Examples Of Satire In The Handmaid's Tale
Satire is used in literature to criticize and point out society’s flaws. The criticism is usually masked in humour. Irony is commonly used in satires to expose flaws, an effective example is John Smith’s A Modest Proposal, he effectively uses irony, to communicate his argument about the poverty in Ireland at the time. Similarly, in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale she criticizes the society that women live in. Atwood uses allusions to the Old Testament, Cultural Revolution, Salem Witch Trials, and the Taliban to satirize the oppression of women in political, religious and social aspects. Atwood parallels the Cultural Revolution in China to the how the Gilead government gains power and control over the United States. The Chinese communist leader, Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution to assert his control over the Chinese government. Zedong ordered the nation to cleanse themselves of “impure” aspects of Chinese society. This was done by shutting down schools and a massive youth mobilization. The students formed groups called the Red Guards, they attacked and harassed members of China’s elderly and …show more content…
Atwood connects the political events to show how Gilead gained control and keeps their control by establishing fear into the women. Gilead stays in control by limiting speech to religious references, keeping the women from talking about the oppression they are suffering. Additionally, women are blamed for the social issues that were present in a pre-Gilead society such as rape, abortion and adultery. Women get the blame for the issues and men do not suffer consequences since it is in their nature to cheat. Atwood uses allusions to the Old Testament and historical events to satirize the oppression of women in political, religious and social
The Handmaid's Tale Feminist Analysis
649 Words | 3 PagesThe novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a story about a society set in a future world where women’s rights have been revoked. Many values change with this new regime of controlled women and strict laws. Despite the changes in the world it maintains many conservative, religious beliefs while also containing liberal, feminist beliefs simultaneously. Society in the futuristic world of Gilead is structured heavily off of readings from the Bible and traditional views of gender that have been in place for a long time. An example of the Bible being an important part of society is the idea of the Handmaids came from a passage in the Bible about two women, Rachel and Leah.
Examples Of Allusions In The Handmaid's Tale
413 Words | 2 PagesIn the novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, Gilead -the republic in which Offred resides- is a theocracy-a government in which there is no separation between church and state. Religious terminology and references are incorporated into everyday life; everything from the titles of civilians, to the names of the shops they frequent, to the automobiles they drive. This uses of biblical phraseology to describe all things in their society, provides an ever-constant insinuation that those who reign are acting with “God’s” warrant. However like in most theocracies, words get warped and taken out of context and used as justification for vile deeds and characteristics; especially those of the Old Testament. In the novel, many of the biblical quotes have been misrepresented.
Symbolism In How To Read Literature Like A Professor
643 Words | 3 PagesThe Commander and the Aunts claim that women are better protected in Gilead, where they are treated with respect and kept safe from violence. However, while Gilead claims to suppress sexual violence, it actually institutionalizes it. An example is Jezebel’s, the club that provides the Commanders with prostitutes to service the male elite. Another example is the Ceremony that compels Handmaids to have sex with their Commanders. Foster suggests, “...sex can be pleasure, sacrifice, submission, rebellion, resignation, supplication, domination, enlightenment, the whole works” (158).
The Dystopian Society Exposed In The Handmaid's Tale
909 Words | 4 PagesMargaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale displays Gilead, a depressed dystopian society, which is seen from the congested mind of the main character, Offred. Through Offred’s mind readers can see there is an obvious societal divide by gender and the caste system created in hopes to restore the society from the fall of the old world. Offred is a handmaid in Gilead. In Gileadean society, handmaid’s are essentially sex slaves forced to once a month engage in a ceremony with their house commander and his wife in hopes to have a child for their family since many women in this society are unable to produce children. Offred is a handmaid to Commander Fred and his wife, Serena Joy.
Examples Of Misogyny In The Handmaid's Tale
783 Words | 4 PagesDystopian literature is used to convey somewhat realistic versions of our society that we can connect to. Dystopias are usually futuristic and are used to convey a warning for us to avoid certain scenarios that could affect our future. In Margaret Atwood's, The Handmaid’s Tale she chose to convey exaggerated but real life examples of Misogyny, her novel acts as a social commentary on several issues, and addresses how Patriarchy is used to restrict/control women socially, politically, and economically through the use of labels, the lack of money/ job opportunities, and through dehumanization. In The Handmaid’s Tale labels/names are used as a means of control.
Women In The Handmaid's Tale
926 Words | 4 PagesMargaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale tells the story of a young woman, called, but not named Offred, trapped in the patriarchal society of Gilead in the role of a handmaid to her commander. Offred’s role as handmaid, simply put, is to become pregnant in lieu of the Commander’s wife who is too old to do so. At the novel’s setting, Gilead is still less than a generation old, meaning Offred remembers her life before the institution of new societal standards when she possessed the freedom to choose her own career, education, and romantic partners. Handmaids undergo a boot-camp like training at the Red Center (so called by the Handmaids for the color of the dresses they wear) where they teach proper behavior based on misinterpreted Biblical text.
The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
2132 Words | 9 PagesHowever, Gilead rehashed all of those old tropes, and classified in a never before seen way. Women are now Wives, Marthas, Handmaids, or Ecnowives. Each classification has different responsibilities, dress colors, and status, but what binds them all together is the anonymity it shoves on to each woman. A woman is no longer a person, she is the role defined by her dress color, easily replaced by another one of the same dress color. They stick to their own kind, segregated from each other by the different status associated with each role.
Women In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
890 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the story, women in Gilead live under
Racism And Classism In The Handmaid's Tale
746 Words | 3 PagesWhat would become of the world, if our current societal flaws, such as sexism, racism, and classism were ingrained and executed at a systematic level? This is exactly what The Handmaid’s Tale set out to explore. The novel, which claims to be speculative fiction, is set in the theocratic Republic of Gilead (formerly the USA), where birth rates are rapidly declining and women have been marginalized by the patriarchal regime, forbidden to read, write or love and valued only if they are able to procreate. They are separated into classes, including Wives, Marthas, Aunts, Unwomen, and Handmaids, distinguishable only by the color of their clothing. The Handmaids are renamed by combining ‘of’ and the name of the Commander that they have been assigned to, stripping them of any individuality.
Figurative Language In The Handmaid's Tale
1207 Words | 5 PagesWords speak louder than Action The usage of language is really important in the story, the author starts his/ her expression of ideas by using languages from which reader can able to identify the feeling or emotions of a character. Using proper and meaning full language is highly effected on stories. At first, when the reader starts reading a story, the first thing is to understand the language, author uses “Figurative Languages” which helps to define the feeling in other words. Author Atwood expresses her ideas through the use of powerful language in “The Handmaid’s Tale” so that the reader gains new perceptions about the purpose or the theme of the story.
Use Of Satire In The Devil And Tom Walker
378 Words | 2 PagesSatire is used in many works of literature and it uses sarcasm, irony, or ridicule. This is used to try and effect political or social changes or even prevent it. It can also be used in only a part of a work or throughout the whole work. Washington Irving uses satire throughout his work, “The Devil and Tom Walker.” In this work, Irving uses satire to ridicule Puritan New Englanders of the 1700s.
Religion In The Handmaid's Tale
223 Words | 1 PagesReligion is a major theme in The Handmaid’s Tale. Gilead is a theocracy, so there are tons of biblical references found all throughout Gilead, such as the women’s roles. Marthas are based on a New Testament kitchen worker, and the dominance of men over women refer to Adam and Eve. Religion is one of the things that keep the Gileadean society under control. The theocracy is rigid, some could say corrupt.
Why Is The Handmaid's Tale A Dystopia
493 Words | 2 PagesWhat happens to women in Gilead is what can happen in a society if the people in charge are left with too much power over the rest of the population.
Oppression Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
996 Words | 4 PagesIn this written text, the emphasis will be on Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale and as well as the way Atwood portrays women and how it can be argued to show the oppression of women. The main purpose is to analyze the way women are treated throughout this book and depict why they are represented this way in the society in Gilead. Then, comparatively, observe the men’s domination over women and how they govern this society. In The Handmaid’s Tale, women are stripped of their rights, suffer many inequalities and are objectified, controlled by men and only valued for their reproductive qualities. The Gilead society is divided in multiple social group.
The Role Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale
1304 Words | 6 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale Essay-How does Atwood’s portrayal of women compare to modern conceptions of women? “I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it’s shameful or immodest but because I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely” (Atwood pg.82). This is a quote that the narrator and main character of the book (Offred) says as two other women give her her bath. How hard does a woman’s life have to be that she wouldn’t even want to look at her body.
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