How Is The Handmaid's Tale Controlled

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In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the Republic of Gilead take away the use of language from women to restrict their minds and to prevent revolution. The use of language creates thoughts, thoughts then create power. With power, people can no longer be easily restrained. The Republic of Gilead has to control it’s people both mentally and physically to prevent them from provoking the authority. The new regime uses a few ways to take over it’s people’s mind. It takes away the use of language from women and uses new vocabularies. Writing, reading, and talking are limited, the Republic of Gilead stops its people from thinking and therefore no problems would be caused. The system that takes away women’s name and each are assign to a title, this strips off women’s identity as individuals and all women are forced to live in a certain way that is based on their titles. By using a mixture of all methods above, the Republic of Gilead takes almost full control toward it’s people. …show more content…

In Chapter three, Commander’s wife said to Offred, “I know you aren’t stupid, she went on. She inhaled, blew out the smoke. I’ve read your file. As far as I’m concerned, this is like a business transaction. But if I get trouble, I’ll give trouble back. You understand? Yes Ma’am, I said. Don't call me Ma’am, she said irritably. You’re not a Martha.”(P.25) Women in the novel are divided into different social classes. The difference in classes creates gaps between every women, therefore stopping them from unifying and caring for one another. One class will be superior to another class, thus causing tensions between the two classes. The system provides stability for the country. It creates an inequality between men and women, women became more of a tool to men then another human

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