- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/17/world/asia/china-bride-trafficking.

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My text of choice for the IO is the Handmaid’s Tale written by Margaret Atwood published in
1996. The extract within The Handmaid’s tale I’ve chosen is the “Ceremony” in chapter 16
pages 93 to 95. The global issue I most liken to the scene of the “Ceremony” is the sex and
bridal trafficking of women into China due to the gender imbalance present there described by
the web article on the New York Times written by Hannah Beech who covers other political and
social controversies on the 17th August 2019. These two texts link as Offred sole purpose is to
provide Gilead with a womb and a fertile individual, similarly, the women who are trafficked are
purchased for the purpose of impregnation and sex. However, there are differences in Offred
and the trafficked victims, such as their ability to compartmentalize and detach themselves.

Atwood uses her language as well as her structure to create an atmosphere of detachment and
alienation between Offred and the Commander within the “Ceremony”. Between “There wasn’t a
lot of choice but there was some, and this is what I chose” and “Serena Joy grips my hands as if
it is she, not I, who’s being fucked” Atwood has something similar to a monologue where Offred
is describing her mundane thoughts while she is being “fucked” by the commander. Atwood
does this to help the reader understand Offred’s detachment from the situation as she is able to
think other thoughts during her vulnerable position. “Therefore I lie still and picture the unseen
canopy over my head” further describes Offred’s ability to daydream and alienate herself. This is
similar to a trafficking victim called Phyu in the article who stated she felt numb when she had
sex with her owner. However, in addition to an emotional numbness she felt, she may also have
felt numb due to the injections she would receive before performing intercourse. The victims are
not able to move past these times as well as Offred, as she is able to continue her life and
seems virtually unbothered. This may be due to the normalization of state-sanctioned rape
within the theocracy Gilead. The victims are described as “ruined” and “introverted” after the
trafficking due to the mental trauma and physical beating they received.