A Twitter user, Momchil Gavrilov, tweeted about his struggles while trying to write an essay on The Handmaid's Tale for an English class. Help came from the unlikeliest source: from none other than Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood. "My crazy English teacher is making us write essays on #TheHandmaidsTale where we are supposed to answer why @MargaretAtwood put the theme of power and control in the book," the user wrote, tagging Atwood. "We do not have telepathy with @MargaretAtwood so I guess twitter is a close second. Helpppp!!!??" My crazy English teacher is making us write essays on #TheHandmaidsTale tale where we are supposed to answer why @MargaretAtwood put the theme of power and control in the book. We do not have telepathy with @MargaretAtwood so I guess twitter is a close second. Helpppp!!!🥴 — Momchil Gavrilov (@GavrilovMomchil) November 8, 2018 The critically acclaimed 1985 book, which has received multiple awards and was recently adapted into a hit TV series, is set in a world in which women have no personal freedoms or choice. Atwood explained, "Because it's in the world. (It's not just women who are controlled in the book.. it's everyone except those at the top. Gilead is a theocratic totalitariansim, not simply a Men-have-power Women-do-not world. Lower status men are told when and who marry, eg.)" Because it's in the world. (It's not just women who are controlled in the book.. it's everyone except those at the top. Gilead is a theocratic totalitariansim, not simply a Men-have-power Women-do-not world. Lower status men are told when and who marry, eg.) — Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 8, 2018 The detailed response delighted Atwood fans and others, who lauded her for taking out the time out to respond. Many, expected said, that it was 'unbelievable.' Amazing! Lol! If @MargaretAtwood had replied to me and helped me with my homework when I was in school I’d be trying to figure out how to get her tweet bronzed! Much respect Ms. Atwood. ❤️ — Lauren Maloney (@designRtwitt) November 9, 2018 Ok the author of the book helping you with your homework is pretty damn cool — J Minear (@minear_j) November 9, 2018 WOW …. direct communication with the author! This is the power of twitter! #thefuture #fingertipeducation :-) — pam-i-am 4 will-i-am (@pambelaarrr) November 8, 2018 Wish I’d had Twitter in ‘82.my grade 13 term paper (Atwood: Poet, Harbinger, & Emissary of the 21st Century) would have been amazing. At least I can console myself with the knowledge that I was right about you back then! — JLC (@Nanobozho) November 8, 2018 Where was Twitter when I was in grade 12 AP English? — Frugalish Physician (@FrugalishMD) November 9, 2018 If this is not the best thing on Twitter today...they've been successful in distracting you from the real problems of the world. Kudos to @MargaretAtwood - what a great experience for a young person to be able to discuss such things with a brilliant Canadian mind! — The RockStar Teacher (@RokStarTeacher) November 9, 2018 How wonderful of you to respond to this student. Thanking you for the kindness! 💐 — 🌀 Gentilezza 🌀 (@Gentilezza1) November 8, 2018 This is so wild. Imagine getting help on an essay from Margaret Atwood. — Clive O'Connor (@cliveoc) November 8, 2018 @MargaretAtwood This response made my teacher heart which has shrunk and withered recently, grow and glow. pic.twitter.com/lSBH6uImHd — It’s Decorative Gourd Season 🎃 (@aprinard) November 8, 2018 Taking the time to reply: a kind reminder that some things are still right in the world. — Nils F. Engelstad (@nils_engelstad) November 8, 2018 I adore this!! Brings back memories of writing my A-Level essay on The Handmaids Tale. It still is the only academic essay I have ever written which was an absolute pleasure and I consequently got an A :-) — Vicki Stanbridge (@pink_lady_vix) November 8, 2018 Oh my God.if there was only Twitter back when I was in college for this!!! *weeps* — Nai Mei (@naimeiyao) November 8, 2018 Saving this tweet for when my daughter studies this book - it will always be relevant. — Teenage Evangelist (@blahblahwhevs) November 8, 2018 Omg! How cool is that?! Wish Twitter had been around in the eighties! I would have been “over the moon happy” to have my favorite author respond to a tweet! 🤗🤗 — Caroline Ghaffari (@carolineghaffa1) November 8, 2018 Jealous that someone who doesn't understand how amazing this book is gets tweeted by the legend herself 😂 — Lana Lane (@LanaLane79) November 8, 2018 Atwood, who is quite active on Twitter, also told the student that she doesn't think the teacher in question is crazy, which got praise from English teachers. Nor does that English teacher sound so crazy. Just sayin. Though it might be the admiring use of crazy, as in "Crazy, man!" — Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 8, 2018 As a crazy English teacher, I approve this thread: — Kylene Walker (@KyleneWalker) November 9, 2018 Why didn’t I think of tweeting you when I was teaching this as a text 😂😂 — Lynda K (@lyndak_aa) November 9, 2018 Could the student's day have gone any better?
