Was The Handmaid's Tale written from a feminist or anti-feminist perspective?
Was The Handmaid's Tale written from a feminist or anti-feminist perspective? The Handmaid's tale was written in 1985 during the rise of the opposition to the feminist movement. This novel portrays what might happen if the anti-feminist messages given to women by the fundamentalist New Right in the 1980's were followed through. It details the virtual enslavement of women and their reduction to mere functions. The purpose of this novel is to warn women of what the female gender stands to lose if the feminist movement were to fail. In this essay, I am going to look at the issues concerning women and feminism in The Handmaid's Tale. The Handmaid's Tale, as a whole, is a critic of patriarchal extremism though the content is anti-feminist in that the subject is the Republic of Gilead and its ideals. In Gilead, the masculine code is carried to the extreme in the regime's assignment of women to various classes - the wives, the Handmaids, the Martha's, the Econo-wives, and the Aunts - according to their functions. The regime effectively robs women of their individual identities. In society today there exists a patriarchal system. It is quietly upheld by those at the top of the hierarchy but is under constant threat of reform. Unlike men, women have been facing problems for centuries, and still women experience harassment and discrimination. Though some problems are
Remind yourself of the last few paragraphs of Chapter 30 of The Handmaids Tale where Offred says 'Tonight I will say my prayers.' How central is the theme of religion in the novel?
Nicola Evans Remind yourself of the last few paragraphs of Chapter 30 of The Handmaids Tale where Offred says 'Tonight I will say my prayers.' How central is the theme of religion in the novel? The theme of religion is very central throughout The Handmaids Tale. Gilead is a theocracy, a government in which there is no separation between state and religion, and its official vocabulary incorporates religious terminology and biblical references. Domestic servants are called 'Marthas' in reference to a domestic character in the New Testament and the Commanders are officially 'Commanders of the Faithful.' Even the stores have biblical names such as 'Loaves and fishes' and 'Milk and Honey.' Using religious terminology to describe people, ranks, and businesses provides an ever-present reminder that the founders of Gilead insist they act on the authority of the Bible itself. In the Red centre the Aunts use religious propaganda to try and get the Handmaids to accept the new regime. 'Gilead is within you' is 'drummed' into the minds of the Handmaid's to make them believe that their new life is much better than it was in the time before. Gilead was formed in response to the crisis caused by dramatically decreased birthrates, therefore the state's entire structure is built around a single goal which is control of reproduction. The bible is used to justify
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Chapter 1: What do you think of it?
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Chapter 1: What do you think of it? Chapter 1 raises lots of questions, which is what I think Atwood intended. It describes the gymnasium where a group of girls are staying. However we do not know if they are voluntarily staying or if they are prisoners. We know that there are at least five girls staying there, but there could be more. The first paragraph creates an eerie atmosphere. It creates images of an old gymnasium, haunted by the music and the girls from dances that had taken place previously. We know that this place is no longer used as a gymnasium; "We slept in what had once been the gymnasium." The paragraph describes the gym, how it looks, smells e.t.c. It talks about the place and how it used to be fun, but that now all the fun has gone. "The floor was of varnished wood, with stripes and circles painted on it for the games that had formerly played there." "Formerly" suggests that the games used to be played (games represent fun and a sense freedom) but are now forbidden. The fact that the games have been forbidden raises questions as to who has banned them, and shows that there is obviously some sort of authority here. Atwood identifies the girls by image, rather than name or speech; "Felt skirted as I knew them from pictures, later in mini-skirts, then pants....." This shows that Atwood wanted, to a certain extent,
The Handmaid’s Tale characters are all presented in a way which hides one part of their personnalities
Character Analysis : The Commander Gilead is a very unique world, thanks to Margaret Atwood! In The Handmaid's Tail, it seems like all the characters are presented in a way which hides one part of their personalities. For the commander, it is his acceptation of the world he partly created, his happiness, which is hidden. He doesn't seem to be happy, but in fact he is. In this essay, I will show you that the commander really likes the way his life has taken and that he is an hypocritical and selfish man. The Commander lives a very normal life, comparatively to every character of the novel : he has a job which he goes to every day, he has a wife (let's not talk about her any further...), friends (his club), and a mistress(or more than one?)! It is true that his wife does not give him the hapiness a wife should, but in general, the Commander is a pleased man, for he has or obtain everything he wants. Also, let's not forget the fact that he's one of the creators of Gilead, and therefore can have access to anything that's still existing. The power he has is unlimited, and God knows power makes people happy. So, in short, the Commander is a pleased man because he is powerfull, sexually satisfied, and has an active social life. On an other side, he is a very hypocritical man and is also very selfish. The best example to prouve this is his relation with Offred. It is presented
In your opinion does Atwood use the first two chapters to provide the reader with a successful and effective beginning?
In your opinion does Atwood use the first two chapters to provide the reader with a successful and effective beginning? In this essay I am going to write about whether I feel that the first two chapters of "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, was successful and effective. To me a successful beginning to a book must make the reader want to continue reading on. In order to do this the first couple of chapters must contain most of the following, the plot, the setting, introduce the main characters and main idea, set the tone, and engages the reader. In the first chapter of "The Handmaid's Tale" we learn about the narrator, the setting and the time when the story takes place. It is set in an old gymnasium where many handmaids including the narrator of the book live. The purpose of these handmaids is to be surrogate mothers for baron couples. The narrator and all the other handmaids clearly crave for a sense of freedom, touch and communication with others. We know this because it is mentioned many times that the handmaids are regulated in their daily activities and cannot talk at night, so they learn how to whisper to one another without attracting attention from the patrol guards. The old gym is like a jail as it's surrounded by chain link fences topped with barbed wire. Armed guards specially chosen by the angels patrol the gym at all times. The only time the handmaids
HM Essay
In many novels, certain characters are useful for illustrating numerous themes and motifs, conveying the message that the author wishes to communicate. In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale, the characters are what permit the reader to understand the idea or theme of individuality versus society. Specifically, Moira, a rebellious woman, is the most essential character in the novel because she clearly represents the theme of individuality. She is a symbol of hope to her long time friend Offred, because she represents the pre-Gilead society. Moira is also used to contrast how a society can pressure individuals into mediocrity because she does not surrender to the norms of the Gilead society. Lastly, the memories of Moira produce a significant image of Offred's individuality. In The Handmaids Tale, the Gilead society has decided to eliminate numerous traditions, clothing, human rights and literature in order to have full control over its ladies. However, the one thing that Gilead cannot possibly control is the power of thought and memories of the past. Offred uses her memories of her pas life to "[...] save [her sanity] so [she] will have enough when the [regime is destroyed]" (Atwood 135). She uses much of her free time to think of many things in her past since it comforts her. Among these things, she spends a great deal of time thinking of Moira because "it makes [her] feel
Discuss the impact of a poem of your choice in which the poet communicates their concerns about a deeper issue in life::'Holiday' by Margaret Atwood
Discuss the impact of a poem of your choice in which the poet communicates their concerns about a deeper issue in life. 'Holiday' by Margaret Atwood has a simple and familiar subject but the real meaning behind the simple story is hard hitting and in many ways it is a warning. She talks of a holiday and story shows how she is at a barbeque with her family in the countryside. However she interweaves a bleak image of our future within this straightforward story. It starts of with Atwood describing her daughter eating sausages. She uses the words ''barbarism'' and creates an image of '' burst meat dripping down her chin'' these words create a very primitive and uncivilized image. She describes them standing beneath a large leafed tree with nature as their only protection. This scene uses nature and portrays a primitive scene where meat is being eaten in an uncivilized way with nature as a shelter and a fire burning before of them. The next stanza makes the impact of this primordial scene clearer. She says ''this could be where we end up'' and says that we could end up like our ancient ancestors. The rest of the stanza creates a very austere and depressing image of how humankind may end up- Without trees or rain, without shelter or animals for food. She says that language, will only consist of 2 words ''hunger' and 'none' as humans will be struggling to live and their will be
"Examine the nature of oppression so far in the novel."
"Examine the nature of oppression so far in the novel." Oppression is the cruel exercise of authority and power and in "The Handmaid's Tale" this relates to the people in Gilead who are stripped of social and personal privileges. The majority of women in Gileadian society are infertile due to a natural disaster. However, the young fertile women are the Handmaids, who are allocated to a particular commander's household in an attempt to increase the population. Gilead was formed when the democratic institution had been violently overthrown and replaced by the new republic of Gilead. It presents male power at it's most extreme and men appear to be the head of the social hierarchy. The novel is narrated by "Offred," which is the name of the commander she is assigned, literally "of Fred." She relates her struggle against the general oppression in the republic of Gilead, the oppression of females and the oppression within herself as she struggles to keep her sanity. In Gilead there is an absence of freedom for everyone. Obviously, men are not oppressed to the same extent as women however, as in any totalitarian state, the laws differ according to status. For example, the Commanders at the top of the social hierarchy are allowed certain privileges. The Commanders are forbidden from interacting with the Handmaids in any manner, apart from "the Ceremony." "I can see now, it's the
How does Margaret Atwood create the sense that Gilead is a dystopia in"The Handmaids Tale"?
How does Margaret Atwood create the sense that Gilead is a dystopia in "The Handmaids Tale"? The town of Gilead in The Handmaids Tale is shown by Margaret Atwood to be in a state of dystopia. She portrays this image both in a moral way and religious. The first chapter of the book sets the scene for the whole story and gives you, an excellent description of the place her and her friends stay in. "How did we learn it, that talent for insatiability? It was in the air; and it was still in the air, an afterthought, as we tried to sleep, in the army cots that had been set up in rows, with space between so we could not talk." From this paragraph we understand that these girls who have all been sent to this camp or hostel long for friendship of some sort and are not allowed to talk to their friends even when in bed. Hardship is one of the main themes in this story and is portrayed sometimes in a subtle way, but sometimes in a very deep way. All these girls have had all the liberties taken away from them they have no freedom. When they go on walks they go on walks being monitored. It is impossible for them to escape because the minute they step out of bounds, without permission from one of their superiors they will be shot, without question. They are kept in this institution for a reason; this reason is for them to learn how to become good handmaids. After they have attained
Discuss the ways in which atmosphere and suspense are created in the following extract from “The Handmaid’s Tale”.
Discuss the ways in which atmosphere and suspense are created in the following extract from "The Handmaid's Tale". Chapter 46 pages 303 -305 "I sit in my room..." to "I want it finished". "The Handmaid's Tale" is the 1986 Atwood novel, set in Gilead, (formerly known as the USA), a rule-bound society where deviation from convention is harshly punished. The extract I have chosen is from the closing chapter of the novel, where Offred is awaiting the consequences of her discovered earlier misdemeanours (such as having a non-official relationship with her "Commander"). Understandably, the character and atmosphere are tense, and suspense is in the air. Atwood's imagery in the extract is plentiful and often cosmic or weather related. She mentions "crumpled stars" in the second sentence of the passage, symbolising crumpled and crushed hopes and dreams. The reference to the solar system also shows the size of the universe and how small Offred's place in it is, just as she is a small cog in the state engine of Gilead. Later Offred says "the light is fading", like stars, light is a symbol of hope and life, and here it is weakening. The diminishing glow from the sun represents Offred's diminishing hope, and, as she at this point believes, her diminishing lifespan. Rain is used on more than one occasion, and is a traditional symbol of bad luck or bad news, as it represents here - "I