Dehumanization In The Handmaid's Tale

To begin with, Susan B. Anthony’s quote can be related to Margaret Atwood’s novel titled The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). Atwood’s novel titled The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) is contradictory to Anthony ’s quote. An example of how it can be seen as a contradictory quote can be seen through the fact that she states that ‘‘men, their rights and nothing more ; women, their rights and nothing less’’. Thus, Atwood’s novel titled The Handmaid’s Tale is contradictory to Anthony’s quote since men are more important than the women.

The writer presents the role of the “Handmaids” as a highly indispensable member of the Gilead society as they are in charge of providing the children for each family, which in the future will be the forthcoming leaders of the community. As Atwood, herself, expressed in an interview with Random house in January of 2012: “ The Handmaids themselves are a pariah caste within the pyramid: treasured for what they may be able to provide – their fertility – but untouchables otherwise. To possess one is, however, a mark of high status, just as many slaves or a large retinue of servants always has been.” (Atwood, Haunted by The Handmaid 's Tale, 2012)

Offred has the opportunity to show her knowledge of the past when she is with the Commander. Shortly after arriving at his home, she finds out that the Commander wants her to come to his office. Offred’s fear of the unknown reason for this request is evident when she says, “I lie in bed, still trembling. You can wet the rim of a glass and run your finger around the rim and it will make a sound. This is what I feel like: this sound of glass.

What would become of the world, if our current societal flaws, such as sexism, racism, and classism were ingrained and executed at a systematic level? This is exactly what The Handmaid’s Tale set out to explore. The novel, which claims to be speculative fiction, is set in the theocratic Republic of Gilead (formerly the USA), where birth rates are rapidly declining and women have been marginalized by the patriarchal regime, forbidden to read, write or love and valued only if they are able to procreate. They are separated into classes, including Wives, Marthas, Aunts, Unwomen, and Handmaids, distinguishable only by the color of their clothing. The Handmaids are renamed by combining ‘of’ and the name of the Commander that they have been assigned to, stripping them of any individuality.

History has shown that cruelty against women has been a long time fight that has grown over the years. The way men treat women has become a very pressing matter and is affecting women all around the world. Women have fought this fight for generations and generations to come will have the same fight until men change their ways. For example, women fought for their right to vote for years. Eventually women won the fight and life for women has become more equal.

1. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum In the Handmaid’s Tale, this is meant to be an unintelligible latin phrase later translated by the commander, meaning “don’t let the bastards grind you down”. June/Offred finds this carved into the floor of her closet by the preceding handmaid of the household. The commander invites Offred into his office at night to make her life more bearable.

1.“The room smells of lemon oil, heavy cloth, fading daffodils, the leftover smells of cooking that have made their way from the kitchen or the dining room, and of Serena Joy’s perfume: Lily of the Valley. Perfume is a luxury, she must have some private source. I breathe in I appreciate it. It’s the scent of pre-pubescent girls, of the gift young children used to give to give their mothers, for Mother’s Day; the smell of white cotton socks and white cotton petticoats, of dusting powder, of the innocence female flesh not yet given over to hairiness and blood.

Thesis- Margaret Atwood criticizes what we all know and have, Women's Rights, but Atwood takes them away even the most important parts of all women, being able to own a house, or having a bank account, even being able to speak your mind. In The Handmaid's Tale everything was normal equal rights between women and men, and than all of a sudden women can’t own any property, bank accounts get shut down, you can't leave without permission, as well as getting cut from jobs. In the new government commanders wives have to wear blue, and the handmaids wear red, it keeps them apart from each other and as well as people knowing who's who.

The differences and similarities between Offred and Ofwarren aka Janine two characters featured in Margaret Atwood 's Handmaid 's Tale exhibit the conditions one has to endure in a dystopian society, and the challenges one has to face within the society. Ofwarren and Offred are two characters that have many things in common which consists what they are were currently in their lives of being handmaid 's. However the still do have differences between one another due to what they endured in their past lives prior to when Gilead was in existence. Ofwarren life prior to when Gilead came into existence consisted of her being gang raped at the age of 14. Due to this incident she became pregnant and had an abortion.

The Handmaid’s Tale is based in a futuristic world and it contains a strictly enforced control. This system is called The Republic of Gilead. All must follow the rules set in Gilead and not dare to over step them. The laws are due to the decreasing number of fertile women and based on biblical teachings. Both men and women 's roles in this novel are significant with their responsibilities and actions.