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Femininity In The Handmaid's Tale

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Femininity In The Handmaid's Tale
In the complex hierarchical society of Gilead, two groups which represent the regime’s ideals, the Guardians and the Marthas, have two very different yet very similar views when it concerns the Handmaids. The Guardians, who are a group of lower-ranking, male soldiers, see the Handmaids as objects of respect and even reverence. They believe that Offred and Ofglen and all the other Handmaids are worthy of being saluted and shown the utmost deference. This holiness that is accorded to them in the highly religious world of Gilead is exceedingly ironic when it is considered that the Handmaids represent everything that Gilead denounces for its sinfulness. Offred and the others have duties that are intrinsically linked to their sexuality and gender,

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