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3.1.1 Totalitarianism Background ................................. 14

3.1.2 Interpersonal Relationships ......................... 15 

Chapter 4 Quest for Identity in The Testaments ............................ 25

4.1 Order in The Testaments: Identity Quest ........................... 25

4.1.1 Flashforward Used Frequently ......................... 25

4.1.2 Flashback From the Beginning ...................... 27

Chapter 5 Resistance to Oppression in The Testaments ........................... 35

5.1 The First Narrative Level:Oppression ...................... 35

5.1.1 The Oppression of Men ............................... 35

5.1.2 The Oppression of Women ......................... 37

Chapter 5 Resistance to Oppression in The Testaments

5.1 The First Narrative Level：Oppression

According to Genette’s narrative theory,the theme of“plight”recurs in the first narrativelevel,which can display the oppression in Gilead.Under totalitarian rule,both women andmen are victims,equally exploited and oppressed.

5.1.1 The Oppression of Men

The narrative act of the first narrative level in The Testaments is embodied in threeparallel first-person narrative perspectives.Sister Lydia’s,Agnes’and Nicole’s handwrittennotes and testimonies,respectively.The“blood genealogy file”ties the three narrativeperspectives together.The under each perspective of Gilead’s rule is presented.The struggleof the three girls is based on identity,and they contribute to the downfall of Gilead byworking together.Ultimately they saved all the victims from the reign of totalitarian terror.

Under Gilead’s totalitarian rule,not only the status of women changes,but that of somemen as well:“The men have to sacrifice themselves in the war,while the women are sacrificing in other ways.”46Men in Gilead are restricted in their movements,and they do nothave the right or freedom to choose their own lifestyles,they can only follow the establishedrules that govern their behavior and do what they are allowed to do.Due to the rules for menin Gilead,they have to pack themselves exactly like the products on the assembly line toprotect themselves from being harmed.And then there are restrictions on their behavior:“Men are not supposed to show emotions,for example,they are not supposed to cry,nor evento laugh loudly.”47For men,emotions are not allowed to be expressed.They are deprived ofthe most basic human rights and self-respect,and the only way to gain social acceptance is tolive like an emotionless machine,in which men also struggle with both mental and physicaldilemmas.

Chapter 6 Conclusions

Margaret Atwood is one of the most distinguished writers in Canadian literature.Published in 2019,The Testaments depicts a Gilead that,fifteen years later,has rotted andfestered from the inside out,licking the wounds of a long conquest with the Republic ofTexas and barely able to control the borderline with Canada.Sister Lydia becomes an iconand an icon for all of Gilead,but her motivations are much more complex in The Testamentsthan they seem in The Handmaid’s Tale,and through Lydia’s eyes Atwood detai本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。