THT and TSL Paper 2 Final Topics

 Daniel Arcega

Mrs. Emerick

IB English HL II

Compare the presentation and function of villains or anti-heroes in at least two works of prose fiction that you have studied.

1. Both The Handmaid’s Tale and The Scarlet Letter have two antagonists: society and a person, which both serve to affect the protagonists’ freedom.

2. The societies within the two novels oppress their protagonists’ freedom, yet contrarily also elevate them in some ways.

1. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester’s life throughout the novel is under the strict watch of society. However, its influence transforms as time goes on.

1. Society initially rejects Hester due to her sin. She is unable to make any lasting connections with others. (quote here)

2. Society’s judgment eventually shifts to see Hester in a more positive light. She eventually becomes known as a treasure of the town. She feels more free to walk around the town. (quote here)

3. Her society both oppressed her and raised her up.

2. On the other hand, Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale simultaneously oppresses Offred and puts her on a pedestal.

1. Gilead more directly assails Offred when compared to Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter. She is physically restricted and can do little of what she wants.

2. However, Gilead also places great importance on Handmaids: “We want you to be valued girls. Think of yourself as pearls. “(Atwood 114).

3. Just like how a clam has a hard shell to protect its inner pearl, Gilead locks its handmaids in cages to protect them.

3. Puritan society initially oppresses Hester but comes to accept her. Gilead simultaneously entraps and praises Offred.

3. The human antagonists of both novels are themselves afflicted by a greater power that affects their motives.

1. In The Scarlet Letter, Robert Chillingsworth strives to ruin Dimmesdale and, by connection, Hester, fueled by corrupted rage.

1. “for the hatred that has transformed a wise and just man into a fiend!” (Hawthorne 124).

2. Roger is antagonistic because his rage against Dimmesdale has eliminated his kindness and sensibility.

3. Even though Roger terrorizes Dimmesdale, he is slightly sympathetic because his actions stem from him being terrorized as well.

2. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Serena Joy antagonizes Offred partly because Gilead’s society oppresses her as well.

1. Serena constantly acts like she is above Offred.

2. “Many of the Wives have such gardens, it's something for them to order and maintain and care for”(Atwood 12). 

3. “Maybe it's just something to keep the Wives busy, to give them a sense of purpose (Atwood 13).

4. These lines reveal how Gilead suppresses the wives just as they suppress the handmaids. Although they have a little more freedom, they are still trapped within their roles.

5. Similar to how Roger’s hatred forces him on the path of evil, Serena Joy mistreats Offred because it is the role society has forced upon her.

4. The societal and personal antagonists in The Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid’s Tale share similar qualities and functions.

1. The societies both take away the freedom of the protagonists due to their identities, but also elevate them to a higher importance.

2. The personal villains antagonize the protagonists due to the negative influence of another force.

Question 2: Readers are often enticed by the idiosyncratic or quirky narrator. Compare how at least two authors that you have studied have crafted such distinctive voices.

1. Although both The Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid’s Tale are reconstructions, the different perspectives of both narrators makes a drastic change in their retelling.

2. Being a third-person narrator, the surveyor in The Scarlet Letter guides the reader through the story while giving his own insight on it.

1. “I have allowed myself, as to such points, nearly or altogether as much license as if the facts had been entirely of my own invention” (Hawthorne 28).

1. States how he will organize the story the way he sees fit while maintaining the general facts.

2. Paints the story as his own personal retelling.

2. The subjective style of writing allows room for him to interject his own thoughts on the story or characters. He also points out useful information and highlights important moments in the plot. 

3. He acts differently than a typical third-person narrator who would describe the events of the novel without emotion.

3. Offred’s personal experience with the events of The Handmaid’s Tale leads to the reader learning about her character through her narration in addition to the story.

1. An example of learning about Offred through narration comes from her explanation of her obsession with language.

2. “These are the kinds of litanies I use, to compose myself”( Atwood 110).

1. Offred narrates why she plays with words she hears.

2. She speaks to the reader so that they can understand her better. 

3. Although Offred often speaks as if she is in the present, the entire novel is actually her remembering what she experienced. An omniscient, first-person narrator creates a unique form of a story. She understands the emotions she felt and what events caused them.

4. The different perspectives between the surveyor and Offred lead to their narration style being different.

1. The surveyor acts as a commentator, guiding the reader through the intricacies of the story while adding his own ideas.

2. Offred is retelling her story from her memory, which allows her to tell the reader what she wants to tell them, including details about herself.