Forgiving the Tyrants, Thoughts on The Handmaiden's Tale.
At some point in humanity's journey from caveman to modern man, and woman, we passed through a long phase that could rightly be called the Age of the Tyrants. It was an era when the idiom - Might Makes Right - was accepted by all, seemingly. It was understood that if you were blessed with physical power and family power, wealth and influence, then God had blessed you. You ruled because you were better, chosen. Not because your ancestors were bloody pirates.
These tyrants forced the common people to farm for them, keep their cattle, fight in their wars, worship their Gods, surrender their goods, which sometimes included their wives and children. But the tyrants were also subject to greater tyrants. No one was free. Even monarchs had to fear treason within his family and governors, and violence from his neighbors.
No one was free, but worse, it was a greedy, rapist tyranny we all endured. We all participated in as well. The Handmaiden chose survival, as did Mocking Jay. But there is nothing noble about surviving. Noble is standing between a victim and a perpetrator and saying no. Noble is neutralizing humanity's predators. Noble as a Christ, would be to refuse the predator, and forgive them as well, as they are killing you.
So The Handmaiden's Tale is based on our past. That is why it pushes our buttons - we have all endured, as she has, outrageous abuse, in multitudinous past lives.
Today we still endure, and perpetrate, small tyrannies, but they feel like large offenses when you are on the receiving end of them. We overreact because of our past. We seem very slow to stop ourselves from being the petty tyrant though.
At some point in humanity's journey from caveman to modern man, and woman, we passed through a long phase that could rightly be called the Age of the Tyrants. It was an era when the idiom - Might Makes Right - was accepted by all, seemingly. It was understood that if you were blessed with physical power and family power, wealth and influence, then God had blessed you. You ruled because you were better, chosen. Not because your ancestors were bloody pirates.
These tyrants forced the common people to farm for them, keep their cattle, fight in their wars, worship their Gods, surrender their goods, which sometimes included their wives and children. But the tyrants were also subject to greater tyrants. No one was free. Even monarchs had to fear treason within his family and governors, and violence from his neighbors.
No one was free, but worse, it was a greedy, rapist tyranny we all endured. We all participated in as well. The Handmaiden chose survival, as did Mocking Jay. But there is nothing noble about surviving. Noble is standing between a victim and a perpetrator and saying no. Noble is neutralizing humanity's predators. Noble as a Christ, would be to refuse the predator, and forgive them as well, as they are killing you.
So The Handmaiden's Tale is based on our past. That is why it pushes our buttons - we have all endured, as she has, outrageous abuse, in multitudinous past lives.
Today we still endure, and perpetrate, small tyrannies, but they feel like large offenses when you are on the receiving end of them. We overreact because of our past. We seem very slow to stop ourselves from being the petty tyrant though.
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