The Handmaid Tale's rallying cry of resistance, Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, "Don't let the bastards get you down," seems unaware that the strict definition of "bastard" means child of unmarried parents, most often a fatherless child. A lack of father means a lack of patriarch. As a reader I am willing to let a casual, inherited cry in the English language go as intended, but on the other hand the use of the Latin seems to emphasize it more literally.
Quoted in Caryn James's commentary under Mary McCarthy's 1986 NYT review, "Margaret Atwood resists calling her book a warning. 'I do not have a political agenda of that kind. The book won't tell you who to vote for,'' she said. But she advises, ''Anyone who wants power will try to manipulate you by appealing to your desires and fears, and sometimes your best instincts. Women have to be a little cautious about that kind of appeal to them. What are we being asked to give up?' "
You could use this quote from the author to support your alternative interpretations of the novel.
What a great quote: “Anyone who wants power will try to manipulate you by appealing to your desires and fears, and sometimes your best instincts. Women have to be a little cautious about that kind of appeal to them. What are we being asked to give up?” 💯 That’s an excellent filtering question for all kinds of technologies, opportunities, political movements, etc… what are women being asked to give up? Who is trying to manipulate our best instincts so that we give up something precious? Thanks for drawing attention to this Atwood interview. And thank you for listening!
Thanks for providing a terrific listen.
The Handmaid Tale's rallying cry of resistance, Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, "Don't let the bastards get you down," seems unaware that the strict definition of "bastard" means child of unmarried parents, most often a fatherless child. A lack of father means a lack of patriarch. As a reader I am willing to let a casual, inherited cry in the English language go as intended, but on the other hand the use of the Latin seems to emphasize it more literally.
Quoted in Caryn James's commentary under Mary McCarthy's 1986 NYT review, "Margaret Atwood resists calling her book a warning. 'I do not have a political agenda of that kind. The book won't tell you who to vote for,'' she said. But she advises, ''Anyone who wants power will try to manipulate you by appealing to your desires and fears, and sometimes your best instincts. Women have to be a little cautious about that kind of appeal to them. What are we being asked to give up?' "
You could use this quote from the author to support your alternative interpretations of the novel.
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/00/03/26/specials/mccarthy-atwood.html
I'm so glad I discovered your substacks and podcast.
What a great quote: “Anyone who wants power will try to manipulate you by appealing to your desires and fears, and sometimes your best instincts. Women have to be a little cautious about that kind of appeal to them. What are we being asked to give up?” 💯 That’s an excellent filtering question for all kinds of technologies, opportunities, political movements, etc… what are women being asked to give up? Who is trying to manipulate our best instincts so that we give up something precious? Thanks for drawing attention to this Atwood interview. And thank you for listening!
That is a really interesting point, thanks for sharing.
And thanks for being a listener!