What Is The Role Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale
Jasmine Espinal
Ms.Milliner
EES21QH-03
10/18/16
Women are most known for their ability to give birth. In the novel The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood women are used for the need of reproduction. In the novel there’s a totalitarian state named Gilead. In Gilead women are not able to have jobs, read or write, vote, have their own property, and are mostly worshipped because they can conceive. Women don’t receive the right to be independent, because men are considered the one’s in control. The language Atwood uses throughout this novel is known to be powerful. As a result of, emphasizing on gender inequality. The Gileadean society is considered to be male-dominated and sexist. Atwood’s choice of words leave readers in shock by cause of …show more content…
For instance, Aunts who are on top of the hierarchy status for women, they are usually older and are required to influence the ways of Gilead onto the handmaids and obligate them to accept their fate. Aunts wore brown, and they were expected to be extreme believers of Gilead values and morals. Then there were wives, they are considered high society and wore blue. Although wives can’t have sexual intercourse with their husbands, they receive all the credit from handmaids. Handmaids were the women most dependent, and wore brown. They were responsible for bearing children to commanders and if by cause they able to conceive after six years, they were labeled as unwomen and sent to the colonies. Another role is the marthas, marthas are infertile women who serve as servants in households of Commanders, they wore green. The following were econowives, they are wives to poorer men along with soldiers, they were considered to complete the tasks of martha's, handmaids, and wives all in one. They are entitled to wear multicolored clothing. Lastly, there’s the unwomen who outlaw fertile women who are in denial of becoming handmaids and Jezebel’s who are prostitutes, these women can be sent to the colonies. As one can see, Atwood made sure she had mentioned all of these role to prove how each woman had a label. None of them had the right to reject who they were forced to be, no matter …show more content…
People who are in power use words to sustain their level of status. Offred says, “ We are hers to define. We must suffer her adjectives” (Atwood, 114). One can infer, that words such as, “define” and “adjectives” are used to emphasize that language is key and can cause the powerless to “suffer”. Handmaids were expected to follow the Aunts orders because they are considered to be more superior. Handmaids were characterized as dependent and fragile, meanwhile the Aunts were strong and independent. Justifying the fact that power is involved even within women
Ms.Milliner
EES21QH-03
10/18/16
Women are most known for their ability to give birth. In the novel The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood women are used for the need of reproduction. In the novel there’s a totalitarian state named Gilead. In Gilead women are not able to have jobs, read or write, vote, have their own property, and are mostly worshipped because they can conceive. Women don’t receive the right to be independent, because men are considered the one’s in control. The language Atwood uses throughout this novel is known to be powerful. As a result of, emphasizing on gender inequality. The Gileadean society is considered to be male-dominated and sexist. Atwood’s choice of words leave readers in shock by cause of …show more content…
For instance, Aunts who are on top of the hierarchy status for women, they are usually older and are required to influence the ways of Gilead onto the handmaids and obligate them to accept their fate. Aunts wore brown, and they were expected to be extreme believers of Gilead values and morals. Then there were wives, they are considered high society and wore blue. Although wives can’t have sexual intercourse with their husbands, they receive all the credit from handmaids. Handmaids were the women most dependent, and wore brown. They were responsible for bearing children to commanders and if by cause they able to conceive after six years, they were labeled as unwomen and sent to the colonies. Another role is the marthas, marthas are infertile women who serve as servants in households of Commanders, they wore green. The following were econowives, they are wives to poorer men along with soldiers, they were considered to complete the tasks of martha's, handmaids, and wives all in one. They are entitled to wear multicolored clothing. Lastly, there’s the unwomen who outlaw fertile women who are in denial of becoming handmaids and Jezebel’s who are prostitutes, these women can be sent to the colonies. As one can see, Atwood made sure she had mentioned all of these role to prove how each woman had a label. None of them had the right to reject who they were forced to be, no matter …show more content…
People who are in power use words to sustain their level of status. Offred says, “ We are hers to define. We must suffer her adjectives” (Atwood, 114). One can infer, that words such as, “define” and “adjectives” are used to emphasize that language is key and can cause the powerless to “suffer”. Handmaids were expected to follow the Aunts orders because they are considered to be more superior. Handmaids were characterized as dependent and fragile, meanwhile the Aunts were strong and independent. Justifying the fact that power is involved even within women