Conformity In The Handmaid's

The widely used motto “United we stand, divided we fall” exemplifies the importance of a strong, stable human structure needed to succeed. It may be the structure of an empire, or the biological makeup of the human body, these systems in our world are not only desired by human nature, but are essential for progress. Though it’s true that humans naturally desire patterns, structures and standards in their lives, the underlying intention for these patterns isn’t to provide shelter or refuge, but to rather provide a pathway to function and achieve various goals, moral or immoral.

From the beginning, man sought to be structured. Even the unsettled hunter-gatherers clung together in groups of 50-60 people. This way they could attain shelter. However, more

importantly, this way they were able to function, as the men hunted animals while the women gathered berries. The pattern that they developed for their lives allowed them to provide a framework for their lives, a way to function, and an efficient way to achieve daily targets. As populations grew, humans naturally began settling civilizations. The great classical empires of China, Greece, and India are all great examples of the beginnings of conformity to society's standards. During the Classical Age in India, the caste system was developed. This extremely hierarchal pattern, though might be perceived unjust by many, effectively divided the population into different occupations. This pattern achieved toleration among the groups, and the highly structured system gave everyone a job through the division of labor. Since there was a class meant for agricultural farmers, there were practically no slaves in India. However, life wasn’t so pleasant for the untouchables at the bottom of the pyramid. Though advantageous for some while discriminating for others, this pattern did give people the religious motive to live a good life in order to be reincarnated into a better caste. Overall, it achieved its goals both religiously and economically. The patterns created by rulers allowed their societies to compete economically, culturally and politically. Disregarding the injustices, a dictatorship is a more effective form of government than a democratic one. Laws and rules, that structure their societies, are strict, and thus actions are carried out faster and easier, though not necessarily providing complete justice. Everyone is forced to comply. Does this always provide shelter? Many could argue that the human instinct to conform to patterns actually provides less shelter and rather more oppression to individualism. Hence, the patterns, structures and standards in society might be unfair and immoral, however they do help an entity achieve their motives. Patterns can be manipulated according to one’s own desires. Thus, the inclination towards structure is more to provide stable grounds to function and to achieve the desired goals.
After people formed into civilizations, creating their complex and organized societies, they found ways to control behavior, specifically morality, through religion. Religion is a definitive model, a structure for humankind to shape their behaviors around particular values. Though Muslims, Christians and Jews have in the past sheltered under their uniform beliefs, these beliefs all have a greater goal. By controlling behavior, humans can earn salvation or heaven in most religions. The patterns in religion are the foundations for the conformist to achieve his goal of eternal peace. For example, a Muslim prays five times a day, fasts for 30 days once a year and pays the zakat, or charity, monthly.These patterns don’t necessarily provide shelter as much as they provide a means to function as a Muslim in order to be successful in front of God. The patterns here aim to achieve a moral and noble goal.
The human desire to achieve success through conformity is prevalent in not only history, but also in literature.

For instance, Offred, from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, comes into contact with the secret underground organization of rebels in her dystopian society. This organized rebellion did not provide shelter, but rather functioned as a pathway to achieve change. Also, the highly organized structure achieved by the Taliban in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was used to maintain totalitarian power. These are two structured patterns that achieve their own goals, though one is clearly more moral than the other. While the secret underground organization worked towards creating a positive change in society, the Taliban created operative grounds that allowed them to mold society according to their own cruel views. Though the goals differ from each other in moral values, they do both achieve their motives through structured patterns. Therefore, patterns don’t provide a refuge or safe haven in many cases, but rather a manipulative means to attain success. Human nature strives to develop certain patterns that build a strong framework for functionality and achieve broader

goals.
It is clear that humankind wants patterns, however it’s overlooked that humans actually function due to patterns, making it not only a desire but rather a requirement for survival. Fractals in nature are one of the most prevalent example of endless patterns. These mysterious structures can not only be found in trees or plants, but most importantly in our own human bodies. Our veins, arteries, nerves, and even cells all work in a defined behavior. If anything goes wrong in the system, the effects could be devastating. The cells make up tissues, which in turn make up organs and allow the body to work with remarkable coordination. Similarly, the patterns and structures in our world don’t only provide a shelter, like the skeletal system in the body, but rather provide an intricate, yet effective, means to attain objectives, like the body systems that work together to give life.
Human nature strives to achieve order, not chaos. However, the basis for these desires not only lie under the mere need for shelter, but rather the need to have a framework which will allow stable progress towards a goal. It is human nature to achieve, to succeed, and to win. The way to do that is through an organized system. Saying that conformity to patterns is a kind of shelter is like saying that conformity to patterns is a pathway to refuge. It is more accurate to say that the adoption of patterns serves as a pathway to achieve various goals, disregarding the morality of these goals.