The Role Of The Horrid Society In The Handmaid's Tale

In her novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood eloquently illustrates the horrid society of the Republic of Gilead, overrunned by a Theocracy. Offred, the protagonist, has been given the role of a handmaid in the newly established government were new rules and norms have been adopted following the word of God. In Gilead every inhabitant has an occupation based on gender and class and must devote themselves completely to their role. Offred recounts memories before Gilead and is shocked by the extreme changes she encounters in the present as a handmaid. Offred is a unique character who evolves and goes on a personal journey trying to escape and later understand and accept Gilead as her new reality. Offred is one of the many characters who

At the Red Center all the women are conditioned and prepared to bare children for the future commanders that they will serve because their ultimate purpose in Gilead is their fertility. Aunt Lydia is the one responsible of implementing rules and values to all the handmaids and punishing them if they refuse. Aunt Lydia uses brainwashing to subjugate the handmaid's such as when she tells them that Gilead is offering them a better world where they are safe and respected and therefore should be grateful, “There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it”. Furthermore, Jeanine is another handmaid who represents all of the handmaids that have accepted their role. When Jeanine speaks of the time when she got gang raped, she is bullied by Aunt Lydia and the other handmaids who chant that it was “her fault”, “she deserved it” and “it's a lesson from god”. This is the cruel treatment they receive because before Gilead women were immoral and therefore were punished by God. The aunts at the Red Center surpass their role and transform into a consciousness for the handmaids specifically Offred that maintains them restrained by their own actions. During her

Atwood vividly highlights and cultivates the ability of a government system controlled by God that possessively limits and deprives its citizens from equal rights. In the Republic of Gilead the government uses coded language to suppress and manipulate people to resign to its totalitarian rule. The use of coded language allows evil events to take place because they are belittled by society. Language is limited specifically to women because they are not allowed to read, write and communicate freely. This limitation and form of brainwashing is why the residents of Gilead have conformed to their ideals and norms out of fear. They are restrained by being given roles and occupations they must follow. Atwood cultivates this reality by the character of Offred who recounts memories and her present reality. The Republic of Gilead was able to make people accept a Theocracy by instilling fear, limiting the use of language, and using language to minimize the