The Handmaid's Tale Language Analysis

Alyssa Loperena
Ms. Milliner
EES21QH-02
10/18

The novel, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood shows many different views of gender and their power in the world. This book is basically in another language, the power has been built throughout the book by religious language, Offred’s language, freedom of speech, phrases and words just the way the people interacted with each other are different because this is from the time today but not from the same world. This novel is like looking at a “what if”. After some type of tragedy occurred it changed people’s lives as it always has. The women were divided and the men took more control over everyone and everything. The language used in this novel is very limited for everyone because if it’s not in the Bible, it’s not allowed to be spoken of so the way that Offred speaks is completely
different because she is careless. She curses and slang words without a second thought because she uses the language that is known as Pre-Gileadean The freedom of speech had a big effect on everyone around. Their freedom of speech was restricted and some weren’t restricted. Wives and commanders had their freedom of speech because they were in power over others. On the other hand the Handmaids did not because they didn’t have any power, they barely had power over themselves. The Handmaids were restricted with their political rights, they had no rights to speak their minds about the government, but were allowed to speak freely when spoken to. This book quotes the Bible many times in many ways. It helped control the theocratic dictatorship they had. With the Bible being what everyone has to go by, certain things were not allowed if it went against the Bible. The people are allowed to have freedom of thought because no one can control what goes on in your mind. The ability to think freely gave Offred power. There are two different types of ways to speak in this novel. It’s like comparing a preacher to a teenage. Preacher use the Bible as a way of life because religion can be used as away of life. In this reality, the Bible is their way of life because they have a theocracy dictatorship and everything has to come from the Bible. That is how everyone speaks. This language Teenager curse all the time, not all of them but the ones that do, they curse a lot. Teenager use slang that sometimes adults don’t understand. Offred uses that type of language as a distraction from what is really going on around her. This type of language is referred to pre-gileadean.

Offred was a very relaxed person.
She used mild as in cursing and slang words. Her conversations with people were very informal. Informal meaning having a relaxed, friendly, manner, or natural conversation. She wasn’t like everyone else because she didn’t believe in what they did. She didn’t have conversations quoting or revolving around the Bible. Offred uses this type of language to distract herself from the real world. An example of Pre-Gileadean, they way that Offred speaks, “I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will . . . Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping (end of chapter 13).” I used this quote because in a religious household, you’re not allowed to think like that. The Bible doesn’t accept this type of thought or speak so this would never be acceptable. Your body was made for the man you’re suppose to be with and no one else because you have to save yourself for
marriage. All in all, there are many different things that show different eras. Atwood created another universe called Gilead that was very strict with their laws and regulations. Women were separated and limited to and from many things. There were different languages to explain and show the difference between the people.