How is Gilead presented to us over the opening nine chapters of "The Handmaids Tale"?

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Laura Miller        The Handmaid’s Tale

Mr Johnson

How is Gilead presented to us over the opening nine chapters of “The Handmaids Tale”?

Everything we know about Gilead, we find out from a handmaid named Offred. The story was written to represent the future, but is now the past so is the historical present. Al the information we find out is released to us very slowly. The republic of Gilead is now under a dictatorship like totalitarian rule, which is highly patririarchal. The book is set out to be a fictive autobiography, and is written in a non-chronological order. This is to confuse the reader to show Offred’s confused feelings in this society.

        The first things we find out about the rules in Gilead are referring to sexual, or any other feelings that may result in a person rebelling against the society. The handmaid’s role in the society is very important, and they are given special “schooling” to teach them how to become good handmaids. This so called schooling is more a way of taking over their minds by means of indoctrination. At these places, called red centres, the women are treated more like animals than people “they had electric cattle prods slung on things from leather belts”. This just shows how harsh the rules in Gilead are. Offred is a very strong character, and insists that she will not give in to the society “the door of the room-not my room-I refuse to say my”. Her determination is not strong enough though, and although she thinks she has beaten the indoctrination, she has not. She frequently makes references to Aunt Lydia and the sayings that have been drilled into her from the red centre “the republic of Gilead, said Aunt Lydia, knows no bounds. Gilead is within you”. This quote also shows how Gilead uses the Bible for means of indoctrination.

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        The republic is based largely on a Christian fundamentalist viewpoint, but also appears to be hugely influenced by Islamic acts. Gilead uses the Bible, but twists words and meanings for its own gain “ Gilead is within you” this originally said “God is within you”. As only the most important members of the republic, such as commanders, are allowed to read, it is very easy to change things around without anyone noticing. The handmaid’s are not allowed to read, and they have passages of the Bible read to them during the “ceremony” in which the commander has sex with his ...

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