Handmaid's Tale

Handmaids Tale Essay #1

In Gilead, the rules and laws enforced on the people is no longer related the democratic

governing that America has although the setting of the book is in the United States. From the

documents that inform on American governing such as the Bill of Rights, it is inferred that

Gilead has a Totalarian dictatorship fused with feudalism. Totalarianism dictatorship is evident

in Handmaids Tale because that style of governing is (quoted from Wikipedia) a political system

in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public

and private life wherever possible. The idea of having personal partners or relationship is strict

and sometimes forbidden which ties to Gilead having that style of Government. Feudalism is

present in Gilead with the Commander as the higher power and with the Handmaids as least

powerful. It is also inferred that Gilead is a unsafe and depressing place to be.(The people want

to leave and be free like what Luke and Offred wanted.)

Gilead focusses on the ability to produce more children so the population can grow.

Controlling women’s fertility automatically makes it a form of dictatorship. Gilead principle’s

relate to Totalarianism. Women and men are affected with men not being in relationships with

other females that are Handmaids. The punishments when breaking a law are extreme. The law

breaker would always suffer through death showing Gilead’s desperate actions to enforce order.

“These men we’ve been told are like war criminals. They have committed atrocities and must

be made into examples.” In Gilead nothing is private. Offered is always worried and cautious

when she approaches men. If she makes one mistake she ...

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...s so sad that women would cut

themselves with razors and bleed to death in bathrooms. Offred said that soon she will get used

to the daily life style even if it is different from her old one. The new independent government

that Gilead enforced on the people changed their reality.

Gilead differs from the other unknown places in the book such as where the Japanese

ladies are from being able to wear modern 21 century clothing of their liking. Gilead’s principles

have trapped the people into a mental form of slavery, always listening to orders and obeying

laws that are extreme. The Bill of Rights are laws that protect the people and the distribution

of power in the government while Gilead follows a Totalarian style of government. Overall

Gilead’s principles have kept order and with that order they continue the goal in forcing the

population to grow.