Utilization Of Literary Devices In The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood’s utilization of literary devices such as an analogy within the novel of The Handmaid’s Tale in order to link the particularly complicated feelings that Serena is feeling to something that may be more familiar. Offred narrates, “The tension between her lack of control and her attempt to suppress it is horrible. It’s like a fart in church.” (pg. 90). In this example, Atwood presents the reader with a dilemma for Serena Joy which the typical reader wouldn’t understand. For Serena Joy, her dilemma is between having a child through the help of adultery or to not have a child at all which is also contradictory to her biblical teachings to “replenishing the Earth”. The necessity of having a child and continuing to replenish the Earth
is of huge importance to dwindling Republic of Gilead and therefore vital. This commandment, however, is difficult for the “old-fashioned” and moral Serena who doesn’t want her husband to have intercourse with another woman. Therefore, the tension between her and her situation is like a fart in a church, difficult to ignore and hard to get rid of.