Handmaids tale
Marlyn Barroso
ETS 192
October 3rd, 2013 Hierarchy in The HandMaid 's Tale Margaret Atwood 's The Handmaid 's Tale is a interesting novel that will have you confused but also have you bitting your nails with intrigue. So many questions might go in your head, at the same time; Atwood wrote this novel so her readers can have curiosity, even after reading the last word of the last paragraph of the last page of the book. One of the main topics of this novel is the effect on society when a women 's fate is taken away from and replaced by a label of their own. The social hierarchy in the novel categorizes its citizens in a way to hold different social norms for each to enforce patriarchy in the society. Even when power is taken away from people, they still manage to find a way to control themselves and others regardless of the feminist viewpoints. Offred, a Handmaid, is one of the most important characters in the novel. Handmaids wear red dresses with white wings framing their faces and are treated like a special animal. She must eat dinner apart from the rest and her every move is surveillance daily. They 're the only ones that wear red, symbolizing fertility, the caste 's primary function that runs their society. As Handmaid 's, they have to do exercise, like walk, and “during these walks... never say anything that is not strictly orthodox.” If the Handmaids communicate with one another, they can only talk about things that are morally accepted and correct in the society. These women are property of the state, property “of” their commander; Fred is the commander and she is property of Fred, there to serve his sperms in order to bear him a child. “Household, that is what we are. The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds” (Atwood 81), showing the no sense of identity that she attains and understands. “It was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from” was said to Offred, to emphasize the patriarchy in this society. Places
ETS 192
October 3rd, 2013 Hierarchy in The HandMaid 's Tale Margaret Atwood 's The Handmaid 's Tale is a interesting novel that will have you confused but also have you bitting your nails with intrigue. So many questions might go in your head, at the same time; Atwood wrote this novel so her readers can have curiosity, even after reading the last word of the last paragraph of the last page of the book. One of the main topics of this novel is the effect on society when a women 's fate is taken away from and replaced by a label of their own. The social hierarchy in the novel categorizes its citizens in a way to hold different social norms for each to enforce patriarchy in the society. Even when power is taken away from people, they still manage to find a way to control themselves and others regardless of the feminist viewpoints. Offred, a Handmaid, is one of the most important characters in the novel. Handmaids wear red dresses with white wings framing their faces and are treated like a special animal. She must eat dinner apart from the rest and her every move is surveillance daily. They 're the only ones that wear red, symbolizing fertility, the caste 's primary function that runs their society. As Handmaid 's, they have to do exercise, like walk, and “during these walks... never say anything that is not strictly orthodox.” If the Handmaids communicate with one another, they can only talk about things that are morally accepted and correct in the society. These women are property of the state, property “of” their commander; Fred is the commander and she is property of Fred, there to serve his sperms in order to bear him a child. “Household, that is what we are. The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds” (Atwood 81), showing the no sense of identity that she attains and understands. “It was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from” was said to Offred, to emphasize the patriarchy in this society. Places