Religion In The Handmaid's Tale

In Gilead, Religion and the control of history are the most imperative steps in the creation of this totalitarian state. Margaret Atwood’s feminist novel The Handmaid’s Tale introduces a comprehensive and historically mindful society, although it is still characterized by the separation of citizens into a stern, patriarchal hegemony that is ruled by religious authority. The lack of agency allowed to women, pushes them to shape their own environment through underground movements, while also impacting the men around them. And it is through acts of rebellion, that the narrator comes to an understanding that true oppression takes place when hope and power are removed in their totality. In this tale, the people of Gilead are brought up in a society

where emotions have to be kept to oneself. For example, Offred, the main character of the story, has all she loves taken away from her at once, and there is nothing she can do about it. “But people will do anything rather than admit that their lives have no meaning” (Atwood 215). And that is because in this new society, women aren't given the freedom to make their own choices.
In this case, Offred, tells the story of the events that she experiences by permitting the readers to go within her mind and discover the thoughts that occupy her existence. And in hope that things will change, the women in Gilead attempt to live their lives with some contentment and freedom. However, this is difficult for them because the eye and the Aunts are frequently watching them, thus they have to abide by the new rules. For this reason, the Handmaids in the novel are dehumanized and they don’t generally have a choice against it. They are determined not only by their roles, but also by the restricted scriptural model of what their purpose should be. Therefore, it is important to realize that the women lack the freedoms that they previously took for granted. The Commanders and particularly the Wives endorse to this ideology of a depraved past, as it commends the given present, and permits them to maintain power within the new government. As a matter of fact, the ruling elites get assistance from a team of brainwashers that work in the reeducation centers, educating the Handmaids on becoming slaves. And as a result of this, the majority of the Handmaids feel like their lives have no meaning. But the meaning of one’s life is what one gives it. Which is why, Offred gives her life meaning by rebelling against the acts of injustice that the Handmaid have to endure.
In this way, every time people face problems, there is constantly something deep inside them that causes them to go on. This motivational state of mind is known as hope, and it is one of the most imperative things people have. Which is exactly why, the Handmaids in Gilead that desire the need for change, hold hope as one of the most essential things to them. And this is because hope stops them from giving in to oppression. The previous handmaid before Offred had hope, and because of this, she craved a message into the cupboard to give hope to other handmaids that discovered it. The message read, "Nolites te bastardes carborundorum" (Atwood 52). And when translated it meant, "Don't let the bastards grind you down".
This quote specifically, is vital throughout the novel and I believe it demonstrates that regardless of what trouble you may confront, never give up and don't let terrible things affect you. Offred never gave up hope, since she never considered Luke to be dead, and she hoped her daughter was alive. Having hope in Luke and her little girl being alive is in all likelihood the reason why Offred detained herself from committing suicide, when given the possibility more than once. Since the beginning of the novel Offred notices different objects she could use to kill herself, in spite of them “removing” all possibility of suicide. And after Serena Joy addresses Offred about her affair with The Commander, she considers things she could do to elude the punishment. "There are a number of things I could do. I could set fire to the house, for instance…Instead I could noose the bed sheet around my neck, hook myself up in the closet, throw my weight forward, choke myself off" (Atwood 292). Thus, as mentioned previously, Offred had the chance to commit suicide more than once, however, hope kept her from doing it.
Rebellion likewise plays a major role in this tale. The people of Gilead disliked the ways the ruling elites were running things, so they sought to form an underground rebellion to overthrow the government. A perfect example of a rebellious character in the novel is Moira. Regardless of knowing the dangers in endeavoring an escape, she chooses to put it all on the line not simply once, but rather twice. During the first occasion, she was caught and punished harshly. But this did not discourage her spirits by any means. In fact, during the next escape, she was significantly more effective and succeeded in getting away from the red center. In the wake of acting like an Aunt for a couple of hours, she found refuge at a Quakers house. And this is because, the Quakers felt that the way things were being done weren't right, so they attempted to help as many escapees as possible. Thus, when Moira tells Offred the story of her escape she mentions, "The other house was Quakers too…they said they'd try to get me out of the country” (Atwood 246). However, the new government considered the Quakers to be bad because they did not want follow the new rules and religion, established by the government. And in consequence, when Moira was close to making an escape from The Republic of Gilead, the Eyes got to her and took her back to be made a Jezebel.
In addition, Offred meets Nick, through The Commander and Serena Joy. And after their first sexual encounter, she figures out a way to start seeing him repeatedly as a form of rebellion. But substantially there’s more to their relationship than just sex because little by little feelings of love towards one another spread. This sense of trust, made Offred begin to disclose information to Nick. When she talked to him each night, he would simply lie alongside her and listen to every word, without really saying much. And like Luke, to some degree Nick made Offred feel secure, making it natural for her to cling to him and allow him occupy the void that Luke could any longer fill. And as a result of Ofglen disclosing that “Mayday” is the password for the underground network, we know that Offred is finally free from the oppressive laws of Gilead. “It’s alright. It's Mayday. Go with them" (Atwood 293). Nick could’ve had various reasons for planning for Offred's escape. One of those reasons could have been that he loved her and he didn't want Serena Joy to punish her, as a result of the affair between her and The Commander being found out. On the other hand, Nick probably didn't want any harm coming to Offred, since Ofglen had committed suicide for being an accomplice with the underground movement.
Lastly, Aunt Lydia tells the Handmaids, “You are a transitional generation, it is the hardest for you…For the ones who come after you it will be easier” (Atwood 117).

Offred understood her specific language choice, because Aunt Lydia was aware of the constraints of her women. But instead of taking a stand against those constraints, she justified the new constitution. And not only did she justify the mistreatment of women, she also regulated it. Nonetheless, everyone seems to have their own particular forms of agency and rebellion. For instance, Offred is free within the bounds of her mind, where she relishes in memory of her past life. As she states, “A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze” (Atwood 165). This symbolism compels the reader to look into the actual meaning of freedom. A rat in maze believes it free because it is allowed to move around, and in view of this the rat is unaware that it is trapped. Thus this quote is a depiction of how Gilead functions, since the Handmaids are allowed to go anywhere within town, as long as they remain within the boundaries. Like the rats, many of the women are unaware, but as mentioned previously, the future generations will accept that as freedom. And unfortunately, this will be all they know because they won’t have anything to compare it

to.
Yet, nothing stops Offred from conveying her experiences in hopes of one day obtaining publication of what happened in Gilead. No measure of indoctrination can take away Offred’s individual experience. In fact, it can't even take away the feelings of inner wrath in response to her diminished existence. For this reason she states, “If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending” (Atwood 39). For Offred, the act of disclosing her story turns into a rebellion against the new society. Gilead attempts to silence the women, but Offred still speaks out by not letting them have authority over her inner life. And in the view that the government doesn’t allow the women self-control over their lives, Offred’s formation of a story gives her control over the ending. However, most importantly, her story gives her hope for a brighter future because telling her story, is the only method of rebellion that is accessible to her in this totalitarian society. Thus, in small gestures Offred displays resistance to the wicked acts of those in command, linking them all in a net of concealed rebellion.
Moreover, this rebellious society and weakening social formation represents hope for the Handmaids and the Underground Femaleroad. Women like Ofglen and men like Nick formulated together to sneak Handmaids out of the country, where they would be liberated from the principles of Gilead. This permits them to be their own hope in the chance for revolution. And for that reason, The Republic of Gilead has been unsuccessful in its objective to build a totalitarian theocracy, which oppresses its women. Therefore, in Gilead excessive hope prevails within the Handmaid’s actions and the changing era, of both women and men, who hold solid binds from the past that they won't instantly let go off.
In conclusion, Margaret Atwood demonstrates to us through The Handmaid's Tale that no society can be perfect, and that true oppression can only take place when all hope is lost. Therefore, in a society where feelings are in most part prohibited, individuals tend to yearn for love, hope and rebellion. For this reason, these three important things can never be overlooked, specially when individuals look to express themselves, regardless of the cost. And because of this, Offred discloses her experience in Gilead as a form of rebellion through her thoughts, writings and actions. The future generations wouldn't have known the true definition of freedom, had she not stood up against the acts of injustice. And standing up for acts of injustice in a society with flaws, eventually leads to its downfall.