Michaela, Kieran, Sumaiya, Georgia, Jasmine, Lydia and Elodie Explore how Duffy and Atwood present the negative consequences of societal expectation Michaela, Kieran, Sumaiya, Georgia, Jasmine, Lydia and Elodie

Silenced/Isolation The Diet, “inside the Fat woman now, trying to get out” she feels trapped by her obsession of starving herself, leaving her separated from reality. The Handmaid’s Tale, “Everything except the wings around my face is red: the colour of blood, which defines us.” Their identity has been replaced with their role as a Handmaid, therefore isolating them from society and their selves. (Chapter 2, Page 18)

Destructive behaviour The Handmaid’s Tale, “They’ve removed anything you could tie a rope to” “-it only opens partly” [window] “I know why there is no glass” (Chapter 2, page 17) Suicide imagery, alludes to past suicides and how the restrictive society erodes their sense of identity and leads them to kill themselves. The Woman Who Shopped, “shrugged at the cost, then fixed up a loan” “tapping her credit card numbers all night” her lack of purpose as a woman makes her want to fill a void in her life, the possessions she has starts to reflect her own value and therefore her careless spending shows her determination to fill her life with as many possessions as possible

Hysteria and dark humour The Handmaid’s Tale, “But isn’t this everyone's wet dream, two women at once?. They used to say that. Exciting, they used to say.” Her dark humour shows the irony of the situation, what once was seen as erotic has morphed into a disturbing moment. (Chapter 16, page 105) The Diet, “inside the fat woman now, trying to get out” She has become deluded and she has become engrossed by her obsessive thoughts. The Woman Who Shopped, “She loved the changing rooms of her heart, the rooftop restaurant in her eyes” imagery of her turning into the shop and she is unable to distinguish herself separate from the shop and reality.

Emotional turmoil/instability  The Diet, "She knew where she was all right, clambered onto the greasy breast of a goose, opened wide, then chomped and chewed and gorged" Due to society she is made to feel insecure and fat; the belief is that slim is the ideal. The poem begins with her dreaming of a slim/"feminine" body "The diet worked like a dream" and "doll-sized", however the poem ends with her "inside the Fat Woman now" conveying her battle with food. Her desire to be thin and her fantasising food illustrates her emotional instability. "Her fault, her fault, her fault, we chant in unison." This encapsulates the immoral society of Gilead within the dystopian world as it is conflicting women against women and ultimately breaking down sisterhood. Repetition of "Her fault" is used to emphasise the guilt upon Janine. This scene is extremely disturbing for modern day readers due to the fact that blame on women for rape is still an issue in society nowadays- many would sympathise with Janine (traumatic moment). "Unison" emphasises how individuals (Handmaids) have been stripped of their identities of being a woman and empowering each other to becoming dehumanised & emotionless.