Theme Of Oppression In The Handmaid's Tale

The novel we have been studying is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, in this novel the society is an oppressed society and she shows oppression in the culture and everyday life. The way in which Margaret Atwood wrote the novel we can determine the oppression in the characters. We also see the individual oppression and the group oppression from the internal thoughts of the narrator. In this novel I think that Margaret Atwood wanted to show the relation between standardized and personalized oppression.

The Handmaid’s Tale is oppression through the system and society in which they need to carry out or be part of certain ceremonies. The Handmaid’s don’t get to choose whether or not to participate in these ceremonies, because they are being oppressed by the society they have to do as they are told. Offred however does mention that the option of becoming a Handmaid was hers, but if she had not taken this

option the other options were either to be sent were the Unwomen go; to the colonies or to death. This state of oppression we see in Gilead makes the Handmaid’s feel as if they choose to be a part of this society and the position they are in, when in fact they are choosing life over death, doing this to the Handmaids is just an excuse for putting these women to these positions. Making them go through with these ceremonies effectively dehumanizing them.

Due to the fact that Offred goes alone with and accepts the ceremony, we see that she has personalized oppression, she thinks “nor does rape cover it: nothing is going on here that I haven’t signed up for.” Offred justifies this dehumanizing ceremony by saying that she agreed to do it. The language that Offred uses gives us the feeling of acceptance and by viewing that she accepted the society her personalized oppression is shown more clearly. The statement above which was said by Offred is separated by a colon and the second part after the colon explains or justifies the first part of the statement. She believes that the ceremony can’t be called rape due to the fact that she agreed to do it. The way in which the sentence is structured tells us a lot about her thought process and the attitude she has towards her duties as a Handmaid. Because of her justification she shows compliance to the horrific ceremonies that are carried out. The acceptance we see in the narrator truly indicates to her personalized oppression.

The standardized system of Gilead is based on some interpretation of the Bible, thus having extremely corrupt religious laws. If one in Gilead is does not abide by the law they are seen as unlawful and by being seen as unlawful they are also seen as sinful, due to the corrupt laws. By the demand from the head of Gilead all must live by these laws causing oppression within the society.

Offred explains that as the Handmaids begin to accept what they are there for and that they are only used for their reproductive ability to bare children, this describes the personalized oppression in which the Handmaids feel. While Offred describes the Handmaids, “we are two-legged wombs, that’s all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices”. This explains the sole purpose of the Handmaids and that is to bare children for their commanders, this doesn’t only detach the Handmaids from their bodies but it also degrades them and dehumanizes them. Due to the fact that these women are only seen as wombs and not humans, they start to accept the prejudice. In Offred’s statement the second part is “that’s all” making the reader sure that they have accepted their fait and that all they are, are fertile organs. “sacred vessels” – shows us that Offred has accepted her role and place in society. The way in which the society has classed the Handmaids due to the use of their reproductive systems, and Offred starts to personalize her oppression, we see this because she simplifies the idea of why they are there.

By making the people of Gilead wear different colours depending on their status in the society, oppresses them in a systematic way, by making each group wear their colour it defines them. Not only by categorising the people do they loose their own identities but also makes the classes and power in the society stand out more. Because the people in same groups have to be very similar in what they wear, how they act and in the similar duties they have to do, they are much easier to stereotype them, taking away their identity and oppressing them into the identity which the society gave them.

The Handmaid’s Tale shows major signs of oppression and through the book we see how this oppression develops and progresses or worsens with in the society.

Margaret Atwood reviles in her book how standardized oppression can easily cause personalized oppression, and how if one accepts oppression they get from being in a society which is oppressive then that person starts to feel internally oppressed. Almost all of the characters in this book feel both of these oppressions. Through out the book Margaret Atwood used short phrases to exaggerate the personalized oppression which the characters felt. The way in which the novel was written allows the reader enter the mind and thoughts of the narrator, which helps us understand that the oppression the characters are feeling from the society leads to the personal oppression they feel. Margaret Atwood shows us the continues cycle of oppression and how it is a continues cycle, she shows us the connection between standardized oppression and personal oppression and that group oppression leads to individual

oppression.