Similarities Between 1984 And The Handmaid's Tale

It is hard for anyone to describe something in just a few words, let alone the vast genres of books and films we read and see everyday. Science fiction, as a whole, can be difficult to define, but books and films within this genre share many characteristics as well as bringing in their own originalities. 1984, by George Orwell, helped pave the way for science fiction, and more specifically dystopian societies, even far after its’ time. Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale, redone as a television show in 2017, resembles many of the same characteristics as 1984 while still keeping its’ individuality within the science fiction genre as a whole.

The Handmaid’s Tale begins with the rise of the Republic of Gilead, a group who overthrew the government

to form a theocracy. With this newfound life, the people of what was once America would have their lives changed forever. With the women infertility rate declining, they began to capture fertile women to become handmaids for rich families who could not bare children. This is when we meet our main character June, better known as Offred. After being captured, losing her husband, and having her child ripped from her arms, she is sent to the Red Center to train to be a handmaid, or a personal female servent. There women were taught to obey the rules of their new government. They also must change their name, have sex with their commander every month in hopes of getting pregnant, and once having the baby, move onto the next family. Throughout the show we get to see inside Offred’s head and how miserable she actually is. The only thing getting her through this tough time is the hope of getting her daughter back.
The Handmaid’s Tale depicts how life would be like in modern time if we were thrown into a dystopian society. This society is heavily influenced by Orwell’s 1984, which is why it shares many of the same aspects. The main goal of the Republic of Gilead and Big Brother is to make sure that everyone follows and agrees with the beliefs and teachings of their leaders. Big Brother’s approach may be harsh, but they make sure that it is perfectly executed. “You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves” (256). Gilead is brutal with the training of its’ people as well. Aunt Lydia, the teacher of the Red Center, makes sure her girls respect her and their beliefs, and if not, then they might lose a finger, hand, or even an eye. “The Republic of Gilead, said Aunt Lydia, knows no bounds. Gilead is within you.” They implement that there is no getting away from their beliefs and no escaping this life.
Escaping this life is all that Winston and Offred want.

Throughout 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale we get to see what runs through their heads and how they think. We get to feel what they are feeling and hope that they get what they dream of. Thinking like this is dangerous because if they are caught they could be severely punished. Winston does not care that he thinks this way, even though he does not want to get caught, he knows that if he dies hating the party it will be worth it. “He was a lonely ghost uttering a truth that nobody would ever hear. But so long as he uttered it, in some obscure way the continuity was not broken. It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage” (27-28). Offred does not wish to be caught and fears her punishments because she wants to live to be able to see her daughter again. This, however, does not stop her from sneaking into her commander’s private office to see him and going on a getaway pretending to be his wife. By getting closer with the commander she believes she can find out information to bring Gilead down, along with the others who want life to be as it was before. It is a very dangerous choice on her part, but it is a very smart move since the commander is showing great interest in her. Both of these characters, as well as everyone around them, just want to be able to live their lives in peace as well as being able to think and speak freely again. Everyone, no matter who they are, wants

to have freedom, and when that one privilege is taken away it takes a toll on one's mental state. Winston’s mental state is considered insane to the party. “I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind except that you happen to be insane” (259). He is simple just too hard on himself because he is trying to remember what has actually happened in the past and what is reality with what the party says and believes is true. “Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one.” He hopes that he is not the only one who thinks the way he does and finds hope within O'Brien and believes that he feels the same way, even though he has never talked to him. This “insanity” was keeping Winston alive, he had to believe that he could make a difference and prove to himself that he was not entirely crazy. Offred, on the other hand, maintains a pretty consistent mental state. She knows what life used to be like because they gradually put them into this new society. She is affected the most when she loses everyone she cares about, which Winston does not seem to be as greatly affected, like her family, as well as her best friend Moira and a handmaid who she tried to save when she attempted suicide. Being raped every month and finally becoming pregnant took a huge toll on her mental state, but she used this to her advantage. She struggled with finding out that she was pregnant because she would have another child ripped from her arms and no one would want to go through that twice, but with her being pregnant she was almost untouchable. The people of Gilead could not hurt her and the wife of the commander, who was very jealous of her, did not hate her as much and Offred could say anything to her without being hurt. This was Winston’s problem, he could be touched. So why did he continue to fight it? He still surrendered in the end so was it really worth going through all the pain to get an outcome he knew would come. This showed his courage, how determined he really was, and his will to save what humanity he had left in him. “If you can feel that staying human is worthwhile, even when it can't have any result whatever, you've beaten them” (166).
To truly win against a society who is trying to control you is to maintain your humanity and freedom within oneself. The lives of Winston and Offred may have ended quite differently, but they managed to both find their peace from this life in the end. Winston, even though he did not find the peace he thought he would, found happiness in his new life and finally loved big brother. Offred finally got to leave the place she was staying and could not be controlled by her commander anymore. Was this life truly worth it in the end? Could you find peace within yourself in a society like this?