Comparing Handmaid's Tale And Passing

3103 Words7 Pages

In the dystopian society depicted in The Handmaid’s Tale, which is set in post-civil War America, an all-encompassing totalitarian regime is established, reducing women from people to mere child-bearing vessels. Thus, the protagonist, Offred, is forced to conform to the laws established by the government that aim to strip women of their autonomy and individuality. Similarly, in Nella Larsen’s Passing, which takes place during the Harlem Renaissance, restraints are placed on women, such as Irene, that confine them to the domestic roles of wives and mothers. Despite the vastly different settings and time periods, both novels explore the complexities of desires that go against societal norms and the effects they have on individuals who have thoughts …show more content…

The frozen street that lacks people is only superficially beautiful and lacks the vitality that would typically be in an inhabited community. Offred’s comparison of the street to a museum, where everything is preserved to be displayed, implies that Gilead is stuck in time with the inability to progress or change their ways. Additionally, the neighborhood is allegedly a safe haven “where the war cannot intrude.” Here, Atwood implies that Gilead controls what information the citizens receive in order to maintain power and diminish the possibility of revolt. Finally, Aunt Lydia’s statement of “Gilead is within you” is extremely troubling, as it suggests that the government's ideology and rule have deeply penetrated the minds of the citizens, controlling the way they think, behave, and interact with others. The republic’s rule is so pervasive that it manipulates the community’s surroundings, as well as the citizen’s beliefs, to maintain a strict dictatorship, leaving no room for those who go against the grain. 1920s Harlem, the setting of Passing, while not under totalitarian rule, wasn’t completely accepting of ideas that strayed away from the

Open Document