Religion in Handmaids Tale
Religion in Handmaids Tale
“Religion is the opiate of the masses” by Karl Marx. This is a quote which states that religion controls the human mind because God can see everything at all times, all-seeing, and unlike the police or the government nothing can be hidden from God. This is the technique of control that is used in Gilead. The punishments given from the government and from religious societies are different. The government gives punishments as time in prison or fines which can only last the humans’ lifetime. This can only happen if it proven in court and there are many ways to escape the punishments as bribing the judges. In the other hand Religion has more effect in the humans mind because if they do anything which will be inevitably caught by God they will go to hell for the rest of eternity. This has been the case in the novel “The Perfume” which has been very effective to keep people with a low profile and not do anything which was thought as being sinful. The Novel “The Handmaids Tale” uses religion as its government, they are not separated, but religion doesn’t only appear in the government. The guards who are known as “The eyes of God” are the disciplinarian force known to remind the people that they cant get away with anything because they are always being watched by God. Then lastly the Commanders are “Commanders of the Faithful”. In the Gilead society “The Eye of God” and the eye of the state is the same. Then the domestic servants are referred to as “Marthas” which refers to the domestic character in the New Testament. Another example is the local police which are referred to as “Guardians of the Faith”; Soldiers are “Angels”. These all are biblical and remind people of the religion. Every shop has religious names as Loaves and Fishes, All Flesh, Milk and Honey. Even the automobiles have biblical names like “Behemoth”, “Whirlwind”, and “Chariot”. The “Chariot” is a religious ride to hell or heaven and in Gilead it brings the
“Religion is the opiate of the masses” by Karl Marx. This is a quote which states that religion controls the human mind because God can see everything at all times, all-seeing, and unlike the police or the government nothing can be hidden from God. This is the technique of control that is used in Gilead. The punishments given from the government and from religious societies are different. The government gives punishments as time in prison or fines which can only last the humans’ lifetime. This can only happen if it proven in court and there are many ways to escape the punishments as bribing the judges. In the other hand Religion has more effect in the humans mind because if they do anything which will be inevitably caught by God they will go to hell for the rest of eternity. This has been the case in the novel “The Perfume” which has been very effective to keep people with a low profile and not do anything which was thought as being sinful. The Novel “The Handmaids Tale” uses religion as its government, they are not separated, but religion doesn’t only appear in the government. The guards who are known as “The eyes of God” are the disciplinarian force known to remind the people that they cant get away with anything because they are always being watched by God. Then lastly the Commanders are “Commanders of the Faithful”. In the Gilead society “The Eye of God” and the eye of the state is the same. Then the domestic servants are referred to as “Marthas” which refers to the domestic character in the New Testament. Another example is the local police which are referred to as “Guardians of the Faith”; Soldiers are “Angels”. These all are biblical and remind people of the religion. Every shop has religious names as Loaves and Fishes, All Flesh, Milk and Honey. Even the automobiles have biblical names like “Behemoth”, “Whirlwind”, and “Chariot”. The “Chariot” is a religious ride to hell or heaven and in Gilead it brings the