#aplit16commanderwive

Anyways, I don’t see how the wives serve a purpose at all in the community. The women have some sort of power, but only because of their husbands. Other than that, they have no right to say they possess more power than any of the other women. They have kind of a “stay at home” mom position. Not saying that stay at home mom’s dont do anything, but compared to the other women in Gilead, they dont deserve the “power” they have. The wives are just there to be controlled by their husband.

In the book Commanders Wives are seen as women of higher status, and seem to have a life that other women would want for themselves. But if you look closely, these women are left searching for more.

Serena Joy envies Offred and is mean towards her because she is jealous that she can produce a child and she is the one having sex with her “husband”. She doesn’t have to endure pain like the Handmaids do, and she has freedom but she is still left longing for the ability to bring a child into the world.

Serena Joy’s name means being serene and feeling great pleasure. The only pleasure Serena feels is when Offred’s head is in her no no square.  It’s so funny that her name is the polar opposite of how her character is portrayed. Perhaps called herself that to keep up with the facade of a happy commander’s wife. She is the best of the best, on top of the world. She does not have a lot to worry about - she can get luxuries from the black market, she won’t get sent to the colonies, she has a (select) group of friends that are just as amazing as she is (#squad goals). Tthe downside of being a part of the  crème de la crème is that she can’t reproduce. I guess you can’t have everything go your way.

COMMANDERS WIVES

They are worthless, resentful, and egotistic. Wives like Serena Joy have everything that they desire except fertility. Commanders Wives are treated like royalty in Gilead, yet they contribute nothing to society. Serena lives a fruitless life. Whether she bosses around the Marthas or Offred, she shows the power she has over them. She is the Commander’s wife. Having a high social status is what brings her freedom, keeps her from the Colonies, and allows her to treat hard working women horribly. Serena treats Handmaids, specifically Offred, with no sympathy because they have fertility that she will never have.

Being Serena Joy in class was quite interesting. I was able to put myself in her shoes and understand that her unsympathetic treatment towards all Handmaids is out of jealousy. Offred “flaunts” her wondrous abilities in front of her every day by resembling a red tulip. Tulips are mentioned throughout the novel because they embody female reproductive organs. As I said in class, Serena tends to her garden constantly because it gives her a sense of power. 

Stated in the novel, “The tulips are red, a darker crimson towards the stem, as if they have been cut and are beginning to heal there” (12).

They are put in a position that gives them status and societal power, but no meaning to life. 

They really remind me of all these celebrities on magazine covers and all over TV and how most every day girls look at that with envy, and some look at that with jealousy and hate. 

I don’t understand WHY girls are like that, I don’t know if it’s environmental or biological or whatever it may be, but that’s how we are. 

We HATE and CRAVE to have the things we CAN’T have, and we CHOOSE to look past whether or not what we yearn for has value.