The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
Evelyn Reynoso Butiu English 11 21 February 2018 Literary Analysis Essay You are a successful women, success covered in the droplets of your blood, sweat, and tears. Suddenly, your success no longer holds your value and your fertility now defines you. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, American society took multiple steps backwards, drastically changing the lives of all citizens for good as illustrated when Offred lost her financial and property rights in a matter of short time. Formally the United States, the totalitarian Christian society of Gilead is the reflection of future America if oppression of women, environmental damage, and disagreement of religion and politics continue. Women continue to be be oppressed by …show more content…
Although religion plays a major role to the new government, only one religion is accepted, allowing a great amount of success to their new political system. In order to establish their powerful government, all American government officials were assassinated, for instance, “It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the president and machine-gunned congress and the army declared a state of emergency. They blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time.” (Atwood 174). Not only does this illustrate how Gilead was able to rise to power, but portrays how certain religion groups were marginalized. In comparison to the quote, modern America has a history in oppressing people of different religion backgrounds, labeling them as terrorists and using them as scapegoats to any devastation. Now that Gilead is dominant, only Christianity is allowed to be practiced, in a reformed manner; this idea has only been effective through executions for the sinners practicing another religion. For example, “Only two were hanging on the wall today: one Catholic, not the priest though, placard with an upside down cross and another sect I did not recognize.” (Atwood 200). Though all religions follow the same concept, all believe in different ideas. The idea of Christianity in Gilead is altered to make the …show more content…
Not only does Gilead reflect the U.S., but warns Americans as to how they may live in the future. Now that the United States is facing similar issues described in The Handmaid’s Tale, it is important to change any negative habits that may lead to any permanent unfavorable change. If a country does nothing to protect its citizens and environment, your accomplishments are worth nothing, even
Faith And The Presidency Summary
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The Populist Party In The 1890's
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Martin Luther's Impact On The Age Of Reformation
466 Words | 2 PagesAfter the religious dissenters from Europe arrived in America, society was dominated by a clash of various religious beliefs. Those beliefs continued to dominate America for hundreds of years, up until the latter half of the 20th century. Religion was so strong in America that it dictated the lives of millions of settlers that lived in the colonies. People in America can now worship as they believe but no state religion is to be endorsed. Many different Christian denominations are being worshipped in America today.
Obedience In The Crucible
1264 Words | 6 PagesThe people confuse the common man with evil and to obey the wishes of God, the people must attack the source. This is clearly seen in the Red Scare, but the American people were not in fear of God, they were in fear of politics, or the government in general. The proof is in the statement, “A young Senator named Joseph McCarthy made a public accusation that more than two hundred “card-carrying” communists had infiltrated the United States government causing fear” (McCarthyism). They too attacked the source of fear, which they claimed to be Communism, but just like the witch hunters claimed the source to be the Devil. The people were so in fear, they had to reside all of their obedience into either the court led by God or the
The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
832 Words | 4 PagesThroughout history, oppressive regimes have existed to expand the power of a few at the cost of many. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale tells the tale of Offred, a handmaid in the oppressive Republic of Gilead. Gilead strictly controls the actions of its people, especially its women, to expand the power of the men in control and combat falling birth rates. Their control consists of literal force and the use of psychology. Krickel, a psychologist, uses repression as a way to explain implicit biases.
Femininity In The Handmaid's Tale
1008 Words | 5 PagesAccording to Alanna A. Callaway, Gilead’s entire power structure relies on the disunity of women. Although Gilead’s system oppresses women, it is the few women in power that make the caste system dangerous for Handmaids. The patriarchal power structure of Gilead needs women to regulate each other, suggesting that gynocentric misogyny, or women hating women, is far more dangerous than traditional misogyny (Callaway 2008). This being said, the genuine threat in Gilead is not from the men in power, but the
The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
1101 Words | 5 PagesImagine a nation in which its government commands by a religion where women are separated into different titles and must conceive children for their commander. Their rights from before this regime, and anything deemed unholy by the government, are a thing of the past. This situation is the one represent in the Republic of Gilead, where the rules of society and its traditions are not taken lightly if broken. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood shows that an oppressive government leads to the inevitable neglect and remiss of the rules through Offred’s characterization, irony, and flashbacks. Offred 's character development can show that her actions change .
Imagery In The Handmaid's Tale
836 Words | 4 PagesIn face of severe situation, people often feel relief when they think of happier, simpler times in order to alleviate the severity. In the fiction novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood, a theocracy government controls every aspect of life in order to produce the best result of its plans. At the beginning of chapter 12, Offred takes a required, but luxurious bath because she can take off the burdensome wings and veils. While she bathes, Offred remembers her daughter from the past and a time with her family. Atwood compares Offred’s past and present through imagery, tone, similes, and symbolism combined with parallel structure to highlight the vulnerability of women to their surroundings.
Historical Allusions In Handmaid's Tale
860 Words | 4 PagesThe novel, Handmaid’s Tale, was written by Margaret Atwood in 1985. The text is centered around Offred, a woman subsided into a role of inferiority and lead into a series of events surrounding the limitations of The Republic of Gilead. The Republic of Gilead, previously known as the United States, is totalitarian government concealed as a religious one as it uses forceful methods to control its people. These methods constructed the only acceptable social paradigm input, ones where Atwood wrote in form of historical and cultural allusions. Furthermore, it is a reflection of the author’s world and her belief system on how they would morph and adapt to an extreme scenario.
Theme Of Marxism In The Handmaid's Tale
2035 Words | 9 PagesWorks of literature often portray ideas relating to Marxist theory, this is why in a dystopian society, class distinctions dominate the social climate, using Marxist ideologies as a tool to define the lives of the narrator and those around her. In Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, ideologies from Marxist theory dominate the society in which Offred, the narrator, lives in, evidenced by the strict class systems and limited interaction between them. In writing the novel, Atwood makes a point to create a world that could exist using technology and ideas already accessible in today’s society, meaning the events that take place in The Handmaid’s Tale could happen in present day. Offred lives in a reality where class distinctions dominate society, and women, especially fertile women. These women are displaced downwards, although there are those women who attempt to resist the grip of society.
Gender Roles In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale
1035 Words | 5 PagesThis year is the 30th anniversary of the publication of Margaret Atwood 's dystopian classic, The Handmaid 's Tale. The novel is told from a first person account of a young woman, Offred. In an age of declining births, she is forced to become a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, the imagined future in the United States. The Handmaids are to provide children by the substitution of infertile women of a higher social status. Through the creation of different characteristics of female characters – ones who are submissive yet rebellious, and like to take advantage of their power - Margaret Atwood portray themes of love, theocracy, rebellion, and gender roles.
Rebellion In The Handmaid's Tale
801 Words | 4 PagesThere are two ways people will react to when their freedom is taken away. They will either accept it or rebel against it, which is what a lot of the female characters in Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale accomplished. Shown through Offred’s repetition of certain events, Moira’s tone of being a fighter, and Serena Joy’s desperation, the reader can see that lack of freedom leads to rebellion. Offred, the novel’s narrator, now lives in a world where women are powerless. She has had her freedom taken away, and at times follows the rules, but ends up rebelling in many powerful ways.
Oppression Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
996 Words | 4 PagesIn this written text, the emphasis will be on Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale and as well as the way Atwood portrays women and how it can be argued to show the oppression of women. The main purpose is to analyze the way women are treated throughout this book and depict why they are represented this way in the society in Gilead. Then, comparatively, observe the men’s domination over women and how they govern this society. In The Handmaid’s Tale, women are stripped of their rights, suffer many inequalities and are objectified, controlled by men and only valued for their reproductive qualities. The Gilead society is divided in multiple social group.
Summary Of Why Religious Freedom Is A Key Issue For Global Security By Brian Grim
1150 Words | 5 PagesHe argues that limiting people's capacity to practice their religion freely undermines human rights and fuels violence and terrorism. The imprisonment of Uighur Muslims in China and the violent attacks against Christians and Muslims in Sri Lanka are two contemporary examples of religious persecution that Grim cites at the beginning of his piece. He contends that occurrences like these harm people's rights, destroy the community, and help radical organizations gain ground. Grim then elaborates on the monetary gains that result from religious liberty.
How The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood Dehumanize Women
981 Words | 4 PagesSome of these methods include destroying identity through classification, objectification, and indoctrination. Most women of Gilead are sufficiently repressed that they seem to accept their assigned roles, at least outwardly resigned to their fate. Atwood uses gender roles in The Handmaid’s Tale to show the lengths to which misogynistic totalitarian governments will go, to protect their dictatorships. The Republic of Gilead is a hierarchical society which requires complete submission of women to men. By taking away women’s paid jobs, confiscating their property, draining their bank accounts, and giving them no recourse, the male leadership leaves women in a fully dependent and subservient position.
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