Religion In The Handmaid's Tale

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Relationships and Religion: Oppressive Authoritarianism of The Republic of Gilead

The Handmaid’s Tale is a society that organizes women into factions of their use, and sets restrictions to what the handmaid’s can do. This society has treated women badly to brainwash them from being curious: therefore, being obedient. Offred is a handmaid who does the shopping. Offred is not so obedient like the other handmaids because she smokes with Moira, and likes to wonder above the wings she has on her head. For Atwood uses Offred’s memories to show the restrictions the Republic of Gilead places on sexual relationships and religion after the invasion of the United States. Offred’s memories are one of the clearest from the Handmaid’s as she can recall …show more content…
Ofglen, Offred’s partener, bows her head as if she was praying in front of the church, and Offred thinks that it is all for show, indeed, showing that Offred is skeptical about church. Well that was church back then, when it had a meaning: “Ofglen’s head is bowed, as if she’s praying. She does this every time. Maybe, I think, there’s someone, someone in particular gone, for her too; a man, a child,”(Atwood 31). The memories that Offred had lost someone in the past and church was her comfort place, where she had hope that something better would happen is the meaning of church, to believe. After the United States changed, church has become more of spectacle to young people a home to the old. Young people see it as luxury while old people ask for forgiveness: “The church is a small one, one of the first erected here, hundreds of years ago. It isn’t used anymore, except as a museum. Inside it you can see painting, of women in long somber dresses, their hair covered by white caps, and of upright men, darkly clothed and unsmiling. Our ancestors. Admission is free,”(Atwood 31). Restrictions are not strictly implied, but you can infer that the Republic of Gilead does not want their young people there because they have to pay and also because it looks mortally intimidating. Their religion has on same purpose to, and that is heal in the time that you are at your
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