Handmaid's Tale Symbolism
Symbolism Project
In the novel The Handmaid's Tale, the society of Gilead is divided into classes with fertile women being "Handmaids" that are assigned to give birth for privileged couples that are infertile. In this society women are stripped of their rights, by having their jobs and money taken away, losing the privilege to read and write, even the right to have recreational sex is not allowed. Other minorities such as gay people and Jewish people, along with doctors that perform abortions are executed in this society. The reason for the government's ignorant views on women and other minorities is due to the extremist use of religion for their spiteful personal agendas. In The Handmaid’s Tale, religion plays a fundamental role in …show more content…
Firstly, as the totalitarian government of Gilead was being formed women were fired from their jobs and their bank accounts were frozen, allowing all the money the women made to be given to the men. Offred is aware of this as she states on page 171 that “We are not each other’s anymore. Instead I am his.” Instead of the relationship between her and her husband Luke being codependent, Offred now has to fully rely on Luke for financial and emotional support.The women in Gilead are also prohibited from reading or writing. This is evident on page 37 where Offred says, “Tell rather than write, because I have nothing to write with and writing in any case is forbidden.” This is also seen on page 24 when Offred goes shopping for groceries: “The store has a huge wooden sign outside it, in the shape of a golden lily; Lilies of the Field, it’s called. (...) They decided that even the names of shops were too much temptation for us.” The reason for these strict restrictions on reading and writing is to keep women unaware and ignorant. Lastly, Handmaids are not allowed to have recreational sex. Instead it is a formal act in the form of a “ceremony” where the Commander attempts to impregnate the Handmaids. On page 89 while the ceremony is occurring, Offred says that the ceremony “has nothing to do with passion or love or romance or any of
In the novel The Handmaid's Tale, the society of Gilead is divided into classes with fertile women being "Handmaids" that are assigned to give birth for privileged couples that are infertile. In this society women are stripped of their rights, by having their jobs and money taken away, losing the privilege to read and write, even the right to have recreational sex is not allowed. Other minorities such as gay people and Jewish people, along with doctors that perform abortions are executed in this society. The reason for the government's ignorant views on women and other minorities is due to the extremist use of religion for their spiteful personal agendas. In The Handmaid’s Tale, religion plays a fundamental role in …show more content…
Firstly, as the totalitarian government of Gilead was being formed women were fired from their jobs and their bank accounts were frozen, allowing all the money the women made to be given to the men. Offred is aware of this as she states on page 171 that “We are not each other’s anymore. Instead I am his.” Instead of the relationship between her and her husband Luke being codependent, Offred now has to fully rely on Luke for financial and emotional support.The women in Gilead are also prohibited from reading or writing. This is evident on page 37 where Offred says, “Tell rather than write, because I have nothing to write with and writing in any case is forbidden.” This is also seen on page 24 when Offred goes shopping for groceries: “The store has a huge wooden sign outside it, in the shape of a golden lily; Lilies of the Field, it’s called. (...) They decided that even the names of shops were too much temptation for us.” The reason for these strict restrictions on reading and writing is to keep women unaware and ignorant. Lastly, Handmaids are not allowed to have recreational sex. Instead it is a formal act in the form of a “ceremony” where the Commander attempts to impregnate the Handmaids. On page 89 while the ceremony is occurring, Offred says that the ceremony “has nothing to do with passion or love or romance or any of