The Handmaids Tale By Margret Atwood - 1179 Words

Margret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale is a striking work of fiction, with strong characters inundated in a depressing melancholy. A dysfunctional patriarchal society based around the common goal of producing offspring, Gilead, becomes the physical manifestation of modern misogyny and championing of the male. Atwood uses this speculative and extreme example in the future to convey a message about current society, resulting in a famous example of the Dystopian genre. Atwood explores the ideas of individuality, leadership and control, conveying her ideas through a multitude of techniques. Prevention of individuality strips away key unique and identifying factors, reducing humans to become machines, uniform in thought, action and persona. Gilead’s regime largely achieves this goal for the Handmaids and the Aunts. Wives, being the counterparts to the masterminds of the operation, retain their individuality, as do the Commanders. Sexual intimacy and relationships, however, are destroyed by the regime. Romance and love being some of the most powerful human concepts and emotions, this means that Gilead truly dehumanises all involved, to varying extents. Atwood used personification to represent the wide-ranging surveillance in the form of the ‘Eyes of God’ state surveillance agency. The intrusion of the state into Offred’s mind was clear at multiple points in the book, mentioning sights of black cars marked with the eye symbol and â€Å"men in grey suits† as well asShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaid s Tale By Margret Atwood888 Words   |  4 Pa ges Margret Atwood’s novel the handmaid’s tale conveys a futuristic society that restrains basic human rights to its people. The republic of Gilead maintains and justifies its power structure through extreme interpretation of religion. As a result of a drastic drop in birth rate, the regime holds women captive for their ability to reproduce. To avoid rebellion Gilead censors all information and sets up an undercover policing unit called the Eyes. The population mindlessly follows the regime makingRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margret Atwood1275 Words   |  6 PagesIn the novel, â€Å"The Handmaid s Tale†, the author Margret Atwood introduces a dystopian America where everything that once was is no more. In this society there is a change in the state s entire structure, it has returned to its traditional ways or in other words a religious trap; both women and men are sorted into categories, and each plays their part. Men can be Angles, Commanders or Guardians. Angles are unknown but they are the ones who run society, commanders are slightly lower in rank withRead MoreDon t Get Me Wrong Margret Atwood1311 Words   |  6 Pagesfamiliar world of the speculative fiction novels of Margret Atwood best known for The Handmaids Tale and Oryx and Crake ,Which lead to the discovery that these tales of a dystopian world and one of love and adventure seem to hit a little too close to home and bring out emotions that may have been dormant. There is no doubt that she is a brilliant writer, but the question that runs through my mind is, which one is superior. Some say that The Handmaid’s tale was all around controversial and that Oryx andRead MoreFiction Or Reality : All Too Familiar World Of The Speculative Fiction Novels Of Margret Atwood1319 Words   |  6 Pagesfamiliar world of the speculative fiction novels of Margret Atwood best known for The Handmaids Tale and Oryx and Crake ,Which lead to the discovery that these tales of a dystopian world and one of love and adventure seem to hit a little too close to home and bring out emotions that may have been dormant. There is no doubt that she is a brilliant writer, but the question that runs through my mind is, which one is superior. Some say that The Handmaid’s tale was all around controversial and that Oryx andRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1709 Words   |  7 PagesAtwood’s bestselling novel is The Handmaid’s Tale, a disturbing dystopian fiction novel. The Handmaid’s Tale is a complex tale of a woman’s life living in a society that endorses sexual slavery and inequality through oppression and fear. The female characters in Margaret Atwood’s novel demonstrates how these issues affects women’s lives. Offred is the individual with whom we sympathize and experience these issues. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood addresses her perception of the ongoing feminismRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale Liter acy Essay1841 Words   |  8 PagesENG4U: The Handmaid’s Tale Literacy Essay Shoshannah Lewis Margret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in the closely monitored, male dominant area of Gilead where women are deprived of their sexual and human rights, forbidding them to live independently. For many years prior to Gilead’s existence, women were seen as inferior to men and neglected of basic human rights such as voting, career opportunities, and equal salaries. The Republic of Gilead was later introduced following the transitionRead MoreMemories of Life Before Government Control: Orwells 1984, Atwoods The Handmaids Tale, and Huxleys Brave New World1107 Words   |  5 Pagesmemoires to compare it to the new way of ruling which sometimes is less favorable to the individual. Governments try to change people’s opinions of reality which proves to be impossible. Within the novels, 1984 by George Orwell, The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley the Governments have taken societys freedom away and all that remains ar e the memories of what life was like before the changes; the main characters are constantly using the past as a way to surviveRead MoreThe Roles Minor Characters Have in Literature1613 Words   |  7 PagesIn the three novels that were examined this year, The Great Gatsby, The Kite Runner, and The Handmaids Tale, the minor character had a pivotal role in the development of the plot. In The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway is not only the narrator but he is the image of order in a society of disorder. In The Kite Runner, Rahim Khan is the moral center and acts as the voice of reason. Lastly in The Handmaids Tale, Moira is the paradigm of rebellion but also proves that there is hope in challenging circumstancesRead MoreThe Role Of Women In The Handmaids Tale1522 Words   |  7 PagesWomen in the past were perceived as insignificant because of the society’s inability to embrace and acknowledge women as of equal importance as men and of those who are wealthy. In Margret Atwoodâ€⠄¢s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, the character by the name of Offred, is a handmaid and tells her perspective of the dystopian life in the community of Gilead. The women of 1985 serve the males and the rich if they are not a wealthy maiden themselves. However, regardless of class, women are always discernedRead MoreAnalysis of Top Girls by Laurianne1369 Words   |  6 PagesAnalyze Churchill’s use of diverse and contrasting characters to create dramatic effect in ‘Top Girls’. Compare and contrast the presentation of culture and society in ‘Top Girls’ and Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. Evaluate how successful the two writers are at using characters to present their themes. Churchill explores the different characteristics of Marlene from the first scene of Top Girls; we capture the diverse characters that vary the historical, fictional, allegorical aspects to artistically