Government Control In The Handmaid's Tale

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Governments are responsible for the welfare of their citizens and they do this by taking absolute control of the happenings involving in the state. The question to ask is: Can excessive governmental control result in rebellious citizens? A study of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Caspian Tredwell-Owen’s The Island show many similarities to make the reader believe that such government control is a despicable thing for many of the citizens. As a matter of fact, “The Island” is about an Institute that produces human clones that are used as insurance policies. In the process of creating these clones, fake memories are implanted in the clones to make them think they are real. They are made to believe that there is a lottery and those who …show more content…
In both stories, their way of thinking was controlled, thereby making them objectified.In The Handmaid’s Tale, the handmaids were not allowed to ask questions or know beyond what they were told thereby restricting their thought. “This woman has been my partner for two weeks. I don't know what happened to the one before. On a certain day she simply wasn't there anymore, and this one was there in her place. It isn't the sort of thing you ask questions about, because the answers are not usually answers you want to know. Anyway there wouldn't be an answer.”(Atwood 21). At the beginning of the story, it surprised Offred that she could not find her partner. However, she does not bother asking questions because there would be nobody to answer and they were not allowed any form of intimacy. Likewise, In The Island, fake memories were implanted in them which made them think of nothing but the island. “You have a very special purpose in life. You have been chosen. The Island awaits you.” When the clones were made, false memories were given to them to make them believe they were humans and were saved from the earth’s contamination and given a purpose. The clones were made to feel very special and to look forward to living on the island like it will be a
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