Handmaids Tale Feminism

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Falustin Hamad Professor Karle English 1A April 13, 2014 Title The Handmaid’s Tale is a feminism novel written by Canadian, Margret Atwood in 1986. The novel is set in the future of the United States, that no longer exists; and the futuristic Republic of Gilead is in control. The protagonist/narrator is Offred, a handmaid whose job is to lie on her back once a month to try to conceive from the commander. Offred and the other handmaids are allowed to leave their commander’s house once a day to go to the food market, where the signs are pictures instead of words because women are not allowed to read. This wake of independency makes Offred and the other handmaids think of escaping, and when Offred thinks about it the first person that comes to mind is her lesbian best friend from college, Moria. Moira is vivacious, rebellious and deliberately outrageous. The role in Republic of Gilead leads Moira to her feministic actions, and in contrast, it leads her to the handmaids from hope to hopelessness In accordance with the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood symbolizes Moria as unconfirmed, seditious, courageous, and defeated. When Offred is in her room at night she starts reminiscing about her past life, and thinking of how Moira’s unconformity symbolizes her actions. “Where should I go? Somewhere good. Moira, sitting on the edge of my bed, legs crossed, ankle on knee, in her purple overalls, one dangly earing, the gold fingernail she wore to be eccentric, a cigarette between her stubby yellow-ended fingers. Let’s go for a beer” (Atwood 37). Moira is flashy, exceptional, and possess unflinching independency, and has more knowledge and capability than other women. Offred wishes to be as strong and confident as Moira is “If I were Moira, I’d... ... middle of paper ... ...pecially regarding a plan for escape”, (Nancy. 14.2). Moira’s activates and strength gives Offred the hope for a better tomorrow. Her second attempt is when she attacked, and stole Aunt Elizabeth identity, “ Don’t move, said Moira, or I’ll stick it all the way in, I know where, I’ll puncture your lung” ( Atwood.130). Even her speech tone has the confident to intimated Aunt Elizabeth and outsmarts the regime. “Moira was like an elevator with open sides. She made us dizzy” (Atwood. 133). Moira’s escape gave the handmaids a sense of freedom. “Moira was our fantasy”, “In the light of Moira, the Aunts were less fearsome and more absurd” (Atwood. 133). To the handmaids Moira’s courage exemplify what they like to do but they are too frightened to do so. Finally, Moira is defeated by Gilead regime when she attempts to leave the country, and now serve as a sex servant.

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