One of the most important symbols in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is the Faith pillow. Described as being “faded blue, the leaves of the lilies a dingy green” (Atwood 57), it is evident that the letters inscribed upon the cushion have lost their meaning. Gilead is controlled by men, assumingly as a result of religion. The extremist views of this religion are what Gilead runs on; therefore, the word “Faith” on this pillow not only means faith in religion, but also faith in Gilead. However, because of the description of this forgotten cushion, it demonstrates that the makers themselves of that cushion do not believe the words sewn on it. Gilead is so thoroughly corrupt with power that it is doubtful that many of the men believe in faith.
This pillow symbolizes how the pious views of religion are lost once power is gained; only the oppressive, corrupt ones remain. The words of the protagonist, Offred, say that “Somehow it’s been overlooked” (57) in reference to the pillow; that once, this pillow meant something virtuous and pure, yet after the many years have passed, its original purpose was forgotten. This same idea can be applied to the society of Gilead itself. Perhaps, during the time of its inception, it was formed to better our society, but as described in this novel, it has fallen to the temptation of greed and power. Faith is one of the main points and purposes of religion, but in Gilead, where all sources of faith have been skewed into something hateful, faith means no more than any other word.
The FAITH pillow has been overlooked in the Commander's house and in Gilead, the letters are faded and hidden under a film of dirt, but they have not disappeared completely. The ideals of faith have been distorted and changed to fit the uses of men and to further the corruption of the society, but it remains underneath it all.
ReplyDeleteGilead bases its society off of the morals of the Bible and faith, yet they have places like Soul Scrolls that have only a select few prayers to choose from, and even these in turn are used to benefit the Commanders. A society that is based on religion has gotten so far away from it that the basic ideas of faith are faded and overlooked.
I like your connection to religion and power, however, I interpreted the pillow being overlooked as a way of saying that, even though the religion in Gilead has worn it thin, faith still does exist in some people. Offred also describes the pillow as "worn but not enough to throw out" (Atwood 57). This says that although faith, at this point, has been corrupted by the society, it still exists at some level. To me, this brings to mind the "Mayday" group of women, who are fighting against Gilead.
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