Scene Essay

Ben Berry

The scene I choose to review is on page 75, where Offred's daughter gets taken as they are running for Canada. I enjoy this scene for a number of reasons, mostly because it helps us get a clearer picture of Offred and her backstory. One thing I noticed is that half of the paragraph has no periods. It's all commas, which often separate single words. This lends the scene a very fast pace. Offred's mind is running on adrenaline, so of course she is thinking fast. I also noticed the juxtaposition of some of the words and scenes described. The entire scene is an absolutely awful moment in this woman's life, but she describes a beautiful leaf, and talks about how the moment seems like a Christmas card. I'm still not sure why both the author and Offred choose to use those words.

I also noticed near the beginning of the scene, Offred says how she feels like she is no longer in her body and feels quite calm. I find this an interesting statement. I think this is put in from future Offred (since the context of the scene is that she is remembering this). I doubt anyone but those trained to act in such situations would be able to feel and react with calm. I think this is future Offred trying to distance herself from the moment.

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