The Handmaid's Tale

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While shucking corn in a field and thinking of the afternoon, Ray notices that fate has robbed him of any real opportunity to enjoy life. He whispers to himself, “Tricked by Gad, that's what I was, tricked by life and made a fool of (Anderson 2).” Hal overhears Ray's remark and realizes that Ray is talking about marriage and fatherhood. This causes Hal to reveal that he has gotten a girl pregnant and he has thought about taking off rather than getting “harnessed up and driven through life like a horse (Anderson 2).” Since Ray must have been in the same dilemma himself at one point, Hal asks the older gentleman for his advice. While running an errand to the store, Ray feels that he should advise Hal to refuse getting married. On the contrary,
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