The portrayal of the physical form and individuality in three works, namely The Handmaid’s Tale, the Miller’s Tale, and Never Let Me Go.
The Handmaid’s Tale, The Miller’s Tale, and Never Let Me Go all examine the significance of the human form, delving into physicality with great importance. These fiction works are interconnected, using the bodies and identities of the characters to make political statements in society. Throughout history, women have fought for the independence they deserve within society. In all three literary pieces, we witness an ongoing battle and the objectification of women. Atwood’s dystopian masterpiece draws inspiration from novels like George Orwell’s 1984. Within Atwood’s created world, a fundamentalist government and Christian theocracy replace democracy, enforcing actions such as totalitarian violence and information suppression that would face strong opposition in today’s society. However, this terrifying and oppressed setting aligns well with the conventions of the genre. Atwood presents a strong feminist vision of dystopia, reflecting contextual issues surrounding society during the time she wrote the novel, including the rise of the second-wave women’s movement. They fought for and achieved milestones such as the 1970 Equal Pay Act and the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act. The Miller’s Tale parodies The Knight’s Tale with a focus on courtly love and highlights tensions between social classes.The Knight’s Tale is lengthy, uninteresting, and dry, while The Miller’s Tale is an inappropriate and openly jests about a marriage breakdown. Reflective of medieval genre conventions, The Miller’s Tale belongs to the fabliaux genre, which refers to brief comic tales in verse. These tales often contain scurrilous and occasionally explicit content. For instance, the story includes the use of the word ‘queynt’, an old English term for female genitals, which may shock and offend modern readers, highlighting the disregard for women’s privacy. Typically, fabliaux conclude with a preposterous and intricate climax involving a prank or joke of a crude nature.
“Never let me go” is a novel set in late 20th century England where human cloning and organ harvesting are common practices. The novel explores themes of the body’s significance to society and the characters’ struggle with their own identities. Taking place in a boarding school-like institute, the story presents a dystopian reality for the children, challenging the typical genre conventions. However, it also emphasizes a tale of true love. Across the three texts, the loss of identity is a prevalent theme, influenced by the societal changes and conditions. Atwood’s novel reflects the ongoing second wave of women’s liberation, focusing on gender inequality and legal reforms. These women fought for voting rights and equality in all aspects of society. A reflection of women’s treatment in society is captured in the saying: “Women are expected to be angels in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom.” As the movement gained traction, academia began addressing issues such as abortion, rape, and domestic violence, recognizing their significance.Throughout Atwood’s novel, there is a projection of a futuristic society that showcases numerous problems caused by our actions as a society, including infertility due to pollution and declining birth rates. The exploration of women’s rights is also a prominent theme in the novel.
For instance, in the context of the dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, women known as Handmaids are forced into sexual servitude by the state. This strongly reinforces the message that sex is purely for procreation and not for pleasure. Offred, the protagonist, frequently refers to herself and her fellow Handmaids as ‘two-legged wombs’. While sex is deemed degrading and inappropriate for women, it is deemed acceptable for men and commanders to desire sexual encounters more frequently. Hence, the creation of Jezebels, where the society justifies their actions by claiming that everyone is human. The totalitarian government has stripped individuals of all ownership and power. Society worships all bodies, especially those of the Handmaids, as a way for the fundamentalist government to justify their destructive actions. In today’s postmodern society, readers may find this situation relatable; however, even in supposed acts of ‘kindness’, the government still exerts control. For example, Offred consciously avoids looking at her own body while undressing as a way to comply with orders and avoid defiance.
However, at this moment, she notices the tattoo of the ‘eye’ on her ankle, which serves as a constant reminder that she is under surveillance and completely controlled by the government. Her body no longer belongs to her. Throughout the novel, Offred feels detached from her own body, as if she is observing someone else’s life. The commander and his wife value and desire her body and reproductive organs more than she does. This sense of emptiness mirrors the sterile society of Gilead. Similar to the situation in Never Let Me Go, where children lose their true identities and long to discover who they are, Offred has also lost her personal identity. The characters in Never Let Me Go find the idea of uncovering their “possible” identities strange and unfamiliar: “There was definitely more awkwardness around any talk of the possibles than there was around, say, sex.” The fascination and obsession with the concept of “possibles” highlight the significance of personal identity and the importance of not having it taken away.
In the novel, the characters are depicted as clones, each based on another human. Their only source of excitement and hope lies in the possibility of finding their “possible.” The characters are thrilled at the slightest chance of discovering their true identity, as seen in the instances where they wave uncertainly and talk excitedly. However, this hope is ultimately false, and there is no escape from their current lives. The portrayal of women as objects is evident in both The Miller’s Tale and The Handmaid’s Tale. Chaucer portrays women as insignificant, using animalistic language to objectify and sexualize Alison. Her physical appearance, particularly her clothing, is the main focus when introducing her character. The language used to describe Alison’s physique emphasizes her slender and delicate body, comparing it to that of a weasel. However, the word “weasel” can also carry negative connotations of deceitfulness or betrayal.The line “piggesnye/ for any lord to leggen in his Bede” compares Alison’s animalistic nature to her sexuality, suggesting that she, like animals, lacks control over her emotions and desires. This is also seen in Absolon’s actions. Despite being a passive character, Alison’s strength may appeal to modern women in the context of a fabliau tale where the female protagonist is typically empowered. In The Handmaid’s Tale, objectification is used to demonstrate the control exerted over women. In a Western society, our clothing choices reflect our individuality and help us express who we are. However, the women in Gilead are categorized into either ‘legitimate’ or ‘illegitimate’ groups based on the color-coded clothes they wear.
The wives in Gilead wear blue dresses representing the Virgin Mary, and if they become widows, they switch to black as traditional mourning attire. Daughters wear white until they get married, while aunts are dressed in brown and Martha’s wear green smocks. The eco wives, considered the lowest ranking of the legitimate women, have multicolored dresses in red, blue, and green to represent their various roles.
However, the most distinctive and attention-grabbing outfit belongs to the Handmaids. Their red clothing not only serves as a warning to the public but also completely conceals their bodies’ shapes, erasing any sense of personal identity or normalcy from their previous lives. By being referred to as a collective resource, such as “our bodies,” even their own bodies are denied personal possession.
Margaret Atwood’s novel portrays a culture where women are taught self-surveillance and the surveillance of other women. This collective ownership is evident in the “Birthing Scene,” where all women act in synchronization and lose any personal control over their lives. They now live as one entity, as exemplified by the phrase “We are one smile.”
The disregard shown towards Ofwarren after she gives birth in the Birthing Scene is deemed unacceptable.In a society that manipulates and dominates the lives of women, Atwood emphasizes the importance of offering compassionate care to their starved, beaten, and abused bodies.
The Miller’s tale heavily relies on stereotypical characters to portray them within the story. For instance, the Miller’s red hair represents aggression and playing the bagpipes is associated with being in touch with the devil. When the Miller introduces the characters, he uses detailed physical descriptions, particularly for Alison, which can be interpreted as arousing. This aligns with the typical behavior of a Miller during medieval times. Absolon also receives a lengthy and effeminate description, including gold curly hair with a neat center parting and a lace-covered light blue tunic, emphasizing his feminine appearance. The lack of identity description for John and Nicholas is contrasted by the revelation of their true selves as the tale progresses. Despite being briefly mentioned compared to Alison and Absolon, Nicholas is referred to as ‘hende Nicholas’, hinting at more to his character and appearance.
Nicholas benefits from his youthful and attractive appearance in the story, and the detailed description of his room provides insight into his character. His cunning side is revealed when he tricks John with the imaginary flood. The attitudes towards women depicted in the poem are shocking, but during the time it was written, these beliefs and treatment of women were socially accepted. One example of this is when Nicholas invades Alison’s privacy by defying her personal feelings. In Chapter 16 of The Handmaid’s Tale, the Ceremony is introduced as a monthly ritual where the Commander and his wife attempt to impregnate the Handmaid. Offred describes the experience, stating that the Commander is engaging in a sexual act with her, highlighting how these women’s personal and special experiences are abused for others’ pleasure. Nicholas also demonstrates a sense of ownership over Alison, treating her as a possession by offering her payment for her services since she is from town. Women in medieval society were viewed as secondary and this perception can be attributed to the biblical story of Eve’s weakness leading to Adam’s downfall. Throughout the text, Alison lacks a voice and is not given much agency in decisions.In the time the novel is set, women had limited roles in society and were primarily expected to be working wives and fulfill their husbands’ desires. This idea of possession is reflected in the names of the Handmaids, such as ‘Offred’, ‘Ofglen’, and ‘Ofwarren’, which indicate the commander they serve. These names demonstrate the patriarchal control exerted by the Commanders in Gileadean society. The Handmaids’ previous identities are unknown, except for five names mentioned at the end of the opening chapter: ‘Alma’, ‘Janine’, ‘Dolores’, ‘Moira’, and ‘June’. The protagonist emphasizes throughout the novel that she will never see or refer to herself as Offred, as her real name holds great significance to her. She only reveals her real name to Nick and keeps it hidden from the audience. This is one of the few personal aspects she retains from her previous life. The novel is divided into 15 sections titled ‘Night’, where Offred shares details about her past with the reader.
Offred’s personal moments, where she can be herself and be free from societal expectations, include her relationships with her mother, a women’s rights activist, and her husband, Luke. These moments often reveal Offred’s backstory and the reasons behind her views. Death and the mistreatment of bodies is a recurring theme in both The Handmaid’s Tale and Never Let Me Go. In The Handmaid’s Tale, dead bodies are displayed on the wall as a warning to the society, including those of “Angel-Makers” who support abortion and professionals deemed selfish by the Gileadean Society. The society values reproduction to such an extent that any form of abortion or contraception is strictly prohibited, resulting in the deaths of those involved. The hanging bodies serve as a reminder of the government’s power over society. Offred describes one of these bodies, stating that its smile of blood captures attention and distinguishes them from mere snowmen. The victims’ identities are further stripped away by the placement of white cloth bags over their heads.According to her, any distinct features that might be visible through the cloth are only dull shadows, and their lifeless heads hang down like “melting snowmen.” The children in the novel Never Let Me Go have seemingly been constantly aware of their impending death, and Ishiguro’s choice to refer to it as “completion” adds an even darker tone. The term “completion” suggests that their duties have been fulfilled adequately. After their bodies have fully matured, each child becomes a “donor.”
The use of the word ‘donor’ is ironic, as these children have no say in the matter. Ishiguro reveals the information they were told about their identities by teachers at Hailsham. Kathy reminisces about these conversations and also recalls how an injury was treated during their childhood. Tommy falls and cuts his elbow as a child, which is treated as a life-or-death situation, highlighting the significance of bodily perfection and health. However, this obsession with the body deprives the children of a proper childhood, fearing injury or death. These texts exploit the characters’ bodies in various ways. It is not surprising that women are often left vulnerable and expected to accept their situations. Characters like Offred and Alison demonstrate strength and self-control, but societal oppression hinders their fulfillment. Organ harvesting, rape, domestic violence, and forced surrogacy still occur in developing countries around the world. Women continue to fight for equal rights hundreds of years later.
