The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

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The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian, speculative fiction novel written by Margaret Atwood. The book, published in 1985, seemingly taking place around that time, is set in the Republic of Gilead. Gilead the former United States of America, but is now a totalitarian Christian dictatorship. The story is set in a time where birth rates have dropped substantially, and the government has taken away all of women's rights. Handmaids are fertile women who are forcefully recruited to procreate via sexual slavery: systematic monthly rape. In 2017, a television show based on the novel was created. The show has rearranged many scenes in the book, and has changed the setting and characters. I believe that the story changes and structure in the Hulu television …show more content…

In the book Offred suspects her of being a real believer, "a Handmaid in more than name" (22 Atwood), and expresses annoyance at her, saying "sometimes I wish she would just shut up and let me walk in peace" (22 Atwood). The version of Offred we see in the book is slightly more tame as opposed to the show's version of Offred, but her statements about Ofglen still reveal a defiant and strong personality. The show does not just change Offred's personality, many characters appearances have been changed, such as Serena Joy, who in the book is described as older and frail, with arthritis, "her cane is beside her, . . . her face is sinking in upon itself" ( 50 Atwood). In the show she is much younger. The commander is also portrayed as much younger in the show, while in the book we're told he's an older man with silver hair. Ofglen in the book is described as plump, and there is no indication of her sexuality. She is said to have disappeared one day, after a van came for her, presumably because of her part in the rebellion. In the show, Ofglen is thin and is given a backstory: we're told she had a wife and daughter before Gilead. She is arrested not for her participation in the rebellion, but for being gay. Having more information about characters like Ofglen lets the viewer empathize with them, and makes the character more

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