Theme Of Women In The Handmaids Tale - 1239 Words

In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, women have one purpose- to reproduce. Offred, the protagonist, subjects to the command of Gilead, a dystopian society â€Å"in which a brutal patriarchal regime deprives women of power and subjectivity, enslaving them through a sophisticated, ubiquitous apparatus of surveillance† (Cooper 49). She is under the stringent control of the Commander. In the mid-1980’s, the President of the United States was assassinated and an oppressive group of people seizes control. A new nation, known as Gilead, is formed, in which women and minorities are degraded. In Gilead, women are merely a political instrument, used solely for reproduction. After the formation of Gilead, the nation is ill-struck with pollution due†¦show more content†¦All control is given to men. The women are divided into castes and â€Å"†¦are assigned a particular role and concomitant dress and duties, with no hope of ever breaking free of the se roles except through prostitution, exile, or death† (Callaway 22). Handmaids wear red signifying the blood of menstruation and childbirth. Wives of the commanders wear blue signifying their importance and upper class. Because of their envy of the Handmaids, the Marthas wear green. Econowives wear stripes because of the vast distribution of economic status. The women of Gilead have no say in what class they are part of. They are simply objectified based on their past. Women are merely a pawn within Gilead’s oppressive government. Gilead is corrupt, filled with corrupt individuals. The Handmaids never know who to trust are often left questioning the trustworthiness of their officials. Throughout the city, Eyes patrol the streets, looking for those breaking the laws. Eyes are often in disguise, conducting tests in order to apprehend law breakers. In the beginning of The Handmaids Tale, as Offred leaves the Center, Nick winks and whistles at her. She wonders if â€Å"pe rhaps it was a test, to see what I [Offred] would do. Perhaps he is an Eye† (Atwood 18). It is as if the Eyes want to make people act outlandish. Why would the officials be so corrupt in a government that they created? Towards the middle of the book, the Commander requests time alone with Offred. TheyShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Women In The Handmaids Tale1784 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout history, women have been shamed and oppressed in different aspects of life. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the oppression of women continues into the dystopian future. One cannot read The Handmaid’s Tale without seeing the problems of gender separation among roles and treatment in society. Although a feminist story, The Handmaid’s Tale gives some surprisingly sympathetic portrayals of men while those of women can be critical. Men are the most mysterious characters; theyRead MoreThemes in Literature991 Words   |  4 Pagesthere are common themes that occur throughout eras and genres to link two otherwise different pieces of writing. One particular example of this occurrance can be seen in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Although these works have been written in very different time periods and use separate styles, there are two themes which link both stories and convey a very similar message. Strict societal roles and the treatment of women in patriarchal societiesRead MoreThe Characters of Women in The Handmaids Tale and The Bell Jar1504 Words   |  7 Pages Women in The Handmaids Tale and The Bell Jar nbsp; Sylvia Plaths renowned autobiographical legend The Bell Jar and Margaret Atwoods fictional masterpiece The handmaids tale are the two emotional feminist stories, which basically involve the womens struggle. Narrated with a touching tone and filled with an intense feminist voice, both novels explore the conflict of their respective protagonists in a male dominated society. In spite of several extraordinary similarities in termsRead MoreObserving the Similarities and Differences between Handmaids Tale and Gattaca1127 Words   |  4 Pagesdominated human imagination for centuries and themes of futuristic societies oppressed by bureaucratic and technological control have become consistent throughout various novels, films and television shows. The absence and mistreatment of humanity due to factors such as war, famine and poverty criticize current global issues while also foreshadowing the consequences of those issues if left unresolved. Both Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and the movie Gattaca reflect dystopian societiesRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale1537 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor of both Lady Oracle and The Handmaid’s Tale. Both of these novels follow the conventions of the oppression of women. Lady Oracle is the narrative in which Joan Foster, the first-person narrator, tells the story of her life. Spanning the time period of the early 1940s through 1970s, Joan’s story describes her growing up in Toronto, becoming an author of gothic romances, marrying and faking her suicide to escape the complicated turmoil of her life. The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a city what usedRead MoreOppression Of Women In The Handmaids Tale1732 Words   |  7 PagesThe Oppression of Women that is shown in The Handmaid’s Tale When describing the newly established society in The Handmaid’s Tale, the Commander states that â€Å"better never means better for everyone [...] it always means worse, for some† (Atwood, 244). This accurately describes the nature of patriarchal societies, such as the society that is described by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. The Republic of Gilead is a patriarchal society that has religious, and patriarchal values that benefit theRead MoreControlling Reader Response in the Handmaids Tale1257 Words   |  6 Pagessome extent, control reader response to themes within the text but the reader’s context may also influence the way the text is read. It is particularly evident in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale that by examining the experience of women within the world it is evident that women are more repressed. The characterisation of Offred may control reader response to theme because her own personal experiences are projected onto the reader. In Gilead, women are repressed by male power and dominanceRead MoreLiterary Analysis of the Handmaids Tale1068 Words   |  5 PagesOffred, in Margaret Atwood’s disturbing novel The Handmaid’s Tale says, â€Å"But who can remember pain once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind.† The society of Gilead causes the aforementioned pain and demoralization by using women’s bodies as political instruments. Similar to Atwood’s novel, today’s men put immense pressure on women to be a certain way, give them children, and take care ofRead MoreSymbolism In The Handmaids Tale1025 Words   |  5 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale The Handmaid’s Tale is a story told in the voice of Offred, who is the character of the â€Å"handmaid†, which is described best by women who are being forced and used for reproduction because they can make babies. In the Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood uses symbolism, which is the use of symbols to represent ideas, to show the reader the handmaid’s role in society of Gilead. The handmaids were women who had broken the law of Gilead, and forced into having sex and reproducing forRead MoreThe Handmaid s Warning By Margaret Atwood1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe Handmaid’s Warning What will the future bring? What will happen as feminists speak out, women work out of home, pornography spreads and is battled, and the desire for children dwindles? Perhaps life on Earth will improve. Maybe women will have the rights they demand, porn will be defeated, and people will respect women’s bodies. Maybe mothers will miraculously have the perfect number of children: just the right amount to keep the population within its limits. Or perhaps a deterioration will