Essay on The Dystopia in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

One of the many prevailing themes in literature is that power is gained and can be manipulated when restraints are placed on natural desires of the individual. This passage is significant because it is an example of this theme, for it shows how power and manipulation have completely changed and restricted the people, especially women, of Gilead. Due to this, the passage reveals the shared anger that the Handmaids possess, and the cruelty that has been brought upon the society. The use of similes, diction, syntax, and illustrate the impact that this event had on Offred, for she feels such anger towards the unknown man and the crime he has supposedly committed. These literary and rhetorical devices additionally serve to make this event seem as

In the Handmaid’s Tale, it becomes clear of what at the time is occurring in the beginning of the chapter. Offred is explaining how she is stuck in this new kind of caste system where she has to follow certain rules. She describes herself as someone that is trying to look for a future. She intends by describing how she must not talk or look directly at people. These particular rules make her feel like every day is the same in which she must continue to bare what occurs in the caste system. As she continues on by telling her story she describes how the caste system works and the people that are affected by it. Along her way in surviving the system where men are superior to women, she becomes friends with a girl that oppose the new caste

The emotions that the commander suppresses are brought to light when the commander attempts to enlighten Offred on the vitality of Gilead as opposed to the previous society. The commander claims that society needed the ideals that are in present day Gilead because in the past “the main problem was with men” (210) as “there was nothing for them anymore” (210). He asks Offred for her opinion, a freedom that a typical handmaid is not allowed, and she expresses it strongly, even though she realizes that “this lack of fear is dangerous” (210). Though she spends her time with the commander, a name that implies regulation, the experiences she shares with him teach her to go against the regime and its

Offred is the protagonist and narrator of the “The Handmaid’s Tale”. As one of the rare fertile women in this dystopian world, she is put at the bottom of the social hierarchy as a Handmaid, where her sole purpose is to provide children for the Commander and his Wife. Despite being the protagonist, Offred is a passive character who generally conforms to the social stereotypes in Gilead due to her cowardice. Despite this, there are some moments where the reader is able to acknowledge the degree of power she holds within this society.

From very early on in the book, the significance of gender roles is set out in order to allow the reader to comprehend the idea of the castes in this patriarchal society. The transition between the “time before” and what Offred describes as “now”, is essential in order to realize the changes that occurred. After the “Sons of Jacob” start the revolution, people’s rights are put in limbo as the constitution is suspended. Women’s rights become almost non-existent, and the division begins. Since her attempted escape, Offred is brought back into Gilead and do her duty as a fertile woman, and become a handmaid. She is very limited in what she can do, and in order to not be sent away to the

Gilead instills fear in the handmaids by publicly displaying the repercussions of those who rebel against the rules set in place by the government. Offred the main character is a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. Handmaids are subject to routine schedules, because of this most are unhappy such as Offred who says, “we thought we had such problems. How were we to know we were happy?” (56). The handmaids are not treated as individuals. Rather, they are seen as potential mothers who hate and avoid looking down at their own body’s “not so much because it’s shameful or immodest but because…[they] don’t want to look at something that determines [them] so completely” (71). Offred’s life revolves around shopping trips with Ofglen,

In many ways, Offred and everyone like her are why Gilead exists. They didn’t resist Gilead’s rise, didn’t band together, and looked out for themselves and their loved ones above the great good. Atwood is telling use that regimes do not rise in back rooms or on the battlefield. They rise when the average person doesn’t stand up and selflessly fight

Offred leaves the Commander’s office when she says, “Live in the present, make the most of it, it’s all you’ve got” (Atwood 143). The story The Handmaid’s Tale composed by Margret Atwood, takes place in a theocracy titled, The Republic of Gilead, which is present-day United States. Almost everyone in the republic has become infertile due to a nuclear contamination. The narrator and main character of the novel is named Offred and her job is that of a Handmaid. Handmaids in the new society have the job of serving any member of the hierarchy as the birth mother of his children. Offred is on her third commander. If she does not have a baby this time she will be sent to the colonies to clean up

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred, who is also the speaker of this quote, is the narrator of the novel. The narration is in first person. Throughout the novel, Offred is trying to tell her story – what she went through while she was in the Gilead and constantly comparing it to how her life was before Gileadian society took over. This quote hints to the reader that Offred is in misery, as she says that she wants to believe that what she’s telling is a story. She also says, “If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending.”

Fear is power. Fear is ever-present in Gilead; it is implemented through violence and force. It is through fear that the regime controls the Gileadian society. There is no way Offred, or the other Handmaids can avoid it. What used to be Harvard University, a

Offred’s dissociation suggests that it’s her way of solidifying her chances of survival against the harsh society of Gilead, which is important because in furthering her own continuity, she becomes averse to the idea of taking any risks that might harm those chances. This can be observed during the monthly ceremony performed with

The future lays in past decisions, such as the decision to end segregation, the decision to organize population growth, or the decision to separate blood family. These choices have come from past generations’ failure and future generations’ desires. The Republic of Gilead in Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale must focus on the reproduction of offspring and nothing else. Men and women do not “make love” anymore. They only have sex for reproduction purposes. Every loved one is taken away from them—husbands, children, parents, etc. One right that can never be taken away from them is their opinions. Offred rebels against her government with the use of thought and alliance. She believes she will one day see her husband and daughter again, and while Offred dreams of her family, Aunt Lydia dreams of a world where everyone in the Republic of Gilead “will live in harmony together,” and once rebellion by the suppressed women is stopped and population levels are

These factors led to women being robbed of freedoms, such as reading and writing, having emotional relationships with men, and loss of property. The role of the novel’s setting in a dystopian society also exemplifies the inequalities of women being slaves to men. Offred and Ofglen, in simple terms, attempt to rid Gilead of its patriarchal and dystopian characteristics. But the secret police force called “The Eyes” keeps track of their every move. The organization is basically a necessity to the government because of the underground resistance group called Mayday, in which Ofglen is a member. Being a part of this group is extremely risky and illegal. This is also what causes Ofglen to commit suicide because she tries to cover up for Offred in her belief that she will contribute massive change in the future of

“I feel thankful to her. She has died that I may live. I will mourn later” (Atwood 286). Many sacrifices and hard decisions are made by unorthodox people to keep what they believe in alive. There would be no rebellions and no change without these nonconforming people. Offred, the main character and a Handmaiden, would have faced eminent death in her strictly orthodox world had it not been for the rebelliousness of those who died before her wanting change. The Republic of Gilead, previously known as the United States, is a theocracy. Environmental events and population decline prompt changes. A caste system is created, and each caste performs specific duties. They are punished if the laws are not followed. The Eyes are at the top of the caste system; they make sure the laws are obeyed. Next are the Commanders and their Wives. The Handmaiden’s main task is to produce a child with their Commander. In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, some unorthodox characters challenge the theocracy such as Offred, Ofglen, and Nick.

American author Lloyd Alexander once described reading as “one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have.” Throughout my life, I can say with certainty that I’ve always loved to read, and could agree with this quote wholeheartedly. However, when I dove into Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, a book I had been unfamiliar with and expected enjoy, I found more aversions than I did adventure. I was not prepared for often non-sequential storyline, indefinite details, and overall confusion that would hobble my once high hopes for the piece. Yet despite my preliminary dislike, there were certain aspects that impressed me as I plodded through the pages, and perhaps in the end there were just enough praiseworthy components to amend my