Social Commentary and Critique
Society is characterized by factors that are both positive and negative, and these affect how persons in that society interact with each other. To initiate change, artists use techniques such as social commentary and critique to arouse the push for change in society (Butler and Spivak 230). In this assignment, the graphic novels by Atwood, Brosgol, and Oima create a picture of the common ills in our society today and how to deal with them. Some of these ills include; environmental degradation, objectification, and oppression of women, violence as well as corruption.
Environmental Degradation
Scientific research has indicated that global temperatures have steadily gone up and continue to rise at an average rate of 0.07°C (0.13°F) per decade in what is known as global warming. Global warming is associated with human activities such as industrialization, which has increased the rate of emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere, which are depleting the ozone layer, a protective blanket-like layer of the atmosphere that protects the earth from direct UV sun rays (Rea 5). This vice comes out in Atwood’s graphic novel when one of the Aunts teaches the hands-maids about activities of the earlier civilizations and how they affected the environment.
She talks about the harmful emissions released into the atmosphere, toxic chemicals released into the water bodies, and “…the exploding atomic power plants, along the San Andreas Fault” (Atwood 56). Global warming is a catastrophic event in the making, and it requires human intervention in the form of reducing the rate of emissions and other activities like planting trees to help manage the global temperatures (Rea 10). Exposure to these emissions also has direct impacts on the lives of human beings, as the novel indicates. The hands-maids in the novel are struggling with their fertility as a result of their exposure to the emissions and degraded atmosphere over time. As evident, global warming has critical negative effects on the environment and also on our health as human beings. We should, therefore, be actively involved in efforts to control global warming to reduce its devastating effects.
Objectifying Women as Sexual Objects
For centuries, society has had a particular view of women and their place in society. In many societies, women are seen as second to men, and they are required to be subject to men at all times. Atwood’s graphic novel critiques some of the constructs of society, one of them being objectifying women as objects for satisfying the sexual desires of men (Trivellini 352). In the Handmaid’s novel, for example, the commander is attracted to Offred, one of the servant women in the Red Center, and he takes advantage of her to satisfy his ‘kinky’ sexual desires. The commander makes the young lady wear clothing that she considers to be inappropriate, all to engage in sexual relations with her. Women also manipulate and use each other in today’s society to benefit themselves (Trivellini 360). For instance, the commander’s wife arranges for Offred to sleep with Nick so she can get pregnant, and the commander’s wife can take the child. Offred had slept with the commander in the presence of his wife, but she did not get pregnant, and since the commander’s wife is in dire need of a child, she is forced to arrange for Offred to sleep with Nick (Atwood 22).
Another social ill addressed in the graphic novels is the inhumane nature with which women are treated (Trivellini 355). The graphic novels include pictures of women being raped, while others are turned to be strippers, all for the satisfaction of men. At the same time, one even shows a woman crawling while strapped with a metallic collar around her neck and a man standing above her, holding a metal chain that is linked to the metal collar (Atwood 8). Women are being treated like animals by the men, and they have nothing to do about it because that is how society is.
Additionally, in graphic novels, women are objectified as walking and living wombs. All the young women in the Red center are well taken care of to get them pregnant. They are used as breeders for children who are then sent to society away from their mothers. In one of the scenes in the graphic novels, Offred describes herself as a “…womb on two legs…” (Atwood 9). In this case, she knows that the commander only wants to use her, but there is nothing much that she can do because that is who the society that they live in has forced them to become. She even recalls another lady before her, Serena, who hangs herself to free herself from the shackles, put on her by the commander (Atwood 33). Therefore, women are human beings just as men are, and it is immoral to treat women as sexual objects. All women should be given the respect and dignity they deserve not only as human beings but also as carriers of human life.
Oppression and Discrimination against Women
Throughout the history of human beings, women are considered to be subordinate to men, an argument which has formed a basis for their discrimination. Atwood ‘s graphic novel critiques this ill-feature of society by showing how women are oppressed and discriminated against, even by the governing authorities that should ensure equality among all citizens (Trivellini 350). The main character, Offred, recalls a time when she was working and earning herself a living. Then times changed, and the government froze all the accounts belonging to women, transferring all their money to the accounts of either their husbands or male kin. Her friend explains that “Women can’t hold property anymore. It’s a new law.” The law goes on to dictate that no woman should be actively employed and that all women who are employed or own businesses should get fired or close down their stores (Atwood 30).
Women’s oppression has gone to the extent that women have no right even to dictate who they are going to spend their lives within marriage. In the graphic novels, during the women’s prayvaganza, there is an image of a wedding taking place between several girls and men in the army. We understand that the marriages are arranged and that the girls are groomed over some time in preparation for this occasion. They do not get to have a say concerning whom they marry, and only get married to strangers as long as they are of age (Atwood 45). Additionally, women are seen as unproductive members of society who have nothing to do bur to reproduce. In the novel, the commander’s wife knits scarves which, apparently are sent to the frontline angels. However, Offred thinks that knitting of scarves is just a waste of time. They are doing this to kill time and for them to feel valuable and productive in society. Gender equality is an important element in society that ensures everyone feels relevant in that society. Therefore, women should not be treated as an inferior species to men and be required to prove their ‘importance’ in any way (Trivellini 50.
Violence
Violent crimes are among the most significant challenges we are facing in the present world. As a way of critiquing current problems, artists often use their works to address societal issues (Trivellini 341). As a social ill, violence is addressed by the novels in several ways. In Atwood’s novel, the Red center has Aunts as the disciplinarians, and their methods of instilling discipline are ruthless. In one instance, one of the girls, Maira, asked to go to the washroom during exercises, only to find that the toilets were leaking. Since Maira was known for having a bad reputation, Aunt Elizabeth ‘took care’ of her, and she was never seen in the Red center ever again (Atwood 11).
In Brosgol’s Anya’s Ghost, violence comes out in the form of bullying. In this instance, bullying is based on racism, as the non-local students are targets of bullying. For instance, during lunch break, one of the students, Dima, who is of Russian descent, is bullied by some of the male students who specifically target him because of his race and his being a bright student (Brosgol 58). In addition to that, bullying is undertaken in the form of body shaming. Anya, who is the main character in Brosgol’s novel, is a target of bullying and body shaming by some girls in her gym class. When she falls during the bleep test, the rest of the girls laugh at her exposed behind throughout the class. This continues in the changing room and on the school bus on their way home.
In Oima’s ‘A Silent Voice,’ bullying is the main form of violence. The novel focuses on the life-long effects of bullying on both the perpetrator and the victim. the effects of bullying on the perpetrators come out through Ishida, who bullied Nishimiya, his classmate in elementary school. His actions affect his relationship with his fellow student all through high school. On the victims, Nishimiya, who is a deaf student, is unable to form any relations with her peers in the future due to the scars of bullying in elementary school (Oima 154). Bullying, being one of the common causes of violence in schools, has the potential to cause life-long impacts on the self-esteem of the victims. Therefore, there are needs for concrete plans to eradicate this ill from the school systems since it has proven to be a real ‘cancer’ in schools.
Abortion
The issue of abortion has, for the longest time, been an issue of considerable debate, with the supporters arguing that the woman should be given the authority to decide whether or not she will give birth while the opposers are basing their argument on the issue of the morality of the act. Despite these debates, several countries around the world, and even some states in the United States have legalized abortion as a birth control method (Crawley 13). In the novel, the issue of abortion takes a new twist as the maidens begin viewing abortion as a weapon for wielding political power. To these women, the ability to command life and death over other humans was a significant advantage for them, especially in the wake of the introduction of safe methods of conducting abortions. Such ideologies indicate the kind and spectrum of thinking that exists concerning reproductive health in society (Rea 2). It is, however, entirely wrong for any individual to juggle with human lives for personal gain. In situations where abortion is legalized, it should be based on saving a life, and not for individual gain purposes.
Conclusion
In summation, art is a dominant and influential force that is used to push for change in society. Many times, artists are committed to developing art that addresses pressing social issues by commenting on these pressing issues, advocating for social change, and even providing alternative solutions to urgent issues. For example, the three graphic novels show the rot that is found in modern-day society, and through the main characters’ thoughts, the authors bring out the desires by individuals in the society to lead better lives. Therefore, socially-oriented artwork provides a platform that encourages social reflection, identification of social issues, and collaborative solution development (Butler and Spivak 242).
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. 2019. Print.
Brosgol, Vera. Anya’s ghost. First Second, 2011.
Butler, Judith, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. “What is critique?.” concern 30.2 (2018): 225-248.
Crawley, Karen. “Reproducing Whiteness: Feminist Genres, Legal Subjectivity, and the Post-racial Dystopia of The Handmaid’s Tale.” (2018).
Oima, Yoshitoki. A Silent Voice 03. Egmont, 2016.
Rea, Jeannie. “Lessons from the handmaid’s tale.” Agenda 25 (2017): 2.
Trivellini, Samanta. “Myths of Violence and Female Storytelling in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Kate Atkinson’s Human Croquet.” Annali di Ca’Foscari (2016): 341.