Analysis Of The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

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The dystopian genre is one that contains more historical significance than most other genres. The plots of these novels often have historical basis, and consequently remain relevant many decades after their initial publication. The continued relevance of these novels, despite the passage of time is what makes them excellent educational resources for any situation that requires critical thinking, and therefore allow us to draw connections to real life. The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel written in 1985 by Margaret Atwood, is set in New England in “the near future”. It features a totalitarian Christian theonomy, in other words, there is essentially no separation between church and state like there would be in a typical modern democracy. Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is a critically acclaimed award winner that has spawned a movie, a play, a ballet, and most recently a television show; and has sparked numerous intense debates both within and outside of academia regarding its relevance to the modern …show more content…
The main argument for those decrying the present relevancy of the novel, is that “…[None] of these things seems [even remotely]likely to happen under Donald Trump’s rule…” (Placeholder9), and they do have a point. It’s unlikely that Donald trump would go so far as to freeze the bank accounts and assets of those who were born with an “F” on their birth certificate, or shoot those who try to flee across the border to Canada. Even so, the restrictions he has placed on minorities, and his approach to healthcare, and diplomacy remind many of us that while we might not be anywhere near Gilead yet, it would take very little to get us there. Jennifer Keisha Armstrong writes in an article for BBC about Donald Trump’s presidency and the relevance of The Handmaid’s
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