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Comparing Carrie 'And' The Handmaid's Tale

1266 Words6 Pages

In contemporary literature, female characters often embody the notion of monstrosity, challenging societal norms and invoking fear through their actions or circumstances. This essay analyzes the comparison between Carrie White from Stephen King's "Carrie" and Offred from Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale." Through the lens of Julia Kristeva's theory of abjection, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen's seven theses on monsters, and Purkiss’ analysis of the body of the witch, this analysis aims to unravel the complexities of these characters and their significance within contemporary culture. Carrie White embodies a complex interplay of themes surrounding the monstrous feminine, as depicted by Julia Kristeva. Tormented by her peers and suffocated by her …show more content…

In the film, Carrie's telekinetic abilities manifest in response to the trauma inflicted upon her, symbolized notably by her menstruation. This physiological event, a natural occurrence symbolizing womanhood, triggers Carrie's powers and serves as a catalyst for the climax of her vengeance. Here, Carrie's menstruation, a taboo topic despite its natural and common occurrence, embodies the abject, confronting societal norms and eliciting a visceral reaction from those around her. Drawing from Kristeva's theories, Carrie's menstruation represents the intersection of the feminine and the abject, disrupting established boundaries and provoking fear and revulsion in others. Additionally, Cohen's thesis of the monster as a cultural construct finds resonance in Carrie's portrayal. Carrie emerges as a product of societal marginalization and repression, shaped by her experiences of bullying, abuse, and religious fanaticism. Her monstrous acts, culminating in the infamous bloodbath at prom night, serve as a manifestation of the anxieties and tensions within the social …show more content…

In Gilead, women are subjected to the authority of the state and the dictates of a patriarchal theology, echoing historical efforts to suppress female autonomy and enforce male dominance. In Fiona Tolan's "Monstrous Regimes: The Handmaid's Tale as a Critique of Patriarchy,” Tolan argues that the novel portrays women like Offred as monstrous figures, not inherently due to their actions, but rather as a result of the monstrous regime that seeks to control and diminish them. Through Tolan's lens, "The Handmaid's Tale" serves as a powerful indictment of patriarchal systems, illustrating how they transform women into monstrous figures by denying them agency and autonomy. Atwood's narrative also highlights the cyclical nature of history and the persistence of oppressive systems. Despite the futuristic setting, the atrocities committed against women in Gilead mirror historical realities, illustrating how the subjugation of women is not a relic of the past but a recurring theme in human society. As Offred reflects, "Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub, you'd be boiled to death before you knew

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The Handmaid's Tale Misconceptions Towards Women

1310 Words | 6 Pages

(Atwood 187). Although Handmaids experience oppression by the Gilead regime, Atwood emphasizes the importance of unity and collaboration in the face of difficulties. The government of Gilead presents how hypocritical their society is toward women’s rights since the government uses a form of manipulation to make the Handmaid’s circumstances more tolerable. Additionally, Offred expresses how women do not have a right to their bodies because of the power others have over them as Offred states “I am abject” (Atwood 331). Offred expresses the removal of her individuality, autonomy, and basic human rights.

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Tropes In Psycho

1451 Words | 6 Pages

Carrie presents a monstrous view of femininity through three main points: Carrie’s fear of her own body, Mrs. White’s religious damnation of Carrie’s menstruation, and Carrie’s ultimate act of revenge. The opening scene of this influential movie takes place in the girls’ locker room as the high schoolers are changing after gym. Carrie, a social outcast due to her strict religious upbringing, has her first period and clearly does not understand what is happening to her body. She screams and begs her peers to help her; instead, they are amused by her ignorance and demand that she “plug it up” while throwing tampons and pads at the naïve girl. Because a girl’s first menstrual period is typically associated with her transition into womanhood, this association between Carrie’s first period and utter terror create a monstrous view of natural femininity.

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Similarities Between The Handmaid's Tale And 1984

906 Words | 4 Pages

By executing an alledged rapist, the mentally conditioned handmaids feel they help with solving the issue of sexual violence. This boosts their faith in the system that controls them. The handmaids suffered rape, there is no doubt of this; ironically the commanders bear responsibility for the raping, not the patriarch. This misdirection of blame, seemingly unbelievable, is Margaret Atwood’s nod to the Orwellian concept of doublethink; an important tactic that in this case plays a supporting role to that of the false flag tactic. The variation in method used by Gilead shows the versatility of false flag operations, a versatility that gives different types of governments the opportunity to employ it in different

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Examples Of Satire In The Handmaid's Tale

1472 Words | 6 Pages

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

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A Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

985 Words | 4 Pages

In Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale, the corrupt theocracy, harsh statutes, and abusive social structures all

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The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

570 Words | 3 Pages

In the beginning of the novel The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, Atwood immediately captures our attention by focusing on women’s freedom and humanity being taken away, especially that of the protagonist Offred. In the novel, Offred narrates the story of her life in part of the country that used to be the United States, but now it is called Gilead, a country that denies the freedom of individuals, especially women. The regime is a nightmarish reality where the women are forced into specific roles: The Handmaids, who have to conceive and carry the commanders’ children and wear a uniform that consists a red dress with white bonnet; the Wives, married to the commanders, are infertile and wear blue dresses to show their status; the Marthas, older women who serve as domestic servants in green attire; the aunts train the Handmaids for their role; and the Econowives who have a lower status, and do everything for themselves, but still have Offred’s (Of Fred) name signifies her role as a Handmaid, showing she belongs to a commander named Fred.

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Resilience In The Handmaid's Tale

1462 Words | 6 Pages

Through the character of Offred and the other handmaids, the novel portrays a society that seeks to control women's bodies, minds, and voices. However, the characters' unwavering determination and perseverance in the face of this oppression inspire readers to resist and fight for a better future. The relevance of the novel to modern society lies in its exploration of the political, economic, and social factors that give rise to totalitarianism and oppression. By examining these structures and systems, the novel offers insights into the root causes of these issues and invites readers to think critically about the world around

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Carrie Film Analysis

1019 Words | 5 Pages

Introduction The film Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976) follows the protagonist Carrie White, Sissy Spacek, who is a shy high school student residing in a small town. After receiving her first period, she acquires telekinetic powers, which turns her world around; especially since she did not understand what the change meant for her as a new woman. Although Carrie is a horror film, the underlying meaning points to feminism as it embarks on the discovery of power, and threatening the patriarchal order. Carrie is a feminist film where fear comes not in blood or telekinesis, but the fears of a strong woman.

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Horror In Joyce Carol Oates's Haunted

1069 Words | 5 Pages

Horror as a genre has the potential to accommodate diverse forms of narration. Joyce Carol Oates' work "Haunted" cleverly twists the genre by incorporating true horrors into the supernatural and eerie elements. Using powerful language, she taps into the legitimate fears that women have of living in a world dominated by patriarchal structures, evoking a strong emotional response even in those who are typically indifferent. The discussion will center on Joyce Carol Oates' skillful mixed of both real and imaginary fear in her short story "Haunted" that was published in 1994. We will examine topics related to suppressing one's sexual desires and methods of managing high levels of psychological distress.

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Motifs In The Handmaid's Tale

1107 Words | 5 Pages

Often, we see a society’s cultural values reflected in its citizens. For example, the United States values equality, a standard that is shared in all facets including gender. The opposite is true of Gilead, a fictional society in Emily Bronte’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The novel’s main character, Offred, is subjected to degrading treatment simply because she is a woman. It becomes apparent that this repeated degradation has affected the protagonist’s mind.

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How The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood Dehumanize Women

981 Words | 4 Pages

Some of these methods include destroying identity through classification, objectification, and indoctrination. Most women of Gilead are sufficiently repressed that they seem to accept their assigned roles, at least outwardly resigned to their fate. Atwood uses gender roles in The Handmaid’s Tale to show the lengths to which misogynistic totalitarian governments will go, to protect their dictatorships. The Republic of Gilead is a hierarchical society which requires complete submission of women to men. By taking away women’s paid jobs, confiscating their property, draining their bank accounts, and giving them no recourse, the male leadership leaves women in a fully dependent and subservient position.

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Gender Roles In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale

1035 Words | 5 Pages

This year is the 30th anniversary of the publication of Margaret Atwood 's dystopian classic, The Handmaid 's Tale. The novel is told from a first person account of a young woman, Offred. In an age of declining births, she is forced to become a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, the imagined future in the United States. The Handmaids are to provide children by the substitution of infertile women of a higher social status. Through the creation of different characteristics of female characters – ones who are submissive yet rebellious, and like to take advantage of their power - Margaret Atwood portray themes of love, theocracy, rebellion, and gender roles.

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Oppression Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

996 Words | 4 Pages

In 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.

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Comparison Of Feminism In The Handmaid's Tale By Virginia Woolf

1141 Words | 5 Pages

Furthermore, the author displays a dystopian society completely dominated by a totalitarian and theocratic state. The main subject of this novel is the role assigned to women, mainly represented by the handmaids. In Gilead, the made-up country where the novel takes place, women are completely subjected by the government, and especially by men, who clearly have a higher status than women. Moreover, women’s freedom is entirely restricted, as they cannot leave their house at their will, they are forbidden to hold properties or jobs, they cannot read or write, and they are treated as sexual slaves whose only purpose in life is to bear children for elite spouses. The other option is a miserable, short life at the Colonies (a type of concentration camp), and death.

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Womanism In Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use'

1029 Words | 5 Pages

A constant comparison and contrast between Maggie and Dee is prominent structural feature of the narrative. This structural strategy helps in conceptualizing the plurality of female experience within the same milieu. This strategy encapsulates another dimension of womanism, viz. , womanism refuses to treat black woman as a homogeneous monolith. Unlike feminist position, womanism is sensitive to change with time.

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