In the book, The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood writes about an alternate universe about America that illustrates our worst fears. Some of the fears depicted in the book can be seen in the world today, such as the distaste for abortion and the mentality that men are supposed to have more power than women. These issues are not only known as social issues but also feminist issues. Feminism is the belief that women and men should be treated equally socially, politically, and economically. This book shows how these issues could get worse in our society. The author uses Offred, the protagonist in the story, to show how the world could change for the worst. Offred, a handmaid in The Handmaid 's Tale, showed how men and society had control over …show more content…
Offred and a friend of hers were walking outside one day, saw a group of tourists and thought about how “[she] used to dress like [the tourists]” (Atwood 28). The tourists were wearing clothing and makeup such as skirts above their knees and red lipstick. Offred and her friend were fascinated and envious of these women. They couldn’t imagine themselves wearing clothes like the tourist were wearing. Even though they couldn’t imagine themselves wearing those type of clothes and makeup, they used to wear it in their past. Offred remembered herself going to the laundromat and putting “[her] own clothes, [her] own soap, [and her] own money” into the machines and “having such control” over what she used to do (Atwood 24). She doesn’t have that control over her life anymore. Some women, such as Aunt Lydia, feels that she should be grateful that she doesn’t have to do those things anymore. They feel that Offred is complaining about something that is actually a good thing. Society brainwashes these women into thinking that not having that kind of freedom is a good thing. Society also makes women think that they are just good for having children and sex. Therefore, women lose self-esteem because of the pressure that they are faced with on a daily basis. For example, in the story, Offred has low self-esteem. She “[avoids] looking at her body, not so much because it 's shameful or immodest but because [she doesn’t] …show more content…
When Offred had met with one of the wives, Serena Joy, Serena told Offred not to “call her ma 'am” because “she was not a Martha” (Atwood 15). It was an insult to refer to a woman as a Martha. A Martha was a woman who could not have children and was a servant in the house of the commander. If you could not have children in this time, it was a very bad thing. You were considered worthless. The Marthas were told that all they were good for is cleaning. Women weren 't considered well for anything besides cleaning if you couldn 't have a baby or didn’t have a husband. Serena Joy was very territorial over her husband. Serena made sure that Offred knew that her husband “[was] just that. [Her] husband. [She wanted] that to be perfectly clear. Till death [does them] part. It 's final” (Atwood 16). Serena Joy was very territorial over her husband because she felt like she needed him. She felt like she wouldn 't be anything without him. Women in this time also felt like they wouldn 't be anything if they couldn 't have a child. Offred and the others saw a woman that was “vastly pregnant; her belly, under her loose garment, swelled triumphantly. There was a shifting in the room, a murmur, an escape of breath; despite [themselves they turn their] heads, blatantly, to see better; [their] fingers [itched] to touch her” (Atwood 26). The women were envious of the
The women are divided into functions and are identified by the colour of their dress. In chapter 5, Offred is walking down the streets of Gilead, reminiscing about the days she used to walk down the street wearing what she wanted to wear before she got taken away, and also thought about simple things such as how she was able to freely walk to the laundromat to wash her own clothes with her own soap. She informs the reader of her analysis of the different types of women in the Republic of Gilead: “There are other women with baskets, some in red, some in the dull green of the Martha's, some in the striped dresses, red and blue and green and cheap and skimp, that mark the women of the poorer men. Econowives, they're called. These women are not divided into functions. They have to do everything; if they can.” (Atwood, 5.5) The Handmaid’s— the bearer of children— wear red, the Martha’s, who are the housekeepers wear green, and the wives wear blue. Econ Wives are the only women who aren’t defined by the colour of their dress because they must do every function. Atwood is showing that the individuality and identities of these women have been completely taken away and are labelled by the clothing they are forced to
The ability to create life is an amazing thing but being forced to have children for strangers is not so amazing. Offred is a handmaid, handmaid's have children for government officials, such as Commander Waterford. Offred used to be married to Luke and together they had a daughter but then everything changed; Offred was separated from her family and assigned to a family as their handmaid. The society which Offred is forced to live in shaped her in many ways. In The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood uses cultural and geographical surroundings to shape Offred's psychological and moral traits as she tries to survive the society that she is forced to live, in hopes that she can rebel and make change.
Feminism as we know it began in the mid 1960's as the Women's Liberation Movement. Among its chief tenants is the idea of women's empowerment, the idea that women are capable of doing and should be allowed to do anything men can do. Feminists believe that neither sex is naturally superior. They stand behind the idea that women are inherently just as strong and intelligent as the so-called stronger sex. Many writers have taken up the cause of feminism in their work. One of the most well known writers to deal with feminist themes is Margaret Atwood. Her work is clearly influenced by the movement and many literary critics, as well as Atwood herself, have identified her as a feminist writer. However, one of Atwood's most successful books, The Handmaid's Tale, stands in stark contrast to the ideas of feminism. In fact, the female characters in the novel are portrayed in such a way that they directly conflict with the idea of women's empowerment.
In The Handmaid’s Tale there are three types of women: handmaids (the breeders), wives (the trophies), and the marthas (servants.) The narrator of the novel is Offred, who is a handmaid. Handmaids are women with viable ovaries. Every two years, handmaids are assigned to a commander; the leader of the household. Weekly, the handmaid and Commander try and conceive a
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, tells the story of America set in the close future through the eyes of a woman named Offred. In this future where pornography, violence against women, and prostitution become increasingly prevalent, the government is overthrown America is reformed into what is called the Republic of Gilead, a theocracy where women renounce their rights, and essentially become either housemaids, wives or vessels for reproduction. Moira, best friend to protagonist and narrator Offred, refuses to succumb to the patriarchy of Gilead. Her strong will and defiant nature serves as a symbol of strength and hope in the book, providing Offred with hope and support, making her one of the most important characters in the book.
Oppression is the best word to describe Offred's living condition. Being the lowest in a social hierarchy is exactly what it means to be a Handmaid, such as Offred. But, before Offred was a Handmaid she had a normal life; a husband, a child and a job. All of this was taken away from her and she was left with little to no rights that she once had. Her thoughts about he past now consume her. “I want Luke here so badly. I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways I am not; I want to be more valuable.I want to repeat my former name, remind myself of what I once could do, how others saw me. I want to steal something.” (Atwood 111) Offred’s deprivation of her former life creates desires that would not result in her favour, such as stealing. Throughout the duration of The Handmaid’s Tale Offred finds herself with the desire to steal whether it be a knife or a match. These thoughts soon turn into actions and Offred now has to deal with risks that come with them. Even with the fear of others discovering what she has stolen Offred must also fear what she herself discovers. “I take [the photograph] from her, turn it around so I can see it right-side-up...is this what she’s like, my treasure... I am obliterated for her...A shadow of a shadow, as dead mothers become...Better she’d brought me nothing.” (Atwood 264) When Offred is brought a photo of her daughter instead of being filled with joy she is
Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, the author Margaret Atwood gives the reader an understanding of what life would be like in a theocratic society that controls women’s lives. The narrator, Offred, gives the reader her perspective on the many injustices she faces as a handmaid. Offred is a woman who lived before this society was established and when she undergoes the transition to her new status she has a hard time coping with the new laws she must follow. There are many laws in this government that degrade women and give men the authority to own their household. All women are placed in each household for a reason and if they do not follow their duties they are sent away or killed.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood illustrates the Republic of Gilead's as a new society where there are sexually oppressed women and is founded by religious extremist. In this society, women are used as a child bearers and have no rights in the cruel and harsh society. In between the dystopian society, Offred is a slave to this freedomless civilization; she is known as a Handmaid. Offred presents her story of pure oppression and how she survives to hold her past life. “ I used to think of my body as an instrument,...or an implement for the accomplishment of my will…There were limits,...Now the flesh is arranges itself differently”(Atwood 73). She has been taken away rights from her own body, no self identity, no value, and no place
Offred is the main character, and the narrator, in The Handmaid’s Tale. The novel focuses on Offred and her struggles as one of the few fertile women in the dystopian society of the Republic of Gilead. In my opinion, Offred is portrayed mainly as a victim whose life is determined by the fact that she is fertile. Offred has been stripped of all basic human rights along with all of the other handmaids. Offred describes the way that handmaids are seen in society by stating, “We are two-legged wombs, that’s all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices” (Atwood 136).
In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale women are given very little control or freedom, this makes friends stand out even more, as they risk being punished and sent off to death islands. The main character Offred has lost everything she once knew, he family, her job, her freedom, and she is made to live as a handmaid, whose sole purpose is to help the human population reproduce. The regime known as Gilead says they promote the solidarity of women, but in fact because of the way the society is set up and the idea that a woman is only useful if she produces a baby causes a lot of jealousy and distrust, especially among the handmaids. This is precisely what makes Offred and Moria’s friendship so special, as bonds like their do not exist in GIlead, no one dares to get close to another
In her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood is criticising how today’s modern society oppresses women through a fictional dystopian society. In this piece, women are depicted as property and their sole purpose is bearing children. From a historical aspect, the notion that women are lesser versions of men is not a new concept. Even though the book was written in 1985, Margaret Atwood’s comparisons to how women are treated still stand the test of time in today’s 2018.
The reader witnesses the handmaids’ experience of reproducing with the commander. Also, since Offred is a woman, we witness what it’s like to be a woman in this strongly patriarchal society. Given that “The Handmaid’s Tale” is written from the point of view of a handmaid, we feel empathy towards the oppressed women. The characters and the events in “the Handmaid’s Tale” demonstrate and educate the reader about life in a totalitarian society. Symbolism, character development, and the narrative point of view help the reader to recognize people’s past and present life experiences.
In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood, the author offers a futuristic dystopia that explores the concept of the overt subjugation and marginalization of the status of women. The setting of the novel takes place in a republic based theocracy referred to as the Republic of Gilead. The majority of the population is rendered sterile as the result of chemical and nuclear pollution. The narrator, Offred, forcibly takes on the role as a Handmaid, who serves the purpose of reproducing in order to equalize the current population. The social structure of Gilead implements a male-dominated prerogative that is designed to keep women under radicalized oppressive restrictions. The totalitarian regime reduces women as usable commodities and forces them to cower under the notion of women inferiority and objectification. The psychological pressures of conforming to the restrictions of Gilead begin to result in the majority of the women acquiring high levels of internalized misogyny. This paper will examine the women characters in The Handmaid’s Tale, who have passively accepted the oppressive agenda of Gilead. The psychological damage carried out by
The town of Gilead had elements of conservative and liberal values but the conservative values were more prominent than the liberal. The conservative values were imposed on the women by the authorities and this affected the liberal values of women in Gilead. The commanders made laws, interpreted the laws when it was unfavorable to them and executed the laws. Women were mostly marginalized and ostracized in the polity of Gilead. They were presented as subservient objects, whose duty was only to their husbands or masters. They had no choice than to obey their masters. In fact, disobedience was punishable at the discretion of the masters. The commanders justified sex, names, religion and clothing and affirmed a strong conservatize attitude towards
Another example of this anti-feminism is the night of the Ceremony. The Commander is preparing to read from the Bible to Serena Joy, Cora, Rita, Offred, and Nick. "He's like a man toying with a steak, behind a restaurant window, pretending not to see the eyes watching him from hungry darkness..." (88). Atwood has the man of the house in charge of the entertainment for the evening. And how the characters are positioned in the sitting room is important. The Commander gets to sit in the big, manly, leather chair while Offred kneels on the floor and the Marthas stand. Serena is lucky enough to be seated, but she is uncomfortable. The man has the typical position as the leader of the household.