Essay plans
Compare the way in which the writers present what it means to
be human
Handmaid's tale:
1) Love and emotion making us human
Highlighted by the fact that love and emotion is completely usurped in the society of Gilead; this is
dysfunctional and removes our individualism
2) Human relationships and the ability to not be isolated in society
Shown through Offred's desperate need to feel touched by another, in order to feel human again
3) Having an individual identity
Shown through the handmaids having their identity stripped of them and how detrimental this is to their
mental states and society as a whole
Frankenstein:
1) Empathy & emotion makes us human
Emphasized by the importance of domesticity and the consequences of not living a domestic life
2) Human relationships + not being alone
Shown through the harm shown to both Victor and the creature when they are isolated from human society
and relationships
3) Physical appearance – is that what makes us human?
Perhaps a sad truth, shown through the creature who is shunned from society and abandoned due to his
appearance, despite his appearance and reality contrasting as he is eloquent and kind initially.
Ironically, it is humans that make him become the feared creature, as it is arguably the isolation the creature
receives that turns him into a malicious being
Both also focus on disturbing aspects of human nature, suggesting it is also our flaws that make us human,
such as patriarchy, aestheticism and the desire to exploit nature and the environment for personal gain
Compare how the writers present fear of the unknown
Handmaid's tale:
Atwood presents the unknown consequences of a society controlled increasingly by science, including:
1) Atwood’s fear of the unknown damage of nuclear power and pollution to environment
2) The power of technology and the unknown control it could have
Compare the way in which the writers present what it means to
be human
Handmaid's tale:
1) Love and emotion making us human
Highlighted by the fact that love and emotion is completely usurped in the society of Gilead; this is
dysfunctional and removes our individualism
2) Human relationships and the ability to not be isolated in society
Shown through Offred's desperate need to feel touched by another, in order to feel human again
3) Having an individual identity
Shown through the handmaids having their identity stripped of them and how detrimental this is to their
mental states and society as a whole
Frankenstein:
1) Empathy & emotion makes us human
Emphasized by the importance of domesticity and the consequences of not living a domestic life
2) Human relationships + not being alone
Shown through the harm shown to both Victor and the creature when they are isolated from human society
and relationships
3) Physical appearance – is that what makes us human?
Perhaps a sad truth, shown through the creature who is shunned from society and abandoned due to his
appearance, despite his appearance and reality contrasting as he is eloquent and kind initially.
Ironically, it is humans that make him become the feared creature, as it is arguably the isolation the creature
receives that turns him into a malicious being
Both also focus on disturbing aspects of human nature, suggesting it is also our flaws that make us human,
such as patriarchy, aestheticism and the desire to exploit nature and the environment for personal gain
Compare how the writers present fear of the unknown
Handmaid's tale:
Atwood presents the unknown consequences of a society controlled increasingly by science, including:
1) Atwood’s fear of the unknown damage of nuclear power and pollution to environment
2) The power of technology and the unknown control it could have
