Why should you read "The Handmaid's Tale"? - Naomi R. Mercer

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

In Margaret Atwood's near-future novel, "The Handmaid's Tale,"

U „Sluškinjinoj priči" Margaret Atvud, romanu o bliskoj budućnosti,

a Christian fundamentalist regime called the Republic of Gilead

hrišćanski fundamentalistički režim nazvan Republika Galad

has staged a military coup and established a theocratic government

je organizovao vojni puč i uspostavio teokratsku vladu

in the United States.

u Sjedinjenim Državama.

The regime theoretically restricts everyone,

Režim teoretski ograničava svakoga,

but in practice a few men have structured Gilead so they have all the power,

no u praksi nekoliko muškaraca je udesilo Galadu tako da oni imaju svu moć,

especially over women.

naročito nad ženama.

The Handmaid's Tale is what Atwood calls speculative fiction,

„Sluškinjinu priču" Atvud naziva spekulativnom fikcijom,

meaning it theorizes about possible futures.

što znači da teoretiše o mogućim budućnostima.

This is a fundamental characteristic

Ovo je temeljna osobenost

shared by both utopian and dystopian texts.

koju dele i utopijski i distopijski tekstovi.

The possible futures in Atwood's novels are usually negative, or dystopian,

Moguće budućnosti u Atvudinim romanima su obično negativne, tj. distopijske,

where the actions of a small group have destroyed society as we know it.

u njima su delovanja malih grupa uništila društvo kakvo nam je poznato.

Utopian and dystopian writing tends to parallel political trends.

Utopijska i distopisjksa dela ciljaju da oslikaju političke trendove.

Utopian writing frequently depicts an idealized society

Utopijska dela često oslikavaju idealizovano društvo

that the author puts forth as a blueprint to strive toward.

koje pisac stavlja pred nas kao primer kome se teži.

Dystopias, on the other hand,

Distopije, s druge strane,

are not necessarily predictions of apocalyptic futures,

nisu nužno predviđanja apokaliptične budućnosti,

but rather warnings about the ways in which societies can set themselves

već pre upozorenja o vidovima na koja se društva mogu udesiti

on the path to destruction.

na putu ka uništenju.

The Handmaid's Tale was published in 1985, when many conservative groups

„Sluškinjina priča" je objavljena 1985, kada su mnoge konzervativne grupe

attacked the gains made by the second-wave feminist movement.

napadale dostignuća koja je postigao drugi talas feminističkog pokreta.

This movement had been advocating greater social and legal equality for women

Ovaj pokret je zagovarao veću društvenu i pravnu jednakost žena,

since the early 1960s.

još od ranih 1960-ih.

The Handmaid's Tale imagines a future in which the conservative

„Sluškinjina priča" zamišlja budućnost u kojoj je konzervativni

counter-movement gains the upper hand

protiv-pokret postigao prevlast

and not only demolishes the progress women had made toward equality,

i ne samo da je uništo napredak koji su žene postigle ka jednakosti,

but makes women completely subservient to men.

već su postigli da žene budu u potpunosti podređene muškarcima.

Gilead divides women in the regime into distinct social classes

Galad deli žene unutar režima u različite društvene klase

based upon their function as status symbols for men.

u odnosu na njhove funkcije statusnh simbola za muškarce.

Even their clothing is color-coded.

Čak im je i boja odeće simbolična.

Women are no longer allowed to read

Ženama više nije dozvoljeno da čitaju

or move about freely in public,

ili da se slobodno kreću u javnosti,

and fertile women are subject to state-engineered rape

a plodne žene su podvrgnute silovanjima koje je osmislila država

in order to give birth to children for the regime.

kako bi rađale decu režimu.

Although The Handmaid's Tale is set in the future,

Iako je „Sluškinjina priča" smeštena u budućnosti,

one of Atwood's self-imposed rules in writing it

jedno od pravila koje je Atvud nametnula samoj sebi

was that she wouldn't use any event

je da neće koristiti nijedan događaj

or practice that hadn't already happened in human history.

ili praksu koja se već nije dogodila u ljudskoj istoriji.

The book is set in Cambridge, Massachusetts,

Radnja knjige se dešava u Kembridžu, Masačusets,

a city that during the American colonial period

gradu kojim su tokom američkog kolonijalnog perioda

had been ruled by the theocratic Puritans.

vladali Puritanci teokrate.

In many ways, the Republic of Gilead resembles the strict rules

Na razne načine, Republika Galad oslikava strogu vladavinu

that were present in Puritan society:

koja je bila prisutna u puritanskom društvu:

rigid moral codes,

stroga moralna načela,

modest clothing,

skromna odeća,

banishment of dissenters,

proterivanje disidenata

and regulation of every aspect of people's lives and relationships.

i regulacija svakog aspekta ljudskih života i odnosa.

For Atwood, the parallels to Massachusett's Puritans

Za Atvud su paralele sa masačusetskim Puritancima

were personal as well as theoretical.

bile jednako i lične i teoretske.

She spent several years studying the Puritans at Harvard

Provela je nekoliko godina izučavajući puritance na Harvardu

and she's possibly descended from Mary Webster,

i moguće da potiče od Meri Vebster,

a Puritan woman accused of witchcraft who survived her hanging.

puritanke koja je optužena za veštičarenje i koja je preživela sopstveno vešanje.

Atwood is a master storyteller.

Atvud je majstor pripovedanja.

The details of Gilead, which we've only skimmed the surface of,

Detalji o Galadu, kojima jedva da smo zagrebali površinu,

slowly come into focus through the eyes of its characters,

polako postaju središte naše pažnje kroz oči likova iz romana,

mainly the novel's protagonist Offred,

pre svega protagonistkinje Fredovice,

a handmaid in the household of a commander.

sluškinje u domaćinstvu zapovednika.

Before the coup that established Gilead,

Pre puča kojim je uspostavljen Galad,

Offred had a husband, a child, a job, and a normal, middle-class American life.

Fredovica je imala supruga, dete, posao i običan život Amerikanke srednjeg staleža.

But when the fundamentalist regime comes into power,

Međutim, kada je fundamentalistički režim došao na vlast,

Offred is denied her identity,

Fredovici je uskraćen identitet,

separated from her family,

razdvojena je od porodice,

and reduced to being, in Offred's words,

i svedena da bude, prema njenim rečima:

"a two-legged womb for increasing Gilead's waning population."

„utroba na dve noge za uvećanje nestajućeg stanovništva Galada."

She initially accepts the loss of her fundamental human rights

U početku prihvata gubitak svojih temeljnih ljudskih prava

in the name of stabilizing the new government.

u ime stabilizacije nove vlade.

But state control soon extends into attempts to control the language,

Međutim, državna kontrola se uskoro širi na pokušaje kontrole jezika,

behavior,

ponašanja

and thoughts of herself and other individuals.

i razmišljanja o sebi i drugim pojedincima.

Early on, Offred says,

Rano u romanu, Fredovica kaže:

"I wait. I compose myself.

„Čekam. Sastavljam se.

My self is a thing I must compose, as one composes a speech."

Moje ja je stvar koju moram da sastavim kao što neko sastavlja govor."

She likens language to the formulation of identity.

Jezik poistovećuje sa oblikovanjem identiteta.

Her words also acknowledge the possibility of resistance,

Njene reči takođe prepoznaju mogućnost otpora

and it's resistance, the actions of people who dare to break the political,

a otpor, postupci ljudi koji se usuđuju da prekrše politička,

intellectual,

intelektualna

and sexual rules,

i seksualna pravila

that drives the plot of the Handmaid's Tale.

su ono što pokreće zaplet „Sluškinjine priče".

Ultimately, the novel's exploration of the consequences of complacency,

Naposletku, istraživanje posledica pomirljivosti

and how power can be wielded unfairly,

i toga kako moć može da bude raspoređena nepravedno

makes Atwood's chilling vision of a dystopian regime ever relevant.

je ono zbog čega je Atvudina jeziva vizija distopijskog režima i dalje relevantna.