Symbolism In The Handmaids Tale

◦The ideas of what denotes anti feminism and gynocentric misogyny have been argued throughout time with countless definitions and speculative concerns ◦we can connect this as far back as the 19th century with the first wave of feminism and again in the 1960s with the second wave. ◾This serves to be a Genesis for resounding plot within The Handmaids Tale ◦Margaret Atwood, a strong feminist activist outside of her stories, comes to the conclusion that having power over oneself, not necessarily over men, is key; this idea that women choosing to behave as they should will be met with adversity--that sisterhood is power. ◦what arises in the handmaid 's tale is this very apparent social gradient, a disunity between the women within their subgroup, that serves to control them and inevitably destroy female solidarity •“Then and Now” •~coloring piece of the background~ ◦ The first section pertains the pre Gilead society compared to as the novel is told. Through periodical flashbacks, we are given insight into how the society was before the book

Imagine 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 .

Despite his clear disdain for books, he can quote deep, introspective lines and build arguments using them. (pg 103). In this disarming conversation, Beatty catches Montag off guard by describing his dream and the fight they had, quoting deep literature and making his point about how books can be used to argue either side, clearly getting into Montag’s head. Yet despite his self-assurance, he is unhappy. This fact is kept hidden until after his murder, as Montag thinks of the events leading up to it.

Atwood’s dystopian novel is a warning about the consequences of misogynistic, authoritarian governments. Her message seems to be universal since the subjugation of women by religious extremists, remains a concern in the present

But much to the anguish of Okonkwo, Nwoye embodied most of his grandfather’s traits and this enraged Okonkwo deeply. Okonkwo dreads that Nwoye will blot the acclaim and honour he has worked so hard to achieve. Nwoye’s “incipient laziness” was causing Okonkwo great deal of distress and he sought to correct him by “constant nagging and beating” and as a result Nwoye was “turning into a sad-faced youth” (Pg. 13). Nwoye is aware that he should adopt the more masculine traits of his tribesmen, as desired by his father but he still prefers his mother’s company.

Every aspect of society works not only to gain control over those of low social standing, but also show a significantly great amount of prejudice against women. In this way, the societies enforce their patriarchy onto its citizens, allowing modern time readers to draw contrasts between their own societies and the ones in the novels that oppose ideas of freedom through indoctrination, using education as a form of empowerment and violence to evoke fear. Men are only regarded the monarchs of society once women have been demeaned. This is evidenced through Attwood’s use of animalistic language to display the false power the Commander holds over Offred. Upon their first meeting, Offred states that she thought ‘he might be toying, some cat-and-mouse routine, but now [she] thinks that his motives and desires weren’t obvious even to him’.

For committing such a sinful act, Hester must wear the scarlet letter while also having to bear stares from those that gossip about her. Nonetheless, it will be hard; Hester is steadfast to make her daughter Pearl, have a life, just like any other ordinary child. Hester is a remarkable, but peculiar character,

Atwood connects the political events to show how Gilead gained control and keeps their control by establishing fear into the women. Gilead stays in control by limiting speech to religious references, keeping the women from talking about the oppression they are suffering. Additionally, women are blamed for the social issues that were present in a pre-Gilead society such as rape, abortion and adultery. Women get the blame for the issues and men do not suffer consequences since it is in their nature to cheat. Atwood uses allusions to the Old Testament and historical events to satirize the oppression of women in political, religious and social

Imagine having no option other than breaking the government laws to survive. In the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood in the new society, Republic of Gilead, a strict government is established. Offred is ultimately trying to survive with the new laws that were implemented. Therefore, the quest for survival leads to breaking laws as expressed through the tone of Offred, foreshadowing Offred and her daughter attempted escape, and plot twist of Serena Joy. In the novel, Offred is considered a trustworthy person, but throughout the novel, she loses “trust” ordinarily it is emphasized by the tone that she describes her stories because she is trying to survive by breaking laws.

The novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a story about a society set in a future world where women’s rights have been revoked. Many values change with this new regime of controlled women and strict laws. Despite the changes in the world it maintains many conservative, religious beliefs while also containing liberal, feminist beliefs simultaneously. Society in the futuristic world of Gilead is structured heavily off of readings from the Bible and traditional views of gender that have been in place for a long time. An example of the Bible being an important part of society is the idea of the Handmaids came from a passage in the Bible about two women, Rachel and Leah.