The Handmaid's Tale: A Dystopian Masterpiece
Setting and Context
Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" is set in the near-future dystopian society of Gilead, formerly part of the United States. This theocratic regime has overthrown the U.S. government in response to plummeting birth rates and environmental disasters.
Note
The novel's setting is crucial to understanding its themes. Gilead represents a worst-case scenario of religious fundamentalism and patriarchal oppression taken to extremes.
Narrative Structure
The story is told from the first-person perspective of Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. The narrative alternates between her present experiences and flashbacks to her life before Gilead, creating a fragmented, non-linear structure that mirrors Offred's fractured psyche.
"I would like to believe this is a story I'm telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance."
This quote highlights the unreliability of Offred's narration and her struggle to maintain hope in dire circumstances.
Key Themes
Reproductive Rights and Bodily Autonomy
At the heart of the novel is the commodification of women's bodies, particularly their reproductive capabilities. Handmaids are assigned to elite couples solely for procreation purposes.
Common Mistake
Some readers mistakenly view the novel as anti-religious. However, Atwood's critique is aimed at the misuse of religion to justify oppression, not religion itself.
Power and Control
The novel explores various forms of power:
- State power: Through surveillance and brutal punishment
- Interpersonal power: Between men and women, and among women of different classes
- Language as power: The regime controls language to limit thought and expression
"There is more than one kind of freedom... 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."
This quote illustrates how the regime manipulates language to justify its oppressive practices.
Identity and Resistance
Offred's struggle to maintain her sense of self in a system designed to erase individual identity is a central theme. Her acts of resistance, though small, are significant:
- Remembering her past
- Engaging in forbidden relationships
- Telling her story
Tip
Pay attention to Offred's name changes throughout the novel. They reflect her shifting identity and the erasure of individuality in Gilead.
Symbolism and Imagery
Color Symbolism
Atwood uses color extensively to represent different classes and roles in Gilead:
