Why do you think that Margaret Atwood included the historical notes in “The Handmaid’s Tale”?
I believe that Margaret Atwood included the historical notes in “The Handmaid’s Tale” for a number of reasons. In my opinion, the central reason for the inclusion of the historical notes is to demonstrate to the reader where ideas for the novel originated. The first hint at where Atwood’s ideas came from is during Maryann Crescent Moon’s speech, as she says, “Iran and Gilead: Two Late Twentieth Century Monotheocracies”. This shows that Atwood largely based her novel on the Islamic revolution that took place in Iran in 1979. The revolution fiercely restricted women’s rights and their freedom, which is parallel to the events that occurred in “The Handmaid’s Tale”. Furthermore, in Pieixoto’s speech the reader is told, “Romania, for instance, had anticipated Gilead in the eighties by banning all forms of birth control”. This actually took place so we understand that the aspect of Atwood’s novel, which concerns fertility, and pregnancy is strongly related with this event. I think it is very important that Atwood chose to base her novel on actual events that took place in the world because it emphasises that “The Handmaid’s Tale” is not solely a story, but is based on horrors that have occurred. This, therefore, illustrates the injustices that human beings are capable of.
