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wingedbeastEnter Serena Joy. Or rather, enter the character who, at the end of the chapter, we will find out is named Serena Joy. This chapter gives us little information, for the most part, on who Serena Joy is. She's blond, she's older than our main character. And, our main character is, in her narrating words, "a reproach" of her.
Serena Joy shows no indication of any kind of empathy or compassion for our main character and, in fact, shows all signs of antipathy. In narration, the main character (who I know is Offred but is yet to be called that) notes that Serena, as a wife, is allowed to strike someone in the main character's position, that of a handmaid, with her bare palm. This has scriptural support.
At the very end of the chapter, our main character recognizes this wife and notes her name. As a young child, before in a world with television and freedom for women (at least more than here and now) she would, on Saturday mornings, search for cartoons on TV. When those weren't to be found, she'd switch to religious programming (before the days of Cable that was easy to find in paid TV time) for story time aimed at young children. Based on that, Serena Joy was a recognizable face, with foreshadowing to note that we'll find out more about her back story.
Our main character, upon this realization, notes that her situation is worse than she thought.
Serena Joy... is Cain.
This needs some explanation to people who aren't familiar with my personal interpretation of the story of Cain and Abel. We know the bare bones of the story. Cain makes an offering to God and Abel makes an offering to God. Cain's offering is of the harvest from his fields. Abel's offering is an animal from his flock. Cain's offering is rejected, without explanation, Abel's offering is accepted, also without explanation.
Common interpretations add to the story. Allegedly, Cain's offering was halfhearted or stingy or done begrudgingly or what-have-you. But, it's also worthy of note that the story is also told in the context of a God character that was likely known to appreciate burnt offerings of animal fat far more than grain.
It's also worthy of note that this was told in a time when farming was considered the urban affair and ranching the rural. Farming was the place of law and even the place of obedience to said law. If you interpret God's telling Adam that he will work the soil, this can be considered obedience to God.
At the same time, ranchers, out in the wilds as they were, were considered to make their own law. There was also, to my limited understanding, a perception that existed similar to today's. Namely, that ranchers, being out there away from the corruption of the city, were purer than farmers. This story can stem from a general category of stories crafted to explain why ranchers are regarded higher than farmers and both regarded higher than hunters.
All that goes to explain why my interpretation is that of Cain obeying command and expecting to have that obedience honored only to have the very fruits thereof rejected because burnt meat smells better. Whatever Cain was expecting, down to and including simply to be loved and honored by the one he obeys, being denied that saddened and enraged him.
But, he was in no position to admit any anger towards God. (At the time this story was originally told, God would likely not have been thought to be omnipotent, but certainly so much more powerful and positioned as makes no difference to Cain.) What is he going to do with that anger when he can't even admit to its existence, let alone target it at the cause.
There's someone else at hand.
This doesn't mean Cain did good at the end of the story. It does mean that Cain isn't the only one who made a bad choice. Living up to the values dictated upon you is supposed to come with rewards... if only rewards of having it positively noted that you did so.
Serena Joy, at this point, we know to have been, prior to the establishment of the Republic of Gilead, on a program by conservative Christians. And, as we read on, we'll learn how far she went in service of the values thereof. All that was done, perhaps not consciously, in service of a promise that is her very name.
You've probably heard the narrative. Libby Anne, over at Love Joy Feminism, has noted that she, as a young conservative Evangelical, was told that non-Christians would notice her being so good, so at peace, so happy, and want what she has. She's not alone. That narrative flows throughout the subculture.
She might not have been given much explicit promise, but she was promised that living a good, Christian (by the specific conservative read thereof) life in a good, Christian (again, by the specific conservative read thereof) culture would give her serenity and joy. Here we can see that she has decidedly not achieved that. What she was promised she has been denied and, because of the values of her society, she can't even admit that it failed to live up to the promise.
What is she to do with anger that she cannot publicly acknowledge and may not be able to privately acknowledge? The ones who made promises and then failed to keep them aren't available as targets. She can't even tell them that she's angry.
That doesn't make our main character into the perfect Abel analog. Abel, after all, was favored by God and our main character is very much not favored. She's isolated and controlled and starved for human connection, as well as many things that her society would deem that she shouldn't want. But, our main character is, in fact, there and available.
We don't have to think Cain made the right choice in order to give him some essential sympathy. We may, in fact, hate him for committing the murder. So, in reading this, as I believe is intentional, I will keep a reminder for myself that Serena is very much a victim of the same forces that make our main character victim.
It's not equal. After all, Serena Joy has the power to take out her frustrations on someone else. Our main character doesn't. But, it's still there.
Serena Joy shows no indication of any kind of empathy or compassion for our main character and, in fact, shows all signs of antipathy. In narration, the main character (who I know is Offred but is yet to be called that) notes that Serena, as a wife, is allowed to strike someone in the main character's position, that of a handmaid, with her bare palm. This has scriptural support.
At the very end of the chapter, our main character recognizes this wife and notes her name. As a young child, before in a world with television and freedom for women (at least more than here and now) she would, on Saturday mornings, search for cartoons on TV. When those weren't to be found, she'd switch to religious programming (before the days of Cable that was easy to find in paid TV time) for story time aimed at young children. Based on that, Serena Joy was a recognizable face, with foreshadowing to note that we'll find out more about her back story.
Our main character, upon this realization, notes that her situation is worse than she thought.
Serena Joy... is Cain.
This needs some explanation to people who aren't familiar with my personal interpretation of the story of Cain and Abel. We know the bare bones of the story. Cain makes an offering to God and Abel makes an offering to God. Cain's offering is of the harvest from his fields. Abel's offering is an animal from his flock. Cain's offering is rejected, without explanation, Abel's offering is accepted, also without explanation.
Common interpretations add to the story. Allegedly, Cain's offering was halfhearted or stingy or done begrudgingly or what-have-you. But, it's also worthy of note that the story is also told in the context of a God character that was likely known to appreciate burnt offerings of animal fat far more than grain.
It's also worthy of note that this was told in a time when farming was considered the urban affair and ranching the rural. Farming was the place of law and even the place of obedience to said law. If you interpret God's telling Adam that he will work the soil, this can be considered obedience to God.
At the same time, ranchers, out in the wilds as they were, were considered to make their own law. There was also, to my limited understanding, a perception that existed similar to today's. Namely, that ranchers, being out there away from the corruption of the city, were purer than farmers. This story can stem from a general category of stories crafted to explain why ranchers are regarded higher than farmers and both regarded higher than hunters.
All that goes to explain why my interpretation is that of Cain obeying command and expecting to have that obedience honored only to have the very fruits thereof rejected because burnt meat smells better. Whatever Cain was expecting, down to and including simply to be loved and honored by the one he obeys, being denied that saddened and enraged him.
But, he was in no position to admit any anger towards God. (At the time this story was originally told, God would likely not have been thought to be omnipotent, but certainly so much more powerful and positioned as makes no difference to Cain.) What is he going to do with that anger when he can't even admit to its existence, let alone target it at the cause.
There's someone else at hand.
This doesn't mean Cain did good at the end of the story. It does mean that Cain isn't the only one who made a bad choice. Living up to the values dictated upon you is supposed to come with rewards... if only rewards of having it positively noted that you did so.
Serena Joy, at this point, we know to have been, prior to the establishment of the Republic of Gilead, on a program by conservative Christians. And, as we read on, we'll learn how far she went in service of the values thereof. All that was done, perhaps not consciously, in service of a promise that is her very name.
You've probably heard the narrative. Libby Anne, over at Love Joy Feminism, has noted that she, as a young conservative Evangelical, was told that non-Christians would notice her being so good, so at peace, so happy, and want what she has. She's not alone. That narrative flows throughout the subculture.
She might not have been given much explicit promise, but she was promised that living a good, Christian (by the specific conservative read thereof) life in a good, Christian (again, by the specific conservative read thereof) culture would give her serenity and joy. Here we can see that she has decidedly not achieved that. What she was promised she has been denied and, because of the values of her society, she can't even admit that it failed to live up to the promise.
What is she to do with anger that she cannot publicly acknowledge and may not be able to privately acknowledge? The ones who made promises and then failed to keep them aren't available as targets. She can't even tell them that she's angry.
That doesn't make our main character into the perfect Abel analog. Abel, after all, was favored by God and our main character is very much not favored. She's isolated and controlled and starved for human connection, as well as many things that her society would deem that she shouldn't want. But, our main character is, in fact, there and available.
We don't have to think Cain made the right choice in order to give him some essential sympathy. We may, in fact, hate him for committing the murder. So, in reading this, as I believe is intentional, I will keep a reminder for myself that Serena is very much a victim of the same forces that make our main character victim.
It's not equal. After all, Serena Joy has the power to take out her frustrations on someone else. Our main character doesn't. But, it's still there.
