The Handmaid's Tale-"This is a reconstruction. All of it is a reconstruction.It's a reconstruction now, in my head, as I lie flat on my single bed..."

The Handmaid's Tale was a very controversial book to read, but also really interesting, in my opinion. There were several good topics for discussion, but it isn't possible for me to discuss every single one. One of the topics that I was really intrigued by was the entire idea of the Bible being interpreted literally throughout the book. The exaggeration and irony used in the novel are quite extensive, but they get the point across very well. An important example of this would be the idea of love in Gilead. While the society is based completely off of the idea of the Handmaid from the Bible, it seems to completey deny the idea of love, which is the foundation of the Bible's content, so their entire society defeats its own purpose. This is exaggerated in more ways than one. The idea of Jezebel's also is a contradictory part of the Gilead society. While all of this irony may seem to be a low blow to most religions, I do not personally think that the author is against organized religion. I think that she is in between extremes. She has a very centered view when it comes to these topics. While she is saying that in religion there can many times be hypocracy and contradiction of beliefs, I think that through exaggeration she also may be slightly defending certain organized religions. The exaggeration, while emphasizing the flaws of religion, also emphasizes, through the characterization of Offred, the good intent of religious people. Now, maybe this is a stretch, but I do see that Offred has good intentions in her faith, and only wants to be a good person. She did not ask for the society that has come about.
One, of many, of my favorite quotes is, "Get your clothes on, Janine, Alma said, to Janine's white back. We don't want extra prayers on account of you. But Janine didn't move." This quote is just another example of exaggeration and irony, but it provided, at least for me, some comic relief. It made me laugh to hear this girl, who supposedly worships God and has faith in her religion, say that she doesn't want extra prayers. It's just so hypocritical. This statement is obvious in showing Atwood's view of programs such as CCD or Sunday/Bible School, in which young children are raised in a certain religion. Many times, such as in this situation, the rules and regulations often move the children further away from that religion.
The Handmaid's Tale was certainly the best of what we have read so far. The topics of discussion were very interesting and controversial, which made me think a lot. There are so many things in this book that could be interpreted and found meaningful. Every quote has some kind of significance. The details and symbols used could be looked at in a few different ways, leaving room for thought. Overall this book is very well written and has a great plot.