Salvagings are another key way in which Attwood tries to change our views of women in society. The horrific detail in which the salvagings are described, as ‘bodies hanging there,’ ‘with bloodlust and horror’ are not only gruesome but also handpicked as the words which will create the most horrific image in the mind of the reader. The similarity between the words ‘salvage’ and ‘savage’ will not be lost on the reader. Again this is an attempt to encourage parallels to be drawn, especially with recent events in certain parts of the world where public stonings of women who have committed adultery have become commonplace. This of course encourages a desire to distance our own society from events like this by giving women the respect they deserve, thus improving their position in society.
There is a slight irony in the way in which Attwood seems to promote equality. After all the violence being instigated by male characters, Attwood sometimes juxtaposes this against acts of violence by a female character i.e. the Aunts or the Particicution. Both genders can express their good natures as well as their not-so-good natures however, both must still be viewed equally, is the message Attwood hopes to promote.
By pushing down the integrity of men throughout the novel, indirectly it pushes up the portrayal of women. Constant digs are directed at the pompous nature of upper-class males, beginning with the Commander and climaxing in the language used in the Historical Notes. It can be argued that the whole concept of the Handmaids and the Gileadean regime only came about due to the sterility causing virus which had been spreading amongst the men. The Historical Notes suggest that ‘the virus was developed by secret pre-Gilead gene-splicing experiments intended to be inserted into a supply of caviar intended for top officials in Moscow.’ Caviar being as it is, an expensive delicacy, emphasises the pompous nature of the officials in question and perhaps this is Attwood placing the blame for the whole regime coming about, onto the shoulders of the types of male characters she has been criticising throughout the novel.
Attwood often places examples of her own experiences in society, into Offred’s narrative also, to have these experiences publicised and hopefully go forth and change some opinions. One such example is Offred presenting herself as an artist saying, ‘I am an artist and in any monolithic regime I would be shot. They always do that to artists. Why? Because the artists are messy. They don’t fit.’ This particular paragraph shows Attwood highlighting the way in which non-conformists are sometimes discarded as being outcasts and their views and opinions are not taken seriously enough. Again Attwood is hoping that she has done something to improve these peoples’ position in society.
One of the main messages in this novel is the importance of women in society as much more than simply child-bearers. Gilead quite literally has the Handmaids only fulfilling this particular purpose with their lives. The novel aims to show that there is much more to women and their value is not given the recognition it deserves. Within this very much patriarchal regime, without the co-operation and enforcement of the women in power, for example the aunts, the regime would collapse. This is a parallel that Attwood hopes can be drawn with our own society and in some way lead to this recognition, that she feels women have been neglected of, of being an integral part of society with just as much importance, if not more, in the way we live our lives today.
By Amandeep Bindra 12E
