Has any adoptive parent? here..?

Independ"ant"

I watched it last summer after Tish posted it on here.....(netflicks).

In some ways it reminded of how teens are treated, the BSE , Magdalene Laundries and how in some countries girls/women are raped for the purpose of selling their children to foreigners. The way people are using adoption today as a last resort and the mentality that goes along with it is eerily depicted in the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtN5kGLDpLY&feature=related

Jackie B

I just put it on hold at the library to add to my ever growing list of books to read. Thanks!

monkeykitty83

I've read it, and while I have no connection to newborn adoption myself so I don't really personalize that aspect, I can definitely see potential parallels.

FYI: Not to pick on your question, but since people may be interested in finding this to read/watch, you don't have the title quite correct. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother saying anything. The title to look for is 'The Handmaid's Tale.' :-)

Jennifer L

Haven't read it. I'm a pretty avid reader, so I'll put it on my "to do" list. Thanks.

grapesgum

I saw the movie - very powerful with some elements of the Era of Mass Surrender. The scene where the baby fresh from womb was taken from the mother, even before the placenta was delivered. I feel sick whenever I think of it - because it based in reality.

Sly

I haven't seen the movie, but I read the book. I own it, and keep meaning to reread it, but, rather like the book, The People of the Lie, it gives me a creepy feeling when I even touch it now. It is so eerily similar to the Era of Mass Surrender, and so like the world that the UberRight was attempting to return us to that it makes my skin crawl. The theme of women using other women and men being in charge of women's reproduction (what little there was) via religion is terrifyingly close to today.

When you see on Oprah that for poor women in India childbirth for wealthy Americans is a new 'cottage industry' and see Madonna and Angelina on their relentless quest to shore up their fading youth via the adoption of more and more exotic human beings the book rings altogether too close to the news to be entirely comfortable.

Freckle Face

I have not heard of it before.

I will rent the movie since my book list is about a mile long from others in this forum:)

Thanks for the info.

MamaKate

Dear Gypsy,

I have read the book and seen the movie. It came out when I was in high school. Both of them were quite good but very unnerving and creepy. I never made the connection to adoption until I was in my late twenties - talk about a "duh" moment! It is about feminism and how some women oppress others for their own gain. The scariest part is the attitudes in the book are so close to some that I see IRL and Ms. Atwood does a great job at portraying the feeling of being "used as a breeder". There are some very graphic and hard to stomach scenes that make it hard to ignore Ms. Atwood's points.

Here are some discussions of the book/film that you might find interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3RJOVJDTHJWDW
http://www.hercircleezine.com/2008/02/05/north-america%E2%80%99s-obsession-with-babies-and-the-handmaid%E2%80%99s-tale/
http://www.originscanada.org/reproductive_exploitation.html
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19900316/REVIEWS/3160303/1023
http://stirrup-queens.blogspot.com/2007/12/book-tour-8-handmaids-tale.html

Lori A

not a reader per say, and haven't heard of the movie. Sorry.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: