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The Handmaid’s Tale Ch. 15: Blessed Are the Silent | Banned Books Comedy
Description
The commander unlocks the only Bible in the house, reads the parts that serve him, and leads a ceremony nobody in the room wants to be part of. Meanwhile, the handmaid flashes back to her friend Moira's escape attempt from the Red Center, a plan involving faked scurvy, an ambulance ride, and consequences that will stick with you long after the chapter ends.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter — we don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us.
Things To Listen For:
- Dan explains the very specific type of guy who looks like a "vodka ad in a glossy magazine" and somehow ends up wanting perimenopause medication
- Robot reveals that "Blessed are the silent" was never in the Bible and the aunts invented it to replace "Blessed are the meek"
- Dan connects a pattern across three dystopian books: 1984's telescreens, Brave New World's hypnopedia, and Gilead's locked Bible
- Moira's scurvy escape plan and Robot's medical breakdown of what actually happens when you stop taking vitamin C
- Dan's plan to set calendar reminders to stop eating fruit six weeks before any event he doesn't want to attend
- The sugar packets the women stole for Moira, not because she needed sugar, but because it was the only thing they could find to give
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
This chapter shows a man reading selectively from a locked Bible while the women in the room have no way to verify what he's saying. The aunts altered the Beatitudes to say "Blessed are the silent." That's not anti-Christian. That's showing what happens when people in power get to decide which parts of scripture you're allowed to hear, and that's exactly why this book gets challenged.
If this is your first episode, you're fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers).
Banworthy to Bingeworthy
Every week we share podcasts worth checking out. Here's this week's pick:
- Good News for Lefties — Beowulf Rochlen brings you the good news the mainstream media isn't covering. This week: libraries in Oregon are lending trail cameras to patrons to help track porcupine populations, turning everyday library visitors into citizen scientists. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Disclaimer
Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines.
The material used from the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety.
https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has been targeted for profanity,