Handmaid's Tale Themes

Words: 1795

Pages: 8

Open Document

Power, control, and the internal struggle of a society adapting their’s belief to those of their government are themes that commonly compose a dystopian novel. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood we are introduced to a woman, Offred, who clings to her past life and memories before the government of the Republic of Gilead took over. Offred, is a handmaid that must have sex with her commander to procreate a child because supposedly the majority of the other women have become infertile. She is one of the few women who still has fertile eggs therefore, she must follow the job assigned to her. However, she holds onto the memories of her husband and daughter because she has completely lost everything else that she had, she only hold onto the hope of seeing them for at least one more time. At the same time, in the novel 1984 by George Orwell we are introduced to a man named Winston who is always cautious about his thoughts and who4 works for the Minister of the Truth. However, this all changes when he meets and falls in love with Julia a woman who is his co-worker and that a wears a sash representing her abstainity. As the novel progresses Winston and Julia start questioning the Party’s policies and slowly start to show rebellious actions. Winston and Julia have sex in a secret room but they are quickly found by the Thought Police and are taken to Ministry of Love where they are tortured until …show more content…
In The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred often thinks about her past life to take her mind of the current situation of Gilead. We see her often questioning herself about why she took everything for granted in her past, things like doing the laundry, dating casually, walking around town with her husband, etc. She remembers the small things she did with her husband and thinks about how different things are now. Offred

Theme Of Marginalization In The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Thomas Keneally are two classic novels that explore themes of discrimination and oppression. These texts portray the struggles of marginalized groups in society, giving them a voice and shaping the reader’s understanding of how groups in their own society could be disadvantaged. In The Handmaid’s Tale, women are harmfully marginalized by their government and Thomas Keneally’s novel explores the struggles of an Aboriginal…

Words 1065 - Pages 5

Theme Of Manipulation In The Handmaid's Tale

Language is constantly being manipulated to disguise the grave reality of certain matters.A great example of this is seen in The Handmaid's Tale. This story takes place in a futuristic society where a new regime overthrew the United States government and is now known as the Republic of Gilead. The most powerful force that the republic uses to maintain control over its people is the manipulation of language. Sadly this tactic is also seen in our own society specifically in the political realm. This…

Words 658 - Pages 3

Summary Of The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

biology, or are socially constructed as different,” which is, arguably the premise for Margaret Atwood’s novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and Atwood applies this method of thought through her novel. As the text closes Margaret Atwood addresses this question through her two narrators alongside her readers interpretation to display elements of feminist critical thinking. When ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ was published in 1985 feminism was becoming a more widespread and successful movement, with the ‘Married Women’s…

Words 1513 - Pages 7

Handmaid tale challenge and critise contempary society Essay

"Despite being written thirty years ag, the handmaid’s tale is still a valuable and powerful text" How successfully does Atwood's novel challenge and criticise the conditions of contemporary society? Attwood includes many values that successfully challenge and critise the conditions of contemporary society. The most significant themes present throughout the novel are power, class and religion which help the audience to challenge and criticise the conditions of contemporary society. Each…

Words 1132 - Pages 5

Dystopian Society In The Handmaid's Tale

role of women in society. Dystopian fiction establishes and critiques gender roles, traditions and values. Women in dystopian societies are not represented with the same equal rights as men. For example, The Handmaid’s Tale gives men a superior status and objectifies women. The Handmaid’s Tale provides an example of a world where women are suppressed to create the illusion that they are being protected. Society is based off of gender and gender alone, the rights people have stem from gender. The men…

Words 631 - Pages 3

Handmaid's Tale Gender Roles Essay

Sexuality and Gender Roles in “The Handmaid’s Tale” In the novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, sexuality and gender roles are very prevalent issues. From those in power executing homosexuals to killing doctors who performed abortions, sexuality is a very known and hated topic in the Republic of Gilead, specifically by those in charge. This topic should be more accepted and equality for all should be fought for, however, in this society is it different and many do not agree. Sexual orientation…

Words 451 - Pages 2

Essay on Handmais Tale

Juan Parra Ms. Almaguer AP Literature and Composition 12/119/13 The Handmaid’s Tale Essay, Prompt 1972 In Margret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, themes play a critical role in the story. Atwood introduces the concept of rebellion, identity, and language to reveal the restrictions the Republic of Gilead has on the handmaids. In pre-Gilean society, every individual, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity had the principle freedoms of “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (John…

Words 829 - Pages 4

The Role Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale

destruction of individual freedom.” How does each author’s presentation of women reflect their separate thematic concerns? The thematic concerns of authors often differ depending on their individual perspectives. In Margaret Atwood’s novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, the author strives to address modern society’s attempt to achieve equality for women and illustrates the implications of its failure. Atwood’s novel presents the role of women as widely enslaved and sees the position of women in society to be…

Words 2307 - Pages 10

Presentation of Marlene, Top Girls in Comparison to the Presentation of Serena Joy, Handmaid's Tale. Essay

The main themes in both Top Girls and The Handmaid’s Tale are feminism, politics and women’s role in society. Top Girls is based on social realism and political drama. Churchill once said “Playwrights don’t give answers, they ask questions”.[1] It could be said that Churchill is asking the audience to acknowledge how much a woman has to sacrifice in order to succeed in the stereotypically male dominant workplace. However, it could also be said that she could be asking the audience to acknowledge…

Words 1728 - Pages 7

The Handmaid's Tale Essay

notable people have debated the precarious balance between emotion and logic and the balance between freedom and security. Among these notable people, Margate Atwood must be included as she debates both themes impeccably. Margaret Atwood, through pages 219-220 of her satiric novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, examines the role of emotion and the fragile balance between freedom and security using literary devices to remind the reader of the subjective nature of the human experience. Firstly, Atwood unearths…

Words 728 - Pages 3