The Handmaid’s Tale re-spins the Jewish stories of Genesis
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
By Jerry Salkin
Yes, "The Handmaid’s Tale" is about fascism and misogyny. But, it is about far more than that. "The Handmaid’s Tale" is a dark midrash on the patriarchal tales of Genesis. I have been teaching Torah for almost four decades. I have edited and written several books on the Bible (consider my latest, which just came out). And, with all that, I am embarrassed that I had not seen – in a deep way – the utter dysfunction that lies beneath the surface of the patriarchal stories. The whole barrenness/fertility thing. The whole idea that if God favors it, God would open your womb for you (which is the standard greeting in "The Handmaid’s Tale" – “May God open…”. Which is precisely why you need to see The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s about us — and about the stories we tell. [More]
By Jerry Salkin
A scene from The Handmaid's Tale. |