Offred lived a normal, American life when all of the sudden, her family was taken from her so she could go have somebody else’s baby. The Handmaid’s Tale is about a woman’s tale of her life, her story, and her struggles in a new society and how she got there. This story by Margaret Atwood tells the life of Offred, a handmaid for a wealthy couple and her daily struggles trying to adapt to her new world. Offred tells how she makes deals with her Commander and his Wife with hope of getting out and how that changes her life. The progress in this book is not as one would probably describe progress, but it is as follows: the government and society had to make major changes in order to bring about the new system and laws, Gilead is thinking of and executing ways to raise the birthrate in their country, and handmaids and women in general are protected at all costs.…
In Offred’s world, she is oppressed and controlled. She’s forced to live in a society that’s controlled by a religious regime that forces its citizens to live under a strict set of rules. Over the course, there are a series of events and allusions that show that the world Offred lives in is similar to an event of history. The novel The Handmaid’s Tale connection to colonial-age America is due to the existence of old religions relevant at the time and the events within the books. The strongest connection to the colonial age are the religions that were in power in the novel and the time period.…
The feelings of the ladies in Gilead is parallel to the emotions of the females in the 1960s and ‘70s. Both report to a male “guardian” who have no legal right to property or money. Also, in each society, it is difficult or forbidden for women to hold an occupation. By creating a realm of female suffrage in The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood was able to criticize the social issues of anti-feminist viewpoints that she witnessed growing up. Although women have more liberties today, the message of The Handmaid’s Tale should not be forgotten- no gender alone can run the…
A motif in The Handmaid's Tale is the color red and Handmaids in Gilead wear red. The biggest and obvious example is the Red Center where handmaids are trained. Red symbolizes oppression since the women are being forced to become handmaids. The great thing about literature is everything is up for interpretation, therefore red could mean various things. Salvagings take place by The Wall, which is described on pg.…
Atwood has always enjoyed writing Sci fi novels. The feminist and environmental views stemmed great from Atwood’s own personal advocacy of such things (Atwood, Interview by Rosenburg).…
The issue that has been persistent for as long as one can remember is Misogyny in the society. The belief that women are inferior to men has been contaminating the human mind. The issue can be commonly seen in the society in form of domestic abuse, violence, objectification in name of advertisements, and especially in the music industry where the lyrics are filled with hateful messages towards women. Even though the governing laws consider men and women as equal, but the mistreatment of women continues to be the headline of every newspaper.…
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood takes place in the Republic of Gilead, in which women are placed in certain groups and stripped of their identity. Gilead focuses on bringing back old religious aspects into life by dividing individuals into biblical groups. The women especially the main character Offred is completely stripped of her name and possessions as well as being forced to not be able to talk, read, or write. In Handmaids Tale, by Margaret Atwood, the government of Gilead uses religious fear tactics in order to turn women against each other and strengthen their power.…
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood are two significant pieces of literature that, when read together, have many identifiable similarities. One similarity between the two novels is the motif of the suppression of power among women. Throughout Pride and Prejudice and The Handmaid’s Tale, the men within these novels suppress the power of women through the abolition of a woman's ability to possess anything physical or to move upward in class.…
Type 1: The clitoris is held between the thumb and the index finger and amputated with one stroke of a sharp blade. Type 2: Then the labia minora and the labia majora are lacerated. Type 3: Finally, the remaining tissue is sewn, leaving a 2-3 mm hole where a twig can be inserted for urine and menstrual fluid. Tie the legs from hip to ankle together for 6 weeks in order to help the tissue bond. No anesthesia is to be used. Hygiene need not be taken into consideration. Side effects include bleeding, tetanus along with other infections, painful sexual intercourse, long delays during childbirth, and death. Psychological effects such as depression, anxiety and PTSD are also common in the women who undergo this procedure.…
Instead of simply standing by and further going along with the unethical treatment towards women, people began to speak up and no longer allow for the discriminatory government to keep reign. Coincidentally, Atwood’s literary appearances during this time established her writing style and craft. Although she’s from Toronto, the Women’s Liberation Movement played a potential role in Atwood’s future works, such as “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Jean-François Vernay also advocates that the historical context of the novel as a “critical feminism…of feminine resistance to patriarchy” which correlates the the movement (Vernay). Since Atwood witnessed the movement and was able to watch the progressive change from a considerably conservative to a more liberal society towards women, she channels those experiences into her literature as a way to prevent the negative aspects of a conservative perspective to infringe on women’s rights again. For example, in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the main character, Offred, is essentially imprisoned by her government which is a parallel to how women were treated by the U.S. during Atwood’s time. Although comparing the misogynistic society in which Offred is surviving in to the U.S. during the 60’s is…
In The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood women are subjected to extreme oppression. Almost every part of their life is controlled, and they are lead to believe that their only importance is their ability to bear children. Any type of individuality or expression is forbidden, and dangerous. Even worse, they are taught to believe that they are now safer; women are supposedly no longer exploited or disrespected as they used to be. Personal relationships are also prohibited for handmaids, as their sole purpose is just to produce a child for their commander. However, Offred and other handmaids refuse to completely submit to Gilead by storytelling, remembering, and rebellion.…
All throughout history women and men have been seen differently. Men have always been seen as strong, smart, tough, and natural leaders. Women have been seen as weak, timid, nurturing, and always following a man’s lead. As you can tell they are very different. Less than 100 years ago women didn’t have rights in America. They weren’t allowed to vote, own property, or pretty much do anything without a man’s approval. The group “ United Society of Believers in Christ second coming” were adovocating for women’s rights a century and a half before women had the right to vote, according to news wise .com.…
Despite Congress representation being increased to an all-time high in the 2012 election, women represent only 18.5 percent of Congress. While feminism has brought forward more power than imaginable for women, men still have more power over the daily lives of women than possible. Although women’s rights laws have dramatically increased in the past few decades, especially in third-world countries, generally men still possess nearly all of the political and governing power. While the Wives of the Commanders have power over the household and all its residents, excluding the Commander, in The Handmaid’s Tale, offering women remnants of power do not conceal the real deal: Men have dominion over women.…
When any substantial power is taken from people, they still have the capability to maintain control over themselves and have the power to rebel. Even though the handmaids appear to be hopeless, Offred sneakily uses her sexuality to gain power and control over the commander. There is a scene in the novel where Offred uses her body and sexuality in order to tease the men, she gains attention and a feeling of rebellion, letting her feel powerful and in control over men. "I move my hips a little, feeling the full red skirt sway around me.” Which shows that the only power Offred has left is her own body and her body language along with it, evidently displaying that even small actions like this allows her to feel…
Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, is an eerie example of a “dystopian” novel. A dystopian novel portrays a terrifying picture of a world which makes the reader say, “what if?” Atwood wrote the novel in the 1980’s following the free-spirited, fun-loving period of the 60’s and 70’s. The plot, characters, themes, symbolism and setting of the novel display a picture of what the future world could be like if women’s rights were completely removed.…