The Handmaid's Tale When Offred

The scene I had a memorable reaction to was the scene in The Handmaid’s Tale when Offred flashes back to when she was at the Red Center and Janine is telling a story about how she was gang-raped at fourteen. In the scene, the other women, including Offred, chant “her fault, her fault, her fault” and exclaim that Janine needs to be taught a “lesson” (72). When I first read this section of the novel I reacted with disgust and felt extremely offended. I believe I reacted the way I did due to my interactions with social media, the education system, and the mass media. Although women still face challenges with sexual assault in today’s culture, it is becoming more shameful and offensive. Current events such as the assault allegations towards Harvey

For example, in the show CSI, those who are raped or are sexually harassed are seen as the victims, and the analysts hunt down the true criminals. In addition, the show Riverdale featured a scene in a recent episode in which a man attempted to drug and rape a woman. Although the situation was averted, the man was punished for his criminal intent. Because of my experience with the entertainment industry, I have also been socialized to believe that rape occurs because of the sadistic nature of the predator, and I felt disgusted at the way Janine was accused of encouraging rape due to her

In University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire residence halls, there are multiple signs and posters speaking out against sexual harassment. In addition, every student at the university is required to take an online course focused on what consent is and what to do when you are a victim of sexual assault. During orientation week, the university also offered a performance called Sex Signals, which discussed the importance of consent. Because of my experiences with the education system and policies at UW-Eau Claire, I also felt more inclined toward disgust and anger at the scene at the Red Center. I have also learned more about sexual harassment in the workplace. During my summer employment I was required to attend a seminar that covered all the forms of sexual harassment and the consequences following such actions. My experiences in the education system and in the workplace have socialized me to view sexual assault and harassment as offensive behavior that has no place in society. As a result, while reading the novel and watching the scene in the Hulu show, I felt outraged that a culture would encourage members of a society, especially women, to blame those who are victims of sexual assault, in turn excusing those who are truly committing the