Gang rape re cast task.

Recast task as a speech to a student audience at a girls school aimed at raising awareness of Gang Rape. (spoken, inform, teenage female audience).

I am extremely pleased to see such a high turnover in todays assembly, regarding the issues of gang rape.

There is a fine line between agreeing to have sex with one person and being gang raped by several people. A gang is a group of people bonded together, either by race, culture, territory, even age. But who gives the gangs the power to violate and gang rape a individual? Rape is where one individual does not consent to having sex however is forced to do so by dominant others, gang rape is where two or people people force a person to have sex with them. People who commit the awful crime of rape do not see it as ‘rape’ however as pleasure for themselves.

5% of all gang rapes happen to girls aged between 14-18, it is one in a hundred girls who are victims, although that does not sound like a significant amount of people, it is.

Girls, I know the following pointers may seem obvious, and you may feel like I am babbling on, but seriously girls you need to be careful with who you associate yourself’s with :

First of all, do not talk to strangers no matter what the situation,

be weary of people who act dodgy or too nice especially people of the opposite sex,

do not give people the benefit of the doubt even if they seem genuine,

the act of rape can occur to anyone of us females, however we have to take care of where we go, for example; a well educated sixteen year old girl was walking home from seeing her friends, she walks the same route five days a week, and on this particular day.. BAM.. she got raped and not just raped, gang raped.

What did she do wrong? Walk home.. that is all she did.

That is all I have time for today, but I hope this has helping you girls gain some information on gang rape.

Thank you all for listening.

Commentary :

The opening few sentences are used because they are stereotypically found in a speech, it consists of the topic which is going to be spoken about. The capital lettered word is used to add significance and emphasis, which enhances the innocence of the girl who was a victim of gang rape.

The example is used to emphasis that rape can occur to any individual, no matter what their race or age. In addition the example is used to make the audience interact with the topic and therefore engage themselves to the situation of which the girl finds herself in. The pronoun ‘you’ is used once again to engage the audience and to emphasis that they are the girls who are in danger of being a victim of gang rape.

I have chosen to place a statistic within the speech; merely, because the audience (girls) is more likely to listen to facts rather then the speaker talking about their own opinion.

James Bulger

Using information drawn from the whole text, produce the opening voiceover to a TV documentary entitled 'Venables and Thompson : Monsters or Children?'. You should adapt the text and write about 300 words. (Spoken; Voiceover; Entertain/Inform; Mass Audience)

Jon Venables.

Robert Thompson.

These two ten year old boys thought that it would be interesting to abduct, torture and murder a two year old boy.

The children refused to admit to their actions and denied it all, however after direct reinsurance from his parents that they ‘loved them’ the boys finally admitted to this horrific murder. Jon told the justice team that Robert instigated the whole situation and he just went along with him.

This documentary will take you in to the thoughts of the boys parents and the ideologies of whether the murderers are ‘Monsters or Children’.

This whole case has bought a whole new level of fear for parents globally especially british citizens.

This fear was emphasised by the age of the boys, they are the youngest murderers. People do not know how to react, whether or not to view the boys as heartless killers, or as ignorant children.

How can two ten year olds have this effect on society? Surely they should be known as monsters?

The parents mentioned that a specific film influenced the actions of Jon and Robert, and therefore they were not entirely to blame.

Are they ‘Monsters or Children’?

No one has the right to take another persons life in any sort of way, nor is it justifiable that two ten year olds felt the need to abduct, torture and murder a two year old boy, despite their age. James Bulgar was completely innocent in the scenario.... so why did the two boys choose to torture him? Monsters?

Commentary : I chose to speak in third person because I wanted the audience to make up there own mind as to whether they are 'Monsters or Children', therefore no personal opinions are within the documentary. Documentaries are mostly factual therefore they do not require personal opinions. The use of the rhetorical questions is used to interact the audience with the documentary, I wanted the audience to feel involved and therefore to make them able enough to make a decision on whether the two boys are 'Monsters or Children'

Justice At Night - Adaptation

Justice At Night

Using relevant information from the whole text, imagine you are Joe and produce your own diary entry for that night, writing the next day. You should adapt the text and write about 300 words. (Written, Diary; Describe/Explain; Personal)

I wish we hadn’t of even bought the car, it is a piece of junk and a waste of money.

The two men who gave us a lift seemed nice enough, after all they did offer to drop us off to our destination for free of charge. They seemed nice until one of them mentioned that they were attending a lynching. I’ve never been to a lynching and therefore I had no idea of what to expect, I’ve read about them and even heard about them and I am totally against the idea of setting a person a light.

I drank the corn drink because they offered it to me, I was none the wiser to question what it was. It tasted disgusting, it felt like I was drinking fire; however, the two men found it hilarious at the fact that I coughed whilst drinking it.

We arrived at the lynching area at 15:00pm, we were tired, we just wanted to go to carry on with our traveling. The men greeted each other in a somewhat happy manner which is quite strange because a man was about to get lynched. They didn’t even have any proof of Hyacinth’s crime, they did not know if he had even committed a crime. I wanted to say something, but who was I? I was just as bad as the other onlookers. I couldn’t stop them, well I wouldn’t stop them.

“Please boss, I didn’t do it! PLEASE!” He shouted and exclaimed for his justice, but no one was willing to listen. After all a white woman is always going to be believed over a black person, it doesn’t matter whether or not justice has been served.

I hear that when I go to sleep at night, wondering whether he deserved to be lynched, whether I should of stuck up for him.

Commentary :

Within the extract I included a lot of Joe’s perspectives to ensure that the audience knew that it was him speaking about what had occurred the night before. The use of the personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘I’ve’ emphasis that it is him talking and not his friend. I did not include an opening sentence, because I thought that it was irrelevant and by me going straight in to his experience the events would be more vibrant.

In addition the emotions included, were to ensure that we know what his feelings are towards the issue of lynching, and how he feels. “Please boss, I didn’t do it! PLEASE!” This quote has stayed with Joe and shows that he thinks that Hyacinth did not deserve the torture and lynching; however, he could not do anything.

In order to get the audience involved, I used a rhetorical question “but who was I?”, I wanted the audience to think about what they would do in the same situation and therefore whether or not they would of said something.

Interview with Christina Lamb

Write a section of an interview with Christina Lamb for a women's magazine, focusing on the 'double life' issue. You should adapt the source and write about 300 words, to come in the middle of the piece.

Christina Lamb : I do not feel that I am abandoning my child in any way (1.0) I am there for him when he needs me, I provide for him, I am there for him when he is ill, I am only a phone call away.

Interviewer : You claim to be there for your child, however your time is dominated by your work. Your husband has the pressure of looking after him. I know that you are a very successful and independent women, but seriously do you not think that your son deserves more attention?

Christina Lamb : Excuse me, are you trying to insinuate that I am a bad parent because I work? If so, I am a excellent parent, I provide my son with everything he needs.

Interviewer : Mrs. Lamb, I am sorry if I have offended you in any way. I am not assuming anything however, your work plays a very important role within your life, am I right?

Christina Lamb : Yes it does, I want to show women who have children that they can have a career and still be a good parent. I get such a thrill from my job, I love being in the heart of the action. I am the person who informs the world about day to day affairs about War, a job that most people can not handle.

Interviewer : I can personally say that you are a very strong women for doing your job. I could not do it. But do you not miss your family?

Christina Lamb : Of course I miss them, but I knew that I would have to spend days abroad when I took on the job. But I think that I am able to juggle my family life with my work life.

Interviewer : How can you juggle them both, if you spend more time working than you do with your own family. Surely your family is more important?

Christina Lamb : This is a question which I have no specific answer to. My work life means the world to me, I have reached my goal of becoming a successful war correspondent. But my son is my flesh and blood, he is a part of me, and he deserves my undivided attention 24/7. I would love to spend more time with my family, but that would mean spending less time working and that is not an option.

Status and Society

Compare and contrast the ways in which Atwood in the the Handmaids tale and Chaucer in the Wife of Baths tale explore status in society.

Within the Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, we see the institutions of Gilead through the eyes of Offred. The institutions are oppressive to women and they are based on an unyielding and authoritarian class system.

In the Wife of Bath we hear about her life story from her own personal perspective and views. The Wife lacks attractive physical feature and tries to compensate for this flaw by wearing fashionable clothing which she makes her self; moreover, the Wife gets pleasure from looking superior to her peers.The Wife of Bath wears bright red sticking whilst when she foes on Pilgramages, the red denotes a colour and connotes passion, desire, lust and promiscuity. " Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet red ful striete yteyd, and shoes ful miste and newe". The pre modifier "scarlet: emphasises the shade of red worn, also the whole quote is in thrid person and for that motive someone is

Find examples

Sorority Row :

Synopsis : During a party in the Theta-Pi sorority house, the sister Megan plays a prank with her unstable boyfriend Garrett simulating an OD after using pills. Her sisters Jessica, Claire, Ellie, Cassidy and Garrett's sister Chugs suggest to dump her "body" in a lake and the stressed Garrett sticks the tire iron through the Megan's chest killing her. Cassidy decides to call the police, but the sisters are convinced to dispose the body in a shaft and keep in secret under the leadership of Jessica that blackmails Cassidy. Eight months later, in their graduation party, the sisters receive a creepy message with the picture of the tire iron in the beginning of a nightmarish night.

Women in this film are dominant and therefore in control within this movie over men. However this film ends with one of the girls boyfriend being the killer getting his revenge on the other girls. The girls get killed off one by one, starting with the less innocent ones. The whole idea that only the non virginal girls disappear first connoting that being a non virgin is a bad thing. The target audience demographic is aimed at teenagers to young adults. They are represented as college girls who like to party, drink and play pranks. The stereotypes are effective because it fits in with the typical/conventional college horror film. In addition, one horror convention used is the use of small communities. It is set on a college campus which is a small community with people that will be closely knit. It makes use of a lot of sound effects to build tension and the use of lots of different camera angles and shots, such as the use of a worms eye shot. Iconography of blood is used aswell as lots of special effects. This thriller movie represnets women to be split in to two sub categories, 1. virginal, innocent, worthy of living 2. non virginal, worthy of dying, too out going and hence a negative representation.

I know what you did last summer : Four teens are in great danger one year after their car hits a stranger whose body they dump in the sea.

This movie follows a group of teenagers who accidentally kill a man whilst driving around acting foolish. After a year we return to the teenagers lives in a high school. At this point the movie follows one of the teenage girls when she receives a note consisting of : 'i know what you did last summer'. being the innocent one and wanting to go to the police she is the last one to be targeted. Whereas her 'pretty-pagean queen' friend is the first to get targeted. This representation is quite a pessimistic perspective of 'pretty girls', and therefore, a positive perspective of innocent and virginal girls.

Script Homework

Location : A quiet patisserie

Two friends are out having late breakfast

Characters : Tom, Emma

Emma : (eating her croissant) We have not had a decent talk in ages, since you got married in fact, So how are things? How's work? How are your children? How is your wife?

Tom : What is with all the questions Emz? How about you answer all of them and I will answer them after (cocky manner and tone). Emma this may sound random but getting married is the best thing that I have ever done, you should get a wife (laughs)

Emma : (quickly swallows the food in her mouth and drink her tea, nearly choking on her croissant) Why Tom (in a suprised and astonished tone)

Tom : Having a wife is excellent. My wife is sensitive to my sexual needs, she does all the shopping, she picks up after me, she does not complain, who would someone not want a wife (sarcastically)

Emma : (in an abrupt manner) Excuse Tom, BUT a man should contribute

Tom : fair enough, but I work all day, I pay the bills, I pay for the clothes she wears, I keep a roof over her head. (sarcastically) She owes me

Emma : TOM what century are you living in....

Tom: it is

Emma (interuppting) do not even answer that. Your children are half yours and half your wifes responsibility, you should contribute

Tom : I do, I contribute financially (takes an animalistic bite in to his croissant, getting crumbs all over his lap)

Emma : Tom seriously.... eat like an human being. And this conversation is going no-where, you are hard headed, stubborn, narrow minded, and you do not give a toss about anyones feelings but yourself (drinks her tea) (gets up)

Tom : wait.... EM.... wait.... Can we talk about it?

Emma : NO, your perspectives and my perspectives are very different, you have made your views very clear GOOD DAY Tom(leaves abruptly)

Commentry : I chose to create a very calm, cool and collective which then turns in to a tense and un easy atmosphere. The two characters have very opposing views and perspectives which makes the radio piece interesting, it also gives it a flow (it moves the narrative along). I have used stage directions so it is very how the characters are speaking, although you can not see them eating or drinking you can hear them, hence this gets the audience involved. The article is based on "Why I want a wife" by Judy Syfers, I have used similar lexis choices such as the list of routines, to add emphasis on how Tom's wife actually does for him and the family.

Radio: Different voices : sarcastic, happy, surprised, angry,

They give the audience a chance to create their own story in their heads

Why I want a wife by Judy Syfers INCOMPLETE

What is satire

How is satire used in the text

Why is it used and to what effect

The word satire is an adjective which connotes sarcasm and ridicule.

In 'Why I want a wife' by Judy Syfers, satire is applied very effectively through the use of the wife speaking from a mans point of view and repetition. The idea that the wife is speaking from a males perspective is satirical in its self and she opens the article by representing stereotypical roles of a wife "I was ironing one evening" although she claims that she was ironing she may have included it to create a sense of satire and irony.

Also repetition is used throughout the article

starter : connotations

What are the connotations of these words?

Wife: married, in love, caring, housewife, domesticity, nagger, understanding, passion, ring, gossip.

Mother: children, loving, children's primary caregiver, married, caring

Husband: married, wife, works hard, breadwinner, adulterer, cheater, in control, dominant

Father: children, loving, business man

Women: single, free, business women, independent

Man: single, bachelor, messy, not married

The Bitch Manifesto Autobiography

I wonder who decided on categorising and stereotyping women who are physically tall, loud, harsh, awkward, to being 'bitches'

I am considered to be a bitch, not a human being or a female but a bitch, well I suppose I am a bitch, I can not deny being a Bitch. I am aggressive, assertive, strong headed, abrupt, but I have been made to be like this. It is not my choice to be a 'bitch' this is what I am and tough luck to who it bothers.

He is married, I know I shouldn't like him but I do. There is something about him, I think he likes me too, because I am a 'bitch' I can have him. I walk up to where he is sitting, it is a park bench, I sit down not caring how or where I place my legs.

I can hear him breathing heavily, I lean in and kiss him I know I should not but I am because I am a 'bitch'. He kisses me back but when he realises that I people are around he stops and pulls back.

I look at him, he looks away. I think he knows that I am a bitch. He is scared. I stand up and walk away like nothing has gone on, he watches me.

Commentary:

I have included the repetition of the possessive personal pronoun 'I' connoting that she is self centred, egoistic, domineering, obnoxious,. They represent who she is as a person.

I have also included loads of short sentences to create a sense of masculinity, dominance, tough, turbulent,. Because she is not like other women, she is a bitch, and is androgynous. She possesses more masculine traits.

The use of syndetic listing elongates her 'bitchiness' and that there are many reasons as to why she is a bitch

Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs

Write a magazine article for "Good Housekeeping" a magazine for women, in which you argue whether married women should work. 300-400words

25marks

Audience: Women who are married therefore the writing will need to be quite formal and maybe creating a conversational tone.

It should be up to the woman whether she works or if she does not. If the couple has offspring then the woman might want to consider staying at home until the children are able to fend for themselves, because offspring are dependent on their mother. But the father should help out the mother such as: doing the washing, cooking dinner, putting the children to sleep, cleaning up after the offspring, moreover all the things which 'used' to be a woman's duty and what she was expected to do.

Men should get involved with the children, women should not be expected to do everything but work.

In addition the offspring belong to both of the parents and therefore they should both spend equal amounts with them and doing things for them, the majority should not be put on to the women.

In 1964 when women were given 'allowances' by their husbands and they were not allowed to work because of the whole patriarchal society, women were dependent on their husbands for money and financial security. In addition if they worked they would have the right to spend the money they would earn on what they would, whether it be on their offspring or a new coat it would be there choice.

Why should women get burdened with all the children while the man get the privileges of going to work?? The woman needs a break from being at home all the time; going to work may give her the opportunity to get a break from the children and spend time on her own.

Women are not the property of their husbands and moreover they should not be treated like they are inferior and only only worthy to cook, clean, look after the offspring, and tidy up after the offspring.

Women should have the right of whether they want to work or stay at home it should not be down to society.

Questions for 13th December 2010

Why did you choose English Language and Literature?
I chose Lit and Lang because I wanted to gain a wider knowledge of the whole topic of English.

What do you like/dislike about the subject?
I like planning essays however not writing them. I also enjoy discussing texts because it helps me gain a wider understanding of the texts.

Which texts have you enjoyed studying most?
I have preferred HMT and therefore enjoyed it instead of WOB because I found the WOB's language different and quite challenging. Also I liked the content of Othello because it was interesting and easy to engage with.

What do you think of the mix of discussion and writing on the course?
I prefer having a mix, because I personally learn better through discussions, and hearing other people thought and ideas.

Are you using the blog to help you work outside the classroom?
Yes, to catch up on work and to ensure that I have completed the HWK set.

How do you use the blog to help you develop essays- is there a difference from the way you write?
Although writing on a computer is easier and much faster.

What is your approach to writing essays?
I don't really have an approach to writing essays, but I have started to plan them which has been quite beneficial because i know what to include and where to include it in the essay.

Next term you will be studying Cup Cakes and Kalashnikovs- how do you think you can use the blog and other online features to enrich your study?
Online features would ensure that I got a better understanding of the text. Also I can make a note of questions raised from the book, also what I didn't understand.
Moreover I could comment on every few chapters.

Developed

Detailed essay plan

Detailed Essay Plan-1

Status in society essay plan 2nd December 2010

Compare and contrast the ways in which Atwood in the Handmaids tale and Chaucer in the Wife of Baths Tale explore status in society.

Status: Subjugation of women
Dominance over women in Handmaids tale and dominance over men in The Wife of Baths Tale.
The use of clothing: and the connotations and denotations of them. "Everything except the wings around my face is red: the colour of blood, which defines us." The wife of bath wears red to connotes passion, lust and desirability, however Offred is forced to wear red connoting her fruitfulness.

"black, for the commander, blue, for the commanders wife, and the one assigned to me which is red": Connoting her fruitfulness and that she is a guilty women because she is committing adultery however the wife knows.

"Still, it was a message, and it was in writing, forbidden by that very fact" 62

"Waste not, want not. I am not being wasted. Why do I want?" the use of the auxiliary verb: the cliche that she is comparing herself too. She longs to be free and to be loved. She wants her husband and her daughter back. She is fertile and she is needed by the society of Gilead. She is the object not the subject, she is not being wasted because her fertility is being used to make wealthier families happy.
The colonies where the unwomen go: the use of the coinage it is a made up word used by.

The naming's used the possessive preposition, compounding of the two words connoting possessiveness and owning of an object.

Wife of Bath: She has gone against society by being being so upfront and out there.
She has gone against the patriarchal society of that time
She talks about her private and sexual desires which women of the 14th century would not have done.
The language The Wife uses is not appropriate "I mad hem swinke in bed"
She is talking to a bunch of men, only one women is present and she is a nun and therefore, she is not going to interested in The Wife's prologue and tale due to its explicitness. "Quonian"
Sewing and that she was in a patriarchal society
Religion to boast, used to her advantage, doesn't conform to society and what society asks of her.
In the tale the queen is domineering over the king. Women desire to be the person who is in control in the marriage they require the maistree.

The subjugation of women within The Handmaids tale 2nd December 2010

The Subjugation of Women

Chapter 37-39: Subjugation

Subjugation in Chapters 37-39 (Henna and Rosie)
Chapter 37
Within this chapter, Offred describes what she sees including costumes and her surroundings. She also mentions seeing Moira.

"Well, some of them are real pros. Working girls" - The Commander, page 249
The term "girls" connotes that the Commander thinks he's better than these women, making them seem inferior. The idea of "some" of them shows that he's addressing them as a group instead of giving them all their own identity.
"Well, we have quite a collection. That one there, the one in green, she's a sociologist. Or was. That one was a lawyer, that one was in business, an executive position; some sort of fast-food chain or maybe it was hotels." - The commander, page 249
The term "we" gives the impression that the Commander feels he owns these women and they are his possessions. However, the women would rather be there than go to the colonies or be Handmaids, Moira is an example of this. The fact that he knows all of the previous professions of the women at the club shows how often he goes there and that he's important and higher in the hierarchy because he knows about peoples pasts.


Chapter 38
In this chapter, Offred strays from the Commander and goes to speak to Moira in private, which wouldn't have been openly allowed in the Red Centre. Moira describes how she escaped. Moira seems to try to convince and encourage Offred to get herself sent to the club.

"You look like the Whore of Babylon." - Moira, page 254
The term "whore" connotes prostitution. The phrase is ironic because Moira is comparing Offred to a whore when Moira is a prostitute. She seems proud to be in this profession because she can fulfill her sexual desires and will not be condemned for being a lesbian, she tries to convince Offred to join her at the club because she will be 'free'.

"He's my commander" - Offred, page 255
The personal pronoun "my" makes it seem as if the Commander is a possession of Offred, which is a juxtaposition because Offred is essentially his property and if he hadn't taken her to the club, she wouldn't have seen Moira. The sentence as a whole is ironic because she says "He's my Commander" as opposed to "I'm his Handmaid", which makes it seem as if she's proud. Claiming that she's his Handmaid makes her seem inferior to him and less important, like an object. The fact that other women are present when Offred says this, seems as if she's showing off about the fact that she's there with her Commander, because it's as if she's proud of her fertility.


Chapter 39
In this chapter, the Commander takes Offred to a private room and Offred describes the events that occur. She also describes, in great detail, the surroundings while in the room and her feelings, as if remembering the past.

"He shows it to me, slyly. I am to understand." - Offred, page 263
The use of the auxiliary verb "am" in this context is effective because it gives the impression that she's supposed to understand the implication, as opposed to actually understanding fully. The adverb "slyly" connotes that, even in his position of power, the Commander still needs to be careful with his actions and lower himself to the expectations of others. He treats Offred like a sexual object, as if she's nothing more to him than a prostitute, ironic as they are at the club. It is also disrespectful and undermining that he doesn't ask if she will go up to the room with him, he simply shows her the key which is clearly enough to show her that he has made the decision for her.

"He stops at the foot, his fingers encircling the ankle, briefly, like a bracelet, where the tattoo is, a Braille he can read, a cattle-brand. It means ownership." - Offred, page 266
The noun "ownership" connotes that Offred has given into the oppression of Gilead. She accepts that she is a possession of him, contradicting the fact that earlier on in the section she gives the impression that she feels she owns him. The repetition of the personal pronouns "he" and "his" signifies that Offred is not enjoying him touching her, she's too aware and keeps reminding herself that he's the one touching her. The noun "cattle-brand" shows that she feels helpful, as if she's being hunted against her will. The fact that she feels branded shows that she feels that she only belongs to him.

Homework for Monday 22nd November 2010

Look at Chapters 37

Monologue Homework for 15th November 2010

Discussion between Nick and Serena Joy
Topic: Offred having sex with Nick without the Commander knowing.

Nick: I can't do it, if I get caught I'll get sentenced to death not you Serena. Please find another way, please. I'm sorry but I can't do it, I can't go through with it.

Serena: Nick! You've known me for long enough do not beg and plead with me, my decisions are final. You know that! You are young you'll find a nice girl to marry and to have children with. Do this one thing for me. Actually Nick if not for me do it for Offred! If she doesn't get pregnant soon she will go to the colonies. Is that what you want Nick? Having that hanging over your head! You have to, you haven't got a choice.

Nick: Serena are you trying to guilt trip me? If so it isn't working. Your only a wife, the commander has the final say. Please Serena find another way. I have a choice in this matter, I could tell the commander but I won't because I respect him. He doesn't deserve to be treated like this.

Serena: And what would you achieve by telling the commander Nick? Nick the commander is my dear husband and he loves me truly and deeply, why would he believe you Nick? Why? (very thoughtfully and determined however intimidatingly) Offred was a way for me to have children and since she hasn't been successful with the commander, you are my other chance. Do you want this hanging over your head? Stopping me from being a Mother?

Nick: Are you that desperate to have children that you are willing to lie and deceive the husband whom supposedly loves you truly and deeply? Why did you pick me Serena? (fidgeting)

Serena: Nick you are in no position to be questioning me or my decisions. You are young and much more able to produce a child, the commander is old, and I want children, NICK listen to me I need children. End of story Nick. You HAVE to do it! (adamantly)

Nick: But I'm not willing to produce a child and not rear it as my own! I'm sorry but please don't make me. (starting to back down)

Serena: (huffs and puffs)

Nick: FINE! (not happy with it but has to do it for the sake of his job and his lively hood)

Commentary: I chose to do this particular conversation because it isn't mentioned in detail in the book. When I read the book I wanted to know more about this conversation.
The above conversation connotes how desperate Serena Joy is to have children, and to what lengths she will go to ensure that Nick goes through with sleeping with Offred.
Moreover Nick is adamant from the start that he will not give in to Serena's bullying, this is made clear through the use of exclamation marks. The exclamation marks are used by both parties, they connote: determination, defiance and expression.
I chose to do this conversation because it shows how desperate Serena is to have children. Within the book we find out that she wants children hence why she has a handmaid, however this conversation enhances that she NEEDS children.
Nick knows that he can only defy Serena for a short period of time; therefore he gives in to Serena's bullying.
Serena uses blackmailing and guilt tripping in order to convince Nick into doing what she says i.e. by mentioning that Offred will go to the colonies makes Nick feel bad, however he shows this to Serena, she will use emotional blackmail even more.

Diary entry from Commander

It was late, and I was longing for some company, and then finally she came in.

She must of thought that I wanted sex but all I wanted was company that all. I don't blame her for being weary I would be if I was in her situation.

We played an intellectual game of scrabble, it was fun however, I could sense fear in her. I don't blame her but I'm harmless, it's my obsessive and strong willed wife who she needs to afraid of.

However, I know what I'm doing now, I have to be careful and more secretive to ensure that Serena does not find out.