AQA text overview Flashcards
The Handmaid’s Tale, a novel by Atwood, explores political and social protest writing in response to the rise of Christian fundamentalism and right-wing views in the 1980s. The novel addresses concerns about the potential repressive treatment of women if conservative parties came to power. Atwood’s observations of restrictive political and religious ideologies, such as the coercive practices of Eastern Bloc countries and the Ayatollahs in Iran, are incorporated into the text. Despite changes in the USA under Obama and Reagan, many still hold extreme right-wing values, and political instability in the Middle East makes the issues raised in the novel still relevant today.
The Handmaid’s Tale explores the consequences of religious extremism and fanaticism, particularly in relation to women’s rights. It highlights issues related to personal freedom, morality, government control, and Orwellian surveillance. The text portrays a world where the state regulates sexual relations, condones male violence against women, suppresses female sexuality, and leaves no place for human love. The text is a chilling vision of a world where women’s rights are eroded by religious laws and the right to freedom of speech is under intense scrutiny.
Genre and setting
The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian fiction set in a futuristic world where an ultra-conservative Christian movement has seized control in the USA and imposed a totalitarian regime based on the Old Testament. The genre features the abuse of religious texts for political purposes, with the Old Testament’s representation of women being central to the regime. The world is similar to our own, with mismanagement of the planet, industrialization, overuse of chemicals, and birth control in Caucasian societies affecting human reproduction. The desperation of those with power to reproduce leads them to exploit ordinary women as national resources, reducing them to ‘walking wombs’.
Power and control
The novel explores power politics in Gilead, a society controlled by fear and violence. The society has a strict, segregated social structure with clear rules and expectations, punishing those who break them severely. Ritual executions are performed for homosexuals, Roman Catholic priests, and Quakers. Male bodies are left hanging on the wall daily to instill fear. People in Gilead are categorised based on gender and social role, with men wearing military uniforms and women wearing colors to represent their roles. Offred, a fertile handmaid, has no power beyond reproduction and their lives are not their own.
In Gilead, women are subjected to a brutal regime that imposes strict rules and restrictions on their lives. Women are restricted in their movements and vision, with their costumes being absurd and debilitating. Handmaids are also deprived of language and limited communication. Offred, a handmaid, is greeted by Ofglen with the words “Blessed be the fruit” and “May the Lord open.”
Women are subjugated in every way, with the regime seizing female financial assets, removing children from second marriages, splitting families, and taking control of their bodies. They are forbidden to read, except for aunts who use it to control other women. Even wives must follow the rules set forth by the regime, including housing their husbands’ handmaids and enduring The Ceremony each month.
A climate of fear and paranoia is created by the regime and perpetuated by its military forces, which are ironically named the Angels, the Eyes of God, and the Guardians of the Faith. Citizens witness and participate in public executions and punishments, and when individuals are no longer useful, they are shipped to radioactive colonies for an agonizing death.
One of the most insidious methods of enforcement by the regime is the regulation of language. Offred’s rebellion is symbolized by the playing of Scrabble, where she owns and manipulates language, a rare moment of empowerment within a regime that has taken her job, husband, daughter, and name.
Oppression and the oppressed
The novel portrays women as the most oppressed group, subjected to domestic servitude, reproductive activities, prostitution, and control over others. While some women may hold privileged positions, all are controlled by men who run Gilead. Men have more status but still follow strict rules and codes of conduct, governed by ultraconservative religious laws. The regime is plagued by corruption and hypocrisy, with the most powerful ruling elite having the freedom to flaunt the rules. The Historical Notes suggest that the architects of Gilead, including Offred’s Commander, were toppled by new pretenders in the “Great Purge.” Corrupt totalitarian regimes breed corruption and terror, leaving no one safe.
Rebellion
In political and social protest writing, oppression and control are key elements. Rebellion is a key element in this genre, and the reader does not witness a large-scale rebellion that leads to the overthrow of Gilead. However, attempts at protest and rebellion are present throughout the novel. Offred, a character, attempts to escape with her family to Canada when the regime takes over. The Commander and Offred rebel against the regime’s rules by engaging in secret relationships. The brothel where Moira works is a rebellion against the lifestyle the Commanders are supposed to lead. Serena Joy orchestrates her illicit relationship with Nick, seemingly suspecting her husband is infertile. A previous occupant of Offred’s room rebels by scratching the slogan “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” into the woodwork. Women and men in Gilead break rules to facilitate pregnancy and hope they won’t be discovered. The Mayday resistance movement and the Underground Femaleroad also conduct organized rebellion. Offred’s inner rebellion is the most significant, as she refuses to forget the past, maintains her power, and ultimately remembers and records her story on tape.
The politics of feminism
Atwood’s novel, Offred, is a critique of the feminist movement in North America in the second half of the twentieth century, which she believes led to the formation of Gilead. Offred’s mother and friends are criticized for their pro-abortion stance, sexual freedom, and failure to embrace diverse views, alienating pro-life campaigners. While some sympathy is shown for Offred’s mother, the greatest sympathy is for Offred, who is more open to different views and cares about men and women. By telling her story, Offred embeds the stories of many women, making her mother and Moira’s voices alive and reviving their voices.
Resolution
The main narrative of Offred’s story is ambiguous, leading readers to find the ending unsatisfying. The Historical Notes by Atwood criticize academia’s processing and reporting of past events, and Professor Pieixoto’s analysis of her situation lacks emotion and empathy. The authors seem detached from human suffering and feel that history has taught nothing about human suffering. The suppression of women continues, albeit in a covert way. Pieixoto shows little interest in Offred and criticizes her for not revealing more about the Commander. He attempts to take away her voice by renaming her story and not showing interest in her fate.
