Isolation In The Handmaid's Tale

Question: Analyse how Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale imaginatively portrays individuals who challenge the established values of their time.
Texts are not created in isolation. They are reflective of the values, attitudes and beliefs present in their compositional milieu. Margaret Atwood’s critically acclaimed novel The Handmaid’s Tale (1986) narrates the story of Offred, a woman who is forced to become a Handmaid and bear children for elite couples that have problems conceiving. The character of Offred successfully illustrates the isolated nature of Handmaids, through the depiction of the protagonist as an oppressed being who is emotionally and physically detached from the world. Through the narration of Offred’s thoughts, the novel
explores the various acts of rebellion against the accepted views of society. The novel offers a strongly feminist vision of dystopia and oppression through the eyes of the protagonist, representing the restricted freedoms and various sacrifices of the Handmaids. Well-developed characters such as Moira, Offred’s mother and Ofglen are seen to directly challenge the established views of their time, whilst the rebellion of Offred is represented subtly through her thoughts. These subversive acts against conventional views effectively demonstrate the weaknesses of the accepted principles of their respective times.
The story is set in the near future, in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian and theocratic state that is founded on the beliefs of the Bible. “Give me children, or else I die.” Through the perspective of Offred, the novel contrasts the role of women in pre-Gilead and Gileadean times. The oppression and deprivation of women in regards to the various rights achieved in previous generations is highlighted in the society of Gilead, broadening the inequalities between men and women. The Gileadean regime instructs the forbiddance of voting rights for women, rights over jobs and property and reading. Basically, women are refrained from any activity that promotes subversion and independence, and hence undermining their husbands or authorities of the state.
Rebellion against the Gileadean regime and the restrictions it places on women is depicted clearly through the character of Moira. Moira’s relationship with Offred symbolises female bonding, a form of friendship not existent in Gileadean society. Most importantly, Moira exemplifies female defiance to Gileadean views and beliefs. Her rejection of Gileadean ideals is highlighted through her homosexuality. She dismisses male-female sexual relationships, which are the only type that Gilead acknowledges. Moira is seen to directly challenge the Gileadean regime through her attempts of escape from the “Red Centre” where all Handmaids are trained. Her reluctance of serving as a Handmaid accentuates Moira’s contempt over the lack of rights and freedoms towards women. However, the power of the Gileadean system is highlighted through her eventual fatalistic attitude and resignation to her fate. Moira comes to illustrate the strength of the Gileadean system in defeating even the most independent and rebellious individuals.
Evident throughout the text is the presence and manipulation of power.
As a result of the harsh conditions under which Gilead is ruled, the government of Gilead is extremely susceptible to actions that challenge its structure and nature. Therefore, there is a need for armed forces to guard and protect the country. Despite the attempts of the Gileadean regime in maintaining a patriarchal, loveless, sex-deprived society that suppresses women, the subversive actions of the men and women in Gilead emphasise its inhabitants’ overall disapproval of the system. Even though power has been taken away from the occupants of Gilead, various characters represent that even a lack of power allows them to find a way to maintain control over themselves and others. This power is represented through the indirect rebellion of Offred. The way in which she subtly flirts with an Angel by looking into his eyes and sways her hips, demonstrates the power of women. “They touch with their eyes… and I move my hips a little… I enjoy the power.” Offred also illustrates the extent of her power through her emotions and thoughts. The only real freedom Handmaids are given is freedom of thought. Nonetheless, despite the subtlety of her actions, these actions reflect Offred’s disapproval of the
regime
Through the genre of dystopia and feminism, Atwood’s novel effectively communicates the tortures of the Gileadean regime and the sacrifices the Handmaids are inflicted. In the novel, Atwood juxtaposes three time periods to contrast the restrictions in society and rights of women at different stages: Offred’s childhood, Offred’s student days and marriage to Luke and the Gileadean era. Through the flashbacks of Offred’s childhood, we are given an insight into her mother’s subversive and rebellious acts against the inequalities between the sexes. Offred’s mother is shown to directly challenge the government of her time through her involvement in protests. “There were some women burning [pornographic] books, that’s what she [Offred’s mother] was really there for.” Offred’s mother challenges the chauvinistic attitudes of her time and the lack of female rights, such as abortion rights.
Conversely, Ofglen’s acts of subversion demonstrate the overall contempt towards the beliefs and values that Gilead cherishes, and the instability of its government. The character of Ofglen successfully highlights her relentless attitude and struggle for freedom. The knowledge of her eventual suicide in the novel’s climatic scene signifies her loyalty to her co-conspirators, as she would rather die than reveal the names of other subversives. Therefore, her fortitude in attaining freedom for the women in subsequent generations is represented, despite her death.
Overall, Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale explores the various challenges against the traditional views and beliefs of society, and the instability of the government of Gilead. Through a feminist vision of dystopia, Atwood effectively portrays the sacrifices that Handmaids are subjected to and the lack of freedoms, and consequently reveals the flaws of a loveless, sex-deprived, patriarchal society. Atwood’s strong characters such as Moira and Ofglen illustrate the disruption in society and their ambitions of reverting back to the past. Furthermore, Offred’s mother is shown to directly challenge the lack of women’s rights in her time, whilst Offred subtly demonstrates her contempt over the Gileadean regime through the narration of her thoughts. Nonetheless, these subversive acts of rebellion demonstrate that power can not be completely taken away from an individual despite the attempts of the government and authorities of withdrawing their rights and freedoms.