences are between location (source to sink), speed of transmission, and just generally function. How can we define these differences?

Key difference between neurotransmitters and hormones is their range, distance, duration and speed of effect

What is the function of bioluminescence for the adaptation of marine bacteria?

Why do they do this?

What other examples of quorum sensing and why?

Not synapse, then, this works like myelin sheaths.

Repolarising occurs when K+ goes out, not Na+ going out. Because Na+ going out would not create any sort of refractory period.

Because in resting potential K+ is inside and Na+ is outside. This is the reverse when the neuron is repolarising.

Wow so specific. But yes, passive movement occurs only due to concentration gradients and gradients in general. The neurotransmitter is reuptaken so that concentration gradient is maintained.

Définition d'un sous-culture!

Satirical

How is the moral obviousness of how wrong this is not clear? They refuse to censure (disapprove), echoing that nothing has changed (Piexoto)

Offred's narrative makes connections to Chaucer, the first poet to publish in english. Most connection to the Canterbury tales which talks about pilgrims in a story-telling competition.

So are handmaids on a pilgrimage, and it is a tale and not a biography ?? Is offred a pilgrim looking for her religiousness?

Sexist element in saying she was looking for her lost faith and she was telling a fib, a lie, a myth.

Clear connection between Iran and Gilead which connects to Persepolis!

Phonetically: Deny none of it!

This last line shows that despite her efforts to obliterate herself and thus (end the novel), it is in vain, there is a hopeful light in her abduction!

I think this is a hopeful ending, as out of the many options she lays out for us on what she can do -- there is a new option, to be taken away. Not to be killed in a salvaging or hung on the wall, but just taken away-- She has opened an escape outside of herself.

Naming is such a powerful mark of identity. In it, it defers what the object/person actually is. The executions are thus called salvagings, the abusers are called Aunts as a form of a mother's harsh love, and the place of happiness is called Jezebel's. In a sense, morality is shifted (ironically) through the use of contradicting nomenclature.

The longest consideration -- resembling Moira, and a sense of power in her demise and death.

The most tempting option -- especially with her newfound fear of death. Nick's provides the most humanity.

She chooses to do nothing!

Numbness, her sense of peace is abject, obliterated, not what we would expect.

As a wife, she feels she has nothing. Just like Offred, they both have what the other wants and yet each feels like she has nothing -- in that way they are parallels of each other

"I am abject." -- She was always physically abject, but it was her mind clinging on that proved to be the conflict. Now this shows in the present that her mind has finally been rid of the resistance. She knows she is abject. And that leads to the end of the story.

God?

Suddenly this figurative language shows her real fear of death. She is grounded, now. Also a lack of power (wingless angel).

Suddenly her mortality is very real.

Symbolism of becoming a chalice (metaphor): Connects to the previous image of Handmaid's needing to empty themselves of all to become a perfect vessel. Being nothing but a container, the chalice symbolises this as it is formally used religiously to hold sacramental/holy wine -- just as Offred is allowing herself to be emptied, mind and body, to carry something sacred (a child) and none more.

Also, because of the communion, it also means that she is turning herself over to God (drinking the blood).

Also, the shape of the chalice is like one of a woman's uterus.

There is always an ambiguity in her internal dialogue, but this string of declaratives (as well as obliterate) shows she is destroying this ambiguity that preserves her identity.

Stepping down from power, she admits to having had an upper hand throughout her story through her mini rebellions. But she ceases, now.

String of Declaratives + Anaphora : Finally, even her mental resistance has finally gone, signalling the end of her story -- mind and body has been both subjected to Gilead.

The string of declaratives and the fact that the repetition of the anaphora "I'll" is a final show of power. She is showing her active will of submission -- not that she is forced to submit but that she is, on her own will, submitting. In this way it is not only a show of power but a transformation of Offred's fiestyness with Moira in her to her most submissive self, becoming finally a true believer.

This foreshadows something?

Irony and displays the woman vs woman thing -- but also irony that people find escape in death.

Yet another viewpoint of the fierce Aunt

She's presented also pathetically in front of the wives, diminished of dignity and/or power, and yet she creates such a menacing aura in Offred's eyes so much that she shivers.

Just as she has seen Moira, changed. -- Her child, changed. Now she sees Aunt Lydia, older now, it begins to take her out of living in her past and more so in the present. She begins to break down now because her worldview is so skewed.

Two delicate things (the fuse of a bomb, and a balloon) which both could burst and this creates a tension and suspense for what will happen next.)

Does this signify her lack of faithfulness, now, to her past?

"I don't want to be telling this story" signifies she is nearly at the end.

Contrast to the peacefulness and acceptance of her visits at the wall, in which she does not distract herself from the figures. It seems she has finally snapped, finally decided she is sick of all that goes on -- which signifies an ending to this story.

The power of silence. Which is in contrast to the influence of gossip, the little tiny whispers. Gilead has even grasped on the little murmurings as a sort of rebellion

It is warm but she is shivering

Anaphora of "I wish", kind of like asking a genie for three wishes, a childlike wonder. Her constant reflection on what happens in her life shows her control over the retelling of what is being told us in the story -- shows her power as the narrator.

Reference to Descartes : I think therefore I am. Shows her power as a narrator, as a creator, as a reconstructor. She created her audience, which represents her power

This is a intertextual reference.

Offred is an anti-hero due to not fitting archetypal hero qualities and instead being passive

She is aware what she is doing is out of place and her realism is gone. She is a lot less realistic without Moira.

She is finally letting go of her past -- which is what kept her so complacent and able to survive. But it means she is moving on. She wants to keep him in her memory like she did with Luke, but she has moved on finally.

Direct juxtaposition between the Commander and Nick

She is different now, she is less composed, less cautious -- Does this have anything to do with Moira gone? Her wisdom is gone?

Ironic considering everything is a reconstruction

The second one is much more realistic -- it shows a less romanticised version, but also more emotional intimacy. Which is in contrast to her sexual encounters with the Commander.

i

Does this foreshadow something?

Shows that words and language cannot fully express -- Most happened detailed and not a reconstruction in other scenes, but her sex with Nick is similar to all other Night scenes, all other scenes with herself.

She finally understands that the past is something gone and fictionalised, something she had been stuck in but has already disappeared - especially with the child picture, especially now she has Nick rather than fantasizing about Luke

??

The present with a reference to the past, what does this time play mean?

Analyse sentence structure -- How can we demonstrate that: there is true touch, the real physicality as opposed to in the ceremony, as opposed to the Commander trying to force Offred into having sex with him.

Showing her double (twin) -- Offred and Serena are doubles. Red and Blue

She additionally feels the power dynamic here, even in a time where she is supposed to feel equally in desire -- in sex. She acts, again, performing a duty and not participating in desire

Makes reference to Nazi Germany where the women remind themselves that the Commanders are not monsters -- being their mistresses, as they have families, but they do monstrous things.

An excuse, he takes whatever he can to resume his actions, to justify them.

Irony in the "Alone at last", as she really hates it. She'd rather have Serena there, in all hypocrisy of her misery, she'd rather go through the ceremony -- in the end none is best, men are men, any sort of rape is uncomfortable for her. The men have not changed.

I (Verb)... No feelings involved, only a to-do list, a automated and carefully controlled execution of instructions. She detaches herself in the day to be objectified, only active during her night

What does the time switch mean or represent?

Comparison to russia

The body is the most democratic, free of power differences as everyone is just a biological animal -- connects to body determining Offred so completely.

Postmodern literature:

Relative rather than certain interpretations -- using word play and pun.

PM novels explore history from multiple perspectives of how it occured (histories rather than history)

Sometimes metanarrative (multiple narrators) and challenges Grand Narratives of our society (Religion, Science)

It is also Offred's inability to see Moira and the subjects of her past as any more than still images of nostalgia. In this way she resigns from her future, longs for her past, allows herself to be complacent in what happens so long as she can remind herself and keep the night to herself.

There is also ironic recreation of the past, active structuring and processing. She is active, ironically, in the night. She is complacent in Gilead during the day. Which says something very odd and wrong about how one can only live in a sinful world -- too perfect and everything becomes stale... she is alive in the past.

Does this mark some end of her, some change? Because Moira has such a big influence on her driving force, and now Moira is changed? Also, because Moira "must know some of what I'm thinking", without her saying it, she is acting as a foil, a double, a twin spirit

?

In some way, it is reverse gender norms -- men are salvaged, saved and they are dead. Women are given up on, sent to hell (Jezebel) but they live the happiest of all: What irony!

Hypocrisy where they are content in hell, especially because the place is called Jezebel's. It is a red-light district in a utopian society. It is a mirror of the old world, only more hidden.

Moira's idea in Offred's past has disappeared, just like the shattering of Offred's daughter and her image, when Offred sees her picture. She is overly reliant on an idealised picture of her past to coping with the present, which is ironic because this is what they wanted. Except humans are always looking outside for the solution when it critiques something innate, a lack of completion or satisfaction.

Moira, who lives now in a brothel, is content being sexualised, preferring the sexual treatment and exploitation of the old world to an indifference and repression of sexuality.

It is only vanity, she is being tricked, the world is being manipulated beyond her with all control out of her hands -- and she then surrenders her only control to have sex with nick

Knock to reality just as in her mind -- Offred is a generally much more confused mind who constructs her own story and lives in the past -- but Moira serves always as a wake-up call

Refreshing reminder of the other side of the commander -- that he is a womanizer.

Irony!

Claim

C'est une evidence contre le danger perçu du langage SMS

How Gilead formed, the gradual but dangerous summation of all these mini beliefs.

Even when all is outlawed in Gilead, this is a sort of passive rebellion, songs. So much can happen in music.

Significance of these lyrics? does it imply that songs and words create freedom? That music brings people together (???)

Complacency is something she actively does to keep her sanity in check.

This comparison of Moira to a cat, to the cat catching mice, to the mice and Aunt Lydia shows the (foreshadows) her eventual power she has over the Aunts.

What? What is this duality of remembering cats, mice and Aunt Lydia? What does the passing of time within the novel do for us?

Metaphor for lying, crazy old witch?

As if they are pieces of meat waiting to be devoured. As if they are responsible for their appeal -- and should hide it. They are being described as food and therefore the object of men's desire.

Something childlike in the commander, which is disturbing given the amount of power and control he has. Recalling her previous life with Luke, with others, old America.

When he is asked about people, he automatically assumes men are being asked about, not women

He's unreadable. He doesn't understand women

Why is there a symbol of violence lurking in this scene?

Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, who made her subjects worship the dieties Baal and Asherah instead of Yahweh, persecuting Yahweh's followers and framing an innocent land owner who refused to sell his land to king Ahab, which lead to his execution.

She was killed for her transgressions against God and the people, thrown out of the window by members of her own court. Her flesh was eaten by stray dogs.

She was then associated with false prophets, and also prostitution (her vanity)

Coping mechanism (Strong friend telling her, motivating her)

Objectification

Mirroring Serena Joy yet again

Physical manifestation of her being the double.

A facade that she puts on. This hints on the duality?

Finding evidence that Offred can be considered as Serena Joy's double (repressed self) and vice versa.

As time has gone past, she is washed away, as she resides in the past. In her night, and she is continually losing herself. Seeing the change in her daughter, it disrupts her storyline, her discipline in her mind.

She finds she is not significant in her own right.

She is idolising the tragedy of the handmaid before her as a escaping of her situation, the type of escape you can make in yourself. She also says she's still in here, with Offred

He seems to understand that not everyone will be happy in Gilead: A sacrifice for an improvement.

He thinks he did the right thing. For men.

Signifying the emptiness, the indifference and hopelessness of her situation. And yet there is still light, still a hope that can be salvaged -- hence the title being Desperation

The external is important to Aunt Lydia

Passerbyer effect

Widespread thing in Gilead, Luke embodied it the first time. Luke sort of represent gilead.

Even their own flesh is too much, the solace and comfort of physical touch. The intimacy

She then knows she is the outside woman. She is the outside woman of the outside woman. She is just one of many pawns to complete the Commander's incompleteness temporarily

Academical way of thinking, not an emotional feeling like Offred is. He has no empathy.

She keeps saying that she knows to see through his intentions and the lack of love that she has realised come through with the Commander. Juxtaposed with "Right now I almost like him."

This shows the disconnect between the understanding of the severity of the situation. He is still playing with her when she is in fear of her own death, as if it is a simple and equal transaction.

She clarifies that he means Cora because she also pities the girl that came before her, which is a reflection of what Offred will eventually be. This is a lack of understanding on his side.

Men don't understand, he is patronising her in the way that a job is not just a job but a sense of power, of individuality and a duty, which Serena Joy keeps trying to find in her knitting and in her garden.

How Gilead was formed: - Paper money was changed and digitalized - This allowed easily the government to restrict the power of women by cutting their cards. - Shot the president and machine gunned the congress - Blame it on an outside force.

The people overrely on their government for answers.

The mother has seen this build-up, she predicted that this would happen

Foreshadowing the existence of the Wall, where they are hung up. Play of language

The books are shredded after digitalized, like a sense of replacement

Because of the man's conflicting feelings, because of his sullen and weak inner emotions, his insufficiency in himself, he causes chaos and ruins the lives of women in very real ways. Such as in creating the conditions of Gilead and tempting Offred with a sense of false hope before she eventually is taken away. His loneliness has caused everything. Even the handmaid before who hung herself.

The commander doesn't even know the conditions that he created. Like a child playing with and ruining his dolls.

Both Offred and the handmaid are shown later to be adulterers, but one is punished for it (made a handmaid) and the man is let to be a commander -- What hypocrisy

Juxtaposition of lack of understanding, the disconnect between men and women.

Age-old excuse: Just like the poem by Margaret Atwood about men who are broken inside and seek women, and break them, because they think they are their missing piece.

What is this commander's sadness? Significance?

Hypocrisy and injustice that he is the one who got rid of the old world and yet has nostalgia for it. Like North Korea.

She indicates that immortality is eternal change!

Desire showing in her body, absurdity of the desire for stimulation, something that used to be infinitely discardable.

This imagery of the complete extinction of what women are and were.

Unspoken communication shown here.

Again how language can be subversive and deceptive in comparison with the pure and multifaceted nature of desire and the senses.

This fantasy that is based on something so morbid (illness) -- where freedom has become so relative that we must resort to these. So insincere. So superficial

Illness is a choice, and ironic because they have resorted to self-harm or (not) for entertainment.

Like flowers, together they can act and subvert, and Serena is in charge of these -- implying she and women together hold a significant power in rebellion, although silent.