Feminism In The Handmaid's Tale

Prayers and Powers: Religion and Feminism in The Handmaid’s Tale

Being a transcript of the Thirteenth Symposium on Gileadean Studies, June 25, 2196.

Keynote speaker: Professor Maryann Crescent Moon, Department of Caucasian Anthropology, University of Denay, Nunavit.

(Applause).

Thank you, and I promise that I will keep within my time period, in both senses of the phrase, of course (Laughter).

As a female, I’m particularly concerned about Gilead’s treatment of women. As you all know, the Republic of Gilead built itself on the foundations of male dominance. But as you all know, these days you can’t even coax women into cooking breakfast (Laughter). That’s where the ingeniousness of Gilead’s governing system comes in. The Handmaid’s Tale, this series of tape recording from the early Gileadean period, reveals a lot about the tools

First, the government used a dangerous literal interpretation of a Biblical passage as justification for adultery under the guise of reproduction. Second, the state constantly reinforced its falsified morality by saturating daily routines with religious expressions. Lastly, the regime altered Biblical references to further its political goals, and then prohibited language to prevent exposing its duplicity. Although Gilead rather effectively erased women’s values to construct a hyper-patriarchy, The Handmaid’s Tale provides a voice for this silenced population.

The Republic considered itself as a utopia state because, in the Bible, Gilead represents a fertile and desirable region in ancient Palestine. Well, Offred regarded Gilead as an infertile and undesirable wasteland with an appearance of cleanliness and purity. As a female, I tend to agree with her on this one. I guess the Giledean officials never bothered to read the Bible carefully, because Housea later described Gilead as “…a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood” (Laughs).

Thank