The reason why dystopian novels are so chilling is because they remind the readers of the humanity’s resilience and the consequences of social and political change. That is why Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is so thought-provoking. It depicts a possible reality, and the idea that such a modern society could regress and go back to values that were long moved on from is truly terrifying.
Firstly, the novel’s story is told from the point of view of Offred, a young handmaid whose life is terrible: her husband and child have been taken away, and she is reduced to a child-bearing species. After overthrowing the United States’ government, The Sons of Jacob movement, an extremist Christian group, enforce a totalitarian, theocratical regime which they call the Republic of Gilead, where women are denied education, the right to vote, owning possessions, and having a job, among other restrictions. Under this new order, women’s intelligence is also being restricted, as reading and writing are no longer legal. Even the opportunity to take their own lives, to save themselves from this terrible world in which they are living is ripped away from them.
Moreover, not only are women deprived of freedom, but their identity is also stripped away. Their only remaining purpose is this new established order is to bear children for the Commanders. This goes as far as their names. As handmaids are assigned a Commander, their original names are replaced by the name of their ‘owner’, preceded with the preposition ‘of’, signifying her status as a possession. The narrator’s name thus becomes Offred (of Fred). This name also suggests that she is an offering. Handmaids are not the only ones who suffer, even those who are at the top of the female hierarchy, like the Commander’ wife, suffer from this new order. Serena Joy used to be a celebrity, and she is now forced to partake in a ritual where her husband has sex with another woman.
However, even amid this horror, Offred manages to preserve her identity. “I am alive, I live, I breathe, I put my hand out, unfolded, into the sunlight” (p. 18). The young handmaid has been robbed of her name and her freedom, yet she ‘still finds ways to express her existence using her body. She also asserts her existence by telling stories’ (Green). To her, it is a survival technique, a way of preserving her humanity. Another proof that she is still very human is that she feels empathy for the commander’s wife. Offred knows the ceremony humiliates Serena Joy and wonders “Which of us is it worse for, her or me?” (p. 106). Having moments of resistance in very small ways also helps the young handmaid to preserve her sanity. She allowed ‘her attraction to Nick to eventually blossom into a sexual relationship’ (Sparknotes), which she considers an act of rebellion.
All in all, the reason why Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is so disturbing is because it reveals today’s society is not so different from the novel’s. It was written in the context of an order vanishing overnight, oppression and enforced ignorance, which are topical issues. What’s more, the battles for equal rights and human rights in general still rage. This incredible piece leaves the readers with one main question: could all of this happen here and now? As Offred’s mother said, no one should take their freedom for granted.
Works Cited
- Atwood, Margaret Eleanor. The Handmaid’s Tale. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1985.
- Clarke, Emma. “Everything You Need to Know About the Republic of Gilead in the Handmaid’s Tale.” What’s the Republic of Gilead in the Handmaid’s Tale, Where Are the Colonies and Why Was Ofglen Sent There in Season One?, The Sun, 12 Aug. 2018, https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/6281782/republic-gilead-handmaids-tale-season-2-colonies-offred/.
- Crashcourse. ‘The Handmaids Tale Part 1: Crash Course Literature #403.’ YouTube, commentary by Green John, 28 Nov. 2017, youtu.be/PubyDwbNqYA
- Crashcourse. ‘The Handmaids Tale Part 2: Crash Course Literature #404’. YouTube commentary by Green John, 5 Dec. 2017, youtu.be/zj05QxebnC4
- Lisa’s Study Guides. ‘The Handmaid’s Tale | Essay topic brainstorm with Lisa Tran.’ YouTube, commentary by Tran Lisa, 19 Dec. 2019, youtu.be/ZY1kTlGfBkA
- SparkNotes: The Handmaid’s Tale: Is Offred a Rebel?, SparkNotes, https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/handmaid/central-idea-essay/is-offred-a-rebel/.
- Walsh, Megan. “Handmaids Are Stripped Of Identities On ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.” Romper, 28 Apr. 2017, https://www.romper.com/p/why-do-handmaids-names-start-with-of-on-the-handmaids-tale-their-identities-were-erased-54309.
- Warren, Annie. ‘Discussion | The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.’ YouTube, 27 Jul. 2017, youtu.be/y3y3KnZJer4
