Book Club for Introverts discussion

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These chapters are building the anticipation. What happens in the doctor’s office is chilling. The flashbacks to her former life provide quite the contrast to the white-washed present. The ritual before “the main event” shows in an unmistakable way that each person has one job - and nothing besides that job is permitted. Such a sheltered and controlled existence. All the handmaid can do is reminisce and daydream.

The slow build of the book is both great and frustrating, although I’m glad this is the way it is going. With each little extra piece of information, the author gives the reader something else to speculate over and lots of questions to be answered. The big question for me is ‘How did it get like this?’ From what the narrator is sharing, it seems like the change was not that long ago, but it seems to have been so overwhelming. The scene in the doctor’s office is probably one of the most chilling so far. The woman is left in quite the quandary - its almost like she’s damned if she does and damned is she doesn’t,

I had the same questions about how it got this way? How can we make sure nothing like this happens! The doctor’s office visit was so awful. It’s like they’ve set up this puritanical society but it forces people to act in ways that would normally be seen as unethical, immoral and debasing in order to survive.

I definitely have to agree with the doctor’s office visit as being chilling. I’m definitely also curious with how things became the way they are now. The narrator makes it clear that it’s only been about 3 years since this all began for her, which makes you wonder how someone can change their ways of thinking in what seems like such a short period of time!