The Handmaid's Tale, Part 2: Crash Course Literature 404

[@nell4269]

I told my mom I was watching this and she told me to say hi to John for her so. Hi John.

[@WateverWatever04]

Daniella Van Der Merwe Awww your mom is so cute 😂

[@ok-qc5ry]

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[@obrien92]

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[@Khuratokh]

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[@eruyommo]

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[@blackkittyfreak]

John low-key insulting his own writing at the beginning.

[@p1rgit]

it's reverse bragging :)

[@kenzitaylor8181]

I just realised that crash course John Green and Fault in our Stars John Green are the same person.

[@fizaowais2416]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@maggiemcfly5267]

Me too

[@Andi-ll1fh]

Me too!

[@bookswithbenjamin8902]

My mind is super blown right now. Wtf

[@princewithadiycrown]

wait what

[@nettieb7604]

Study Tip for anyone who spends most of their life reading article and reviews - read it in John Green's voice. I don't know why but it makes it make a little more sense than it did before

[@stephanieoctavius]

Nettie B I told I was the only person who does this lol

[@Victoura56]

Nettie B That technique has made it easier to edit assignments and other writings too.

[@unknownusername5111]

Thank youuuuu

[@mandybailey7945]

Nettie B and if poetry seems boring, read it in the voice of Alan Rickman as Snape. It helps develop a rhythm.

[@thethrowawaythatstayed7055]

Omg it works

[@BL00PZ64]

Margaret Atwood actually just came to my city recently and read an official/unofficial second final chapter with the university students in the novel actually asking questions to piexoto and him giving educated answers. It was actually really cool.

[@jakescheirer3022]

Would very much like to hear a recording of such an event.

[@waywardwillard]

Fun Fact: Margaret Atwood is the Aunt who slaps Offred in Episode 1 of the Hulu series.

[@strategicgamingwithaacorns2874]

I pity Margaret for finding herself in the shithole that is Gilead (as a Catholic, I know for sure they don't like me either), even if it was but a cameo.

[@kevaughncampbell7343]

We know

[@fallondavis747]

Oh I didn’t know that. Interesting

[@marieantoinettescake9513]

John Whitesell I'm a Catholic too. Gilead would probably hang me on the wall or send me to the Colonies. Gilead's faith is of some bizarre Cult-like Evangelical/ Protestant Fascist sect based on Old Testament scriptures. All fire & brimstone. The "Sons of Jacob"?? 😵😏 Screw that!!

[@DamnRebel]

@@marieantoinettescake9513 "some bizarre Cult-like Evangelical/ Protestant Fascist sect based on Old Testament scriptures. All fire & brimstone." Hmm....why does this sound so much like Stephen King's mini-dystopia, "The Children of the Corn"?

[@saifrahmanur]

Just saying John seems like a really nice and incredibly humble guy.. he has made millions in his career as an author with best sellers like 'Looking for Alaska', 'The Fault in Our Stars', 'Paper Towns' and 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' and still makes useful content due to his general passion for literature and the arts. Thank you.

[@corwin32]

Of all the novels I have read, none has ever made me as profoundly uncomfortable as The Handmaid's Tale

[@tomsmith5584]

gordon thomas I read the bathroom reader version. I would read the book, but I want to sleep this millennium.

[@dylandaneman2705]

It is meant to be that way, and it also points out how say realistic it is

[@patriciareeve4419]

I agree! Though Atwood's novel "Oryx and Crake" also gave me nightmares.

[@cretansuperbos2121]

Seriously? You need to get yourself to a library!

[@jdprettynails]

Reading 1984 made me uncomfortable. But The Handmaid's Tale made me scared and angry.

[@leahdooley9542]

I love reading female writing, particularly from times when men were the artistic and cultural majority. I feel they provide a unique perspective on the life of their time. British Victorian writers like Mary Shelley or Christina Rossetti are for sure worth reading to hear a historical, feminine voice.

[@t.vinters3128]

Not based on an actual research, but I think men are still the artistic and cultural majority. Not necessarily by numbers, but by recognition and public/academic treatment.

[@curiousKuro16]

That editing by men reminds me a lot of how Emily Dickinson's works have been organized and reorganized over and over again. When the author is completely absent it can be hard to determine any meaning from their work, and easy for others to frame it however they like.

[@doggiedaydreamer]

Good luck to all of you A Level literature students tomorrow! we will smash this!

[@vit78ify]

Offred wasn`t necessarily arrested, it is kind of unclear what exactly happens to her but what seems most likely is that she managed to flee escorted by the rebel secret society

[@AnnekeOosterink]

Yup, especially since the novel suggests the story is Offred's (or rather, nameless woman) memoirs written after the events.

[@MillieBee11]

Exactly! I found the ending the most compelling part of the book. I liked that Atwood lets her reader decide if they believe Offred is saved or not.

[@AnnekeOosterink]

+Millie Bee Well... It is presented as her memoirs written AFTER she escaped, found somewhere. So she did get away at the end of the novel, we don't know for how long she was free or if she managed to get out of Gilead. We can say that it's pretty certain she was saved at the end of the novel. Just not that she was safe for much longer after that.

[@MsQuey]

I thought it was pretty obvious that she escap but it's been a decade since I've actually read the book.

[@weiyin8046]

I think both are likely a) she _is_ saved by the rebel society. she makes the tapes during her freedom b) she’s arrested, but records her memoirs after gilead is overthrown and she is set free

[@shivimohan]

for anyone interested, there's a sequel now, called The Testaments

[@Carols989]

Probably what makes the not-happy-epilogue so much worse is that, before all that, the world was (at least in our perspective) way better, more egalitarian, less racist, even though not perfect. Still, imagine watching this from the point of view of, say, black abolitionists, they would look at the future happy that the worst part, slavery, is over, but damn there is still decades of segregation and even after that racism, cop violence and etc. Would they react as we do to the epilogue?

[@adrienneandcarlie]

B_Potassio🤔 good one😁

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

*looks around* What's this? John mentioned the word "feminism" and talks extensively about gender politics in a video and people are still acting in a calm and reasonable manner? Perhaps there's hope for humanity yet.

[@georgia34279]

while I absolutely love john and think he did a fantastic job, I've noticed that the internet is a lot more civil around feminist issues when men are the ones who bring it up.

[@a.8142]

georgia34279 you misspelled "John" as "men"

[@georgia34279]

While I do think John is really good at addressing such issues, I've noticed it happening with other man not just John

[@Dycehart]

or their filter is working over time

[@lazypoo6117]

That's because all the sensible people stopped watching crash course years ago

[@djaleksandr]

The fact that the female professor was from Nunavut is itself compelling and interesting because of its ties to indigenous sovereignty.

[@thomasbarnett2385]

I assumed Denay Nunavit was a play on words for "deny none of it"

[@_o_W_O_]

@@thomasbarnett2385 that's ingenious never thought of that

[@MoeLoveeee]

Did ...did he just throw shade at his own book? 😂

[@vi4269]

Lol I didnt pick it up at first but yes... yes he did

[@KarelPletsStriker]

"Ekweetooray faymaynin" -John Green, 2017 Good job, John

[@shelbyrobert3804]

Thank you John, for exploring some of the great themes of my favourite author (no offence). It's too bad there wasn't time to talk about one of the themes most relevant to the current day: the choice between "freedom to" and "freedom from". I feel like history is often not a narrative of bad people doing bad things, but about people, good and bad, choosing between "freedom to" and "freedom from", and the larger social consequences of their search for security (whether real or imagined).

[@osirisgem]

The passages you have chosen are so stunning, almost in a beauty so shaded as to be criminal in fictional prose made metaphor and page.

[@vye6737]

Just wanna say that your channel has helped me so much throughout school

[@ambermckinney4098]

I love Atwood, and Handmaids Tale, but her best work is Oryx and Crake. It is probably the most amazing thing I have ever read, as well as one of the scariest.

[@alfienice3636]

My friend's mother always told me to not take my freedoms for granted but to not become complacent and now I'm thinking maybe she was quoting this amazing book haha. I never made that connection till now

[@ramaneeshraviraman7552]

Interesting that you didn't actually specify that the movie "The Fault In Our Stars" was better than the book, just that it was good... -Rex

[@dylandaneman2705]

Ramaneesh ravi raman it was a joke because he wrote the book

[@r.r.n8998]

Ramaneesh ravi raman he was tryna plug his book

[@redbullandspite]

As someone that’s just started studying this, the context and ideas about narrative perspectives were very useful! I have to say, despite the ending showcasing the continuation of misogyny (among other things), the fact that Offred had managed to record her story and share it at all gave me hope. Thank you!

[@Lemanic89]

Are you gonna touch on ”Brave New World” and ”Emile”? Would be nice.

[@victoriacoura8834]

Pieixoto is just the wrong form of the portuguese surname Peixoto. That's it. Canada has a large community of portuguese so she might have just written it wrong.

[@ninjaturtles12121]

intentionally written it wrong because by then books and records (after Gilead burned most books) might have passed down the wrong spelling like a game of telephone. Atwood very very rarely gets anything wrong and most of it is intentional.

[@cheyannemathis5706]

I started reading The Handmaid's tale during the 2016 election cycle and it really resonated with my fear regarding a lot of things in the rhetoric of trump and the alt-right. This is a novel that's really good and it made me even more determined to fight to keep my rights and to advance them to a level playing field with my male peers. I'm also so excited for Candide!

[@ponyprincessbleach5196]

Cheyanne Mathis wow I'd be really interested in you outlining to me what rights you want to defend. And also which rights you're currently fighting to gain that men already have?

[@cheyannemathis5706]

Pony Princess Bleach my right to decided what happens to my body and how it’s used. My right to equal pay for equal work. My right to marry whomever I choose and who chooses me. My freedom to worship as I want while not having the government decide its policy based on religious ideas. My right to not be discriminated against and assaulted in the workplace and the public. My right to speak and protest the injustices both here and abroad.

[@jameshaskins1]

Cheyanne Mathis you already have all those rights...

[@cheyannemathis5706]

james dean my right to decide what I do with my body and how it’s used is constantly under threat. And I’m not treated equally among my male peers and can be paid less for the same work in many fields. I am often spoken over and not taken seriously in academia by some simply because of my sex. My freedom from the state making policies based on religion is also threatened. My freedom to choose whatever religion I wish for personal worship is also threatened by discrimination as is my right to marry who I choose.

[@ponyprincessbleach5196]

Cheyanne Mathis in the case of abortion the question is not what happens to the woman's body it's about what happens to the child's body, does the child also get to choose? Equal pay for equal work is enshrined into law. It's been that way for decades. Are you sure you want the right to marry anyone you want? What about the right to marry family members? I'm almost sure you live in a secular democracy and that's already written into the law. Harassment is also illegal. Free speech and freedom to protest is also written into law. I agree these rights should be protected. But I didn't see you mention any rights that men had that you were working towards.

[@kylebell7323]

Damn 3 dystopias in a row. Lit 404 fun not found. Great ep keep it up.

[@chobits9841]

Thank you for always inspiring me and always surprising me with the most amazing things.

[@eliseweusthuis]

Trying to categorize narrative or even thought into a gender feels very alienating to me

[@mansamusa1743]

Elise Weusthuis it seems just needless tome

[@ChronicallyCurious]

To me it's hard to get my mind around how that is different from "voice." And if a character is male and identifies as male, I tend to hear him and write a first person narrative utilizing that "voice," which sounds different from a female character. But, as each character has a different voice anyway, it's just further subdividing.

[@mansamusa1743]

Chronically Curious I think I understand now.never thought about it that way.

[@dakotaschule]

There are experiences uniquely associated with specific genders that members of the biologically opposite sex simply do not experience in the same way. Much like the experienced uniquely by specific races and cultures of peoples. Taking the approach of not recognizing gender at all just silences people of the vulnerable community. Its like being michael scott “color blind”

[@jacquelinegordon2744]

I love your guys' videos!!! I was wondering if you guys could do a crash course in Excel? The reason is because the longer I've worked in an office, the more I've found this skill to be super valuable and super under-taught. At my company, there are people who have been hired over other candidates literally because of their excel skills.

[@joyfulmordo3168]

I’m writing a fan fic about John called “an abundance of paper towns”

[@jsly621]

And its sequel: Catherines all the way down.

[@hiko6966]

It should be a trilogy, the third book: Finding the fault in our stars

[@KingsleyIII]

How about "The Fault in Looking for an Abundance of Paper Turtles all the Way Down?

[@hurpldurp]

Why not include his brother too: An Absolutely Remarkable Abundance of Looking for Faults in our Paper Turtles all the Way Down-Town

[@aaroncondron8419]

The fault in my erection: a John Green fanfic

[@paularodriguez726]

My country does not have an army so for me the idea of a regime taking over is rather impossible, at least in my situation. But I think we view this kind of stories as very unlikely. I´m sure people in Venezuela 20 years ago would have never imagined that their rich country would become what it is today. It´s rather scary to think that the Handmaid´s Tale could become a reality someday.

[@AStrangeTree]

Paula Rodriguez my country only spends over half it’s budgetary expenses on military so I’m pretty sure I have nothing to worry about /sarcasm

[@yaumelepire6310]

You don't need an army to make a successful "Coup d'État", just sufficient support from government insiders.

[@paularodriguez726]

Yaume Lepire yeah that's true. But actually my country had a ton of those until the army was abolished back in 1948. I hope I never get to see one

[@llff2518]

You don’t need an army to overthrow the government, a paralimitary group can do that and then call themselves the army

[@yaumelepire6310]

Paula Rodriuez, You're from Costa Rica then? Yeah... I guess any kind of armed forces does facilitate coups. My country's never had a coup... we were conquered though.

[@nitzans]

I'm shook, I literally just learned about Helene Cixous and feminist literary theory TODAY in my Literary Theory class at university. Great timing! Great video, great analysis. I love how you tie in concepts from previous videos, like about the historians. Thank you!

[@Plasma_Pistolier]

I love the authors voice, figurative language, personification and analogy in the book it really makes the situation come to life. I tell you though my favorite thing about the entire book was that one of the professors was from the *Republic of Texas,* Texas once again became its own nation. Glorious. Never really liked the book though.

[@el_dorado_books8586]

I love how the topics discuss in this videos are unexpected and interesting. I read the book just to hear the discussion and I’m so happy I did!

[@DuluthTW]

I love this series. It helps me better understand why I like a book so much and helps me choose better/best books and authors to read. Thanks, John.

[@state_song_xprt]

I'm very impressed by you, John Green - I would not have been able to conclude a piece about the relevance of the Handmaid's Tale today without mentioning Roy Moore.

[@VoltasP]

When reading books with a female protagonist from the first person perspective, I like to play a little game called "How long before she talks about how great her skin feels against her ____________." Winners nail it by the first chapter, sometimes as quickly as the first paragraph. There's a substantial bonus if the author specifically describes breasts. The prize for this game is an all-expense paid for flight across my room.

[@MollyGermek]

How many bonus points for describing her genitals as her 'sex'?

[@VoltasP]

If you're not describing the feeling in your genitals while having sex, I think you're doing it wrong.

[@sm6756]

Volta smart comment

[@meeeka]

Aren’t you clever?

[@ladytgcircuits824]

Volta Q

[@AnnaWoods]

If for some reason you fancy helping me with my English A Level coursework (comparison of entrapment/setting in Never Let Me Go and Wide Sargasso Sea) I would probably start a religion committed to you

[@Mitzarin]

Man, I do not miss college essays. Glad that part of my life is done with.

[@AnnaWoods]

Mitzarin can i be you they're making me want a nice bleach martini lol

[@racheldrosen99]

I've read WSS in my AP Lit class!!! Can I help?

[@unknownusername5111]

Also please do A streetcar named Desire

[@AnnaWoods]

Rachel Drosen omg honesty if you have any notes about the entrapment of the female characters (preferably with some consideration of the setting) you would save my life xx

[@Jeff-bm4lb]

Please do A Streetcar Named Desire

[@philrobichaud3063]

I've just recently discovered Margaret Atwood's work, I'm going to have to put this book on my "to-read" list. Love your analysis as always, i'm currently reading another Atwood dystopia "The Year of the Flood". I would love to hear your thoughts on the whole Maddaddam Trilogy - especially "Oryx and Crake" :)

[@youjustkilledmylife]

I love the fact you understand that there is a different way of looking at history. There is a wonderful book by Svetlana Alexievich called "The unwomanly face of war" that tells a different story of the Soviet women who served. One of these days I hope to see something from Allied women

[@chittah]

I appreciated these videos. the tv show was really hard to watch, but I appreciated this window into the story

[@paulchristian7693]

Haven’t watched regulation fake TV in several years. Read good books,u tube and hang out with intelligent people,etc. . Watch this show. 🤓

[@ilfautdanser9121]

just wanted to say thank you. i used to read so much in my childhood and into my 30s. but then came the internet and i can't say when i last read a novel--maybe 20 years??? it makes me want to cry because i have truly deprived myself. instead i think i'll go to the library.

[@chloesutton361]

Is there any chance you could do more dystopia videos, such as Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451 or A Clockwork Orange?

[@alizabeth8314]

Chloe Sutton or The Road, or The Stand...

[@mycareerdiary4593]

didn't you write "the fault in our stars" .I love how humble you are ☺

[@ryanbrown7440]

CANADA PROUD

[@serenvde_]

Omg I literally just finished the book, great timing!!

[@Luna-dz3hv]

Im watching the show right now and i find it so bewitching. To think that the handmaids tail is about our society today . Cant wait till part 2comes out .

[@donbrunodelamancha1927]

@CrashCourse I found your channel about 2 months ago, and have to say, I love the way your mind works, your confident, yet very soothing presentation style. I agree with you very much on assigning “gender roles” to literature. It’s to confining, the human mind is far to nuanced than that. Bravo, I will follow you closely. I think you might be a Jungian!!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@MayV93]

Really thought-provoking video, John. Looking forward to seeing you and the CC team take a similarly critical-minded approach with Voltaire next week

[@heulwenrhosyn9625]

You analysis of literature is fascinating. Please do a crash course episode about Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë😍😍

[@debodatta7398]

I wish you talked more about the deep Canadian influence on her work especially in The Handmaid's Tale

[@KayWhyz]

This was my favorite episode of Crash Course Lit yet! I really love how you're starting to use critical theory in these videos.

[@VictoriaNavarro]

I just love all this reviews. Love ti, and make me want to read more and more.

[@goslin8629]

I was so impatient for this

[@sadman4291]

Moo

[@fatimanoor4400]

Sir I love the book "The fault in our stars🌟✨✨✨its my fav.. You're my favvv

[@hiko6966]

HE'S BACK OMG

[@TokyoTraveller]

"Can it happen now? Can it happen here?" ummm, it is happening now, and it is happening here. NOW.

[@dapawsee9490]

I just want to say that this was very interesting and well done , thank you

[@HealingGiggles]

I love you John sir

[@ericsvogel]

Very excited for Candide.

[@kurisichin]

Excited for next week, I'm about to finish Candide now~

[@SimplyEyeCatching]

My husband won't let me binge watch the show (we are watching it together, and he will only watch one episode per night), so I'm currently fighting the intense urge to watch this whole video to know what happens.

[@rebeccaboroczky2778]

Alex S. the show is very different to the book I’ve heard, I’m studying the book for Literature A Level and I’m told that the entire plot of the book is basically only in the first episode of the show and that’s it. So go ahead and binge it 😂

[@SimplyEyeCatching]

Oh, good to know! :D I will absolutely do that then. haha

[@lawrencium4101]

Please please please do a lit one on An Inspector Calls!!! ♥️♥️♥️

[@ebea211]

I actually prefer the tv show over the book- the cinematography is just too good

[@armorsmith43]

One thing I’ve noticed about the poem Dulce et Decorum Est is that it has the mirror to the traditional climax structure: the characters are half asleep until the eruption and then there is great conflict and trauma.

[@timeaesnyx]

Andrew Farrell the one poem from Horace that I dislike

[@armorsmith43]

Horace? *googles* oh. wow, more than 10 years after reading Owen's poem and I learn it references another poem.

[@timeaesnyx]

That's fine, I didn't really realize you were talking about Owen. Edith Hamilton described the source of Horace's popularity as being able to look at human absurdity and love us anyway.

[@laurak8240]

Both of you, thank you for this discussion. I had never read all of Owen's poem, and I did need to. Thanks again.

[@Cormac_YT]

*MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE*

[@sophiabahia8938]

You do know that Peixoto is like, a super normal last name in Brazil right? And it's not pronounced like that...

[@Word-Smithy]

The warning in the last minute of the video is coming to pass even as I write this.

[@haldellinger2921]

Offred was "arrested" in name only in the book. She was actually spirited away by the Resistance. That was how she managed to leave a record of her ordeal. I don't think this was made clear in this video. Interesting take though about the successor society and that it may bear traces of Gilead. I didn't get that from my reading. Might be a reasonable idea...or not. Must re-read. Also, Offred's arrest resulted in the Commander's "bending" of the law regarding his relationship to his Handmaid becoming known and contributed to an even greater crackdown by the Powers That Were in Gilead. Offred seems to have ended her days in sanctuary, I believe, pregnant with Nick's child.

[@chickendragon8526]

Love your work John. Keep up the good work, but don't work too hard.

[@mazijade]

5:17 very interesting and insightful point. A scenario that also makes one think about the editing and interpretations of the Bible itself. Not necessarily to prove it’s truthfulness, but to at least question the sustainable reach of understanding in humankind. How are we sure that the message of God is not simply hidden behind or woven in between the miscalculations of man... when people use verses to justify their evil... how are we sure that God’s message has not simply been corrupted by people who disregard the walk of Jesus? Just some thoughts. It’s not always about who’s right and who’s wrong. Sometimes it’s about feeling for one another and loving one another, so that we may build a world of kindness and joy and prosperity. With every person loving and serving each other simultaneously through respect and non-judgment and positive encouragement. 🤔

[@Bibliomaniac14]

I liked the show better than the book but both are so amazing!

[@geoffgreen2105]

Fear, Loathing, and Waking Nightmares? I thought this was Margaret Atwood, not Hunter S. Thompson! I dare you to do one of his books.

[@aldenheterodyne2833]

I look around in 2019 and increasingly see a movement towards Giliad. I am fearful. My family has been in America for at least 150 years. I am hesitant to leave. But I can see what's happening. I am trying to learn German so that I can move to Germany.

[@potaatoo8793]

Viel Erfolg dabei! :)

[@sadiashupta1135]

i was just thinking of Handsmaids Tale before checking youtube.

[@totalwreck7435]

I just finished the book an hour ago. First thing I do? Go listen to John Green

[@scouttyra]

In the afterword of a 2016 edition of "The Handmaid's Tale" Atwood (2016) writes "What's my next hope for this book? The same hope it's always been. I hope that /The Handmaid's Tale/ will remain between its covers; that it will not become a reality. Any more than it already is." (Atwood, M., "A Handmaid's Tale" 2016, p. 486). It connects very well (almost frighteningly so) to what John Green is talking about in this video, and what's happening in the US (and other parts of the world) today. She also talks about how easy it would be to do something similar in today's society to women (or any group of people) as was done in Gilead, as Atwood (2016) puts it: "[...] it wouldn't take many flicks of the switch to cut women of from access to autonomy." (Atwood, 2016, p. 485). We have to be careful, so as not to create such a future for anyone. DFTBA to you all and TYFBA to Green and Atwood. Source: Atwood, M., 2016 "The Handmaid's Tale" London, Vintage.

[@stcrussman]

It's odd how people try freeing themselves from old definitions, with new definitions.

[@astridthedane525]

I think it is more a sense of trying to free yourself from others definitions with your own definitions?

[@radishjuice8662]

It's cause people love to come up with new labels for no reason at all

[@meg1653]

shiro plz no, I disagree. you say people come up with labels and then change to fit them? why not the other way around; people change their behaviors (away from the old) and a new vocabulary follows to describe the new. people DO like putting themselves in boxes but...is that truly avoidable? tribalism is a significant part of human nature.

[@radishjuice8662]

just because it's apart of human nature doesn't mean it's a good thing. It's human nature to take advantage of others and their situation, which is why I don't expect rich people to give poor people money. If the poor people became rich, they wouldn't give money to the poor, so i guess humans just suck. And yes, labels are very generalized and if someone doesn't like it, they change because the world revolves around them.

[@meg1653]

shiro plz i didn't say that just because it's apart of human nature, it's good... although i would argue most aspects of human nature are almost neutral, for lack of a better word? because they're responsible for both good AND bad. tribalism is "bad" because we seek to put each other in categories and make assumptions based on those categories, but it's also tribalism that gave us city-states and algebra and still gives us space-exploring and skyscraper-building. y'know?

[@jasminegulliver3250]

I don't think that the battle for equality and equal opportunity are never won. I think they can be won. However we must always fight fiercely to protect it. Atwood's work shows us how quickly those rights can be taken away again.

[@Prince-wr5ou]

Anyone else here the day before their A-Level Exam on the book?:)))))))

[@harrison6082]

Make a video about It Can't Happen Here

[@lamajigmeg]

great job John 👍

[@cynacist1823]

John's speaking voice makes complicated sentences seem easy. One note though: in the this episode, one of the handsmaids is animated as black. Given the explicitly racist nature of Gilead (and the society is arose from), none of the handmaids would be women of colour, as white supremacists generally want white babies. In the book Offred notes that various countries had been trying to increase the caucasian birth rate. She states that the Marthas, the lowest ranked women within a house, are "brown". They weren't allowed to use the front door - but some of the handsmaids and the wives could. So, that made me think that all the handsmaids were white, and that the Marthas (and some of the econowives) were women of colour. What do you think?

[@kamilacurtis9258]

just a few things - offred finds out about her mother at the red centre I think it's called, and the commander's wife finds out about Waterford taking offred to jezebel's because of the lipstick smear that she leaves on the coat that she took from the wife's closet

[@rypsoc]

I'm kind of curious (and this is as an outsider) if Hillary had won the election; I wonder if season 4 of CrashCourse Lit would be so based on Dystopia? Would we have gotten a different theme/genre or would it have been the same?

[@LittleLion93]

"so focused on Dystopia" we just know 2 books, calm down :D

[@spacefacey]

Trump isn’t the only problem. It’s deeper than that

[@mikekelly9663]

Waking nightmares, being in Las Vegas. Pretty much the same thing depending on the time of day.

[@consoleking9670]

That part about Peter Brooks' theory was really interesting. Not sure if it's true, but it's definetely something I'll think about when reading from now on

[@NavariteAzuth]

It's a different direction than much of this crash course. But it'd be grea to see you work through Sandman by Neil Gaiman some time.

[@darianshape4620]

Welcome to 2017 the prequel to The Handmaids tale

[@AntiFaGoat]

Darian Shape Yup. Pence inherits presidency, coup detat, nuclear conflict, contraception banned, Christian-centered laws ... all this could happen and lead to a very Gileadean scenario.

[@lonerChise]

equal parts HungerGames/Battle Royale as well

[@laurak8240]

Even more so now in 2018. :(

[@bobutters8289]

Anyone who believes this is absolutely ridiculous.

[@ciscomartinez6092]

Welcome to 2019 we’re striving better than you could have imagined granted alt right has turned into the new snowflakes but aside from that you still look silly

[@jameslizamore1112]

Hi Crash Course. Will you guys be covering Catch-22 sometime soon?

[@sophiewang5881]

I love how he plugs his book but also kinda roasts it as he says the movie is better.

[@HikariOni]

I hope you can make Candide more palatable, because I remember hating it in high school.

[@vaishnavimangal9457]

This was so helpful! Thankyou!

[@nikkigriffin6441]

I've listened to this video multiple times and only now did I realize he is saying Nunavut, around 9:10. I thought he was saying "none of it" That's a very interesting choice to me. (For the record the anglicized pronunciation is nun-e-vut). Nunavut wasn't an official territory when the book was published and wouldn't become one for years. It remained sparsely populated territory with an above-average population of aboriginal people and scientists due to harsh conditions. Currently, there are only a few colleges and no universities. I wonder if this suggests in this future higher education will be more accessible to aboriginal people. Or if as climate change warps the planet, higher latitudes with warm-up and lower latitudes will become inaccessible, so the country is forced to 'develop' land we had previously left alone, effectively continuing the path of devastation. The latter wouldn't seem to fit the tone of the ending. The former seems more plausible, with whites being marginal to dominate culture. And the name Crescent Moon is reminiscent of what happens when you translate the meaning/symbolism of an aboriginal person's name into English instead of trying to spell out its normal pronunciation in the Latin alphabet. But Pieixoto's behaviour doesn't strike scream "We had done what is necessary to atone and mend fences as a culture". Especially that line praising the effective totalitarian systems. And the pope part would be a strike against this theory if it is correct.

[@l.evolution5809]

Wait, is that actually John Greene? The author or just a guy named John Greene???? Either way, you’re awesome

[@samrust4366]

Tag yourself I'm John's smirk whenever he mentions his own books and movies