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Transcript

Character Psychoanalysis:

Serena Joy

Ilkay Makhotina

Léo Dao

Ariane Fabian

Neila Ali Cherif

Freud's theory in the handmaid's tale

Id, ego, and superEgo

Id, ego, and superEgo

Id: instincts / desires - basic nature

Ego: reality, self control, rational thinking

Superego: morality, “quest for perfection”

  • Offred represents the ego - opposes Gilead
  • Commander represents the superego - knows Gilead is wrong yet never speaks against it
  • Serena represents the id - will do anything for her desire of a child

Serena's id

"My husband. I want that to be perfectly clear." p.26

"his wife didn’t understand him" p.166

  • Id, ego, superego clear in the ceremony
  • Commander and Wife sitting across from each other at the dinner table
  • Shows their distance - as if the table represents their lack of balance

Serena's id

  • Serena's urge is the Commander
  • We are unsure of her feelings for him
  • Offred is present every time something happens between Serena and the Commander

Serena joy and flowers

"The tastes of Serena Joy are a strange blend: hard lust for quality, soft sentimental cravings." (P. 90)

"The tastes of Serena Joy are a strange blend: ha...

- Contrast of lust for quality and sentimental cravings

- “Cravings” = she is desperate, has no real power, can only express her needs through decoration

"Even at her age she still feels the urge to wreathe herself in flowers… you’re withered. (P. 91)

There’s a dried flower arrangement on either end of the mantelpiece, and a vase of real daffodils on the polished marquetry end table beside the sofa." (P.90)

"Even at her age she still feels the urge to wreat...

Preserved beauty, flower used as decoration, isn’t a real flower anymore = not as beautiful

Preserved beauty, flower used as decoration, isn...

“The garden is the domain of the Commander’s Wife”

“Wives have such gardens, it’s something for them to order and maintain and care for.” (P.22)

“The garden is the domain of the Commander...

The Wife gardens - she does work just as the Marth...

The Wife gardens - she does work just as the Marthas or the Handmaids, but to her the work is empowering = she spends most of her time in the garden because it lets her be free and control everything- it is the only place she has full power

“... her knees on a cushion, a light blue veil thrown over her wide gardening hat … a piece of string for tying the flowers into place”

“... her knees on a cushion, a light blue veil thrown ov...

Doesn’t seem to mind the work if it is something that she is in control of.

Doesn’t seem to mind the work if it is something that she is ...

Serena Joy and Offred

Serena hurts Offred numerous times:

“The rings of her left hand cut into my finger. It may or may not be revenge” p.104

Serena hurts Offred numerous tim...

Offred notices Serena is in also in pain and pities her:

“Which of us is worse for, her or me?” p.106 “But I also felt guilty about her. I felt I was an intruder, in a territory that ought to have been hers” p.170

Offred notices Serena is in also in pain and pities h...

Serena likes being dominant and in control:

“The sitting room is supposed to be Serena Joy’s territory” p.97 “This is supposed to signify we are one flesh, one being. What it really means is that she is in control.” P.104

When people feel like they loose control, they want to regain that feeling

Serena likes being dominant and in contr...

Offred always refers to Serena Joy as Serena Joy. ...

Offred always refers to Serena Joy as Serena Joy. It shows a sign of hierarchy and/or distance.

At the beginning of the novel, Sere...

At the beginning of the novel, Serena appears more tamed.

“Serena Joy lets go of my hands. “You can get up now,” she says. “Get up and get out.” p.106

But at the end, she is much more angry and honest.

“Bitch,” she says, “after all he did for you.” p.307

Serena is jealous of Offred = has intimate moments with the commander (she is some sort of emotional prostitute), has sex with the commander right in front of her.

During the sex scene, Serena inflicts pain on Offred. As well as showing her anger, it shows us Serena’s pain. We can see that Offred notices her suffering:

“Which of us is worse for, her or me?” p106.

Serena is jealous of Offred = has intima...

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