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Examples Of Dystopia In The Handmaid's Tale

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Often times throughout fictional literacy works, authors will create an imaginary and futuristic universe. This universe can be either be a utopia or a dystopia. When an author decides to set their literacy work in a dystopia universe, that universe is under the illusion that a perfect society is maintained throughout a totalitarian control. Under a totalitarian control, people are often dehumanized and lead a very fearful life. There is no individual freedom whatsoever, just the government’s control in every aspect of life. Author, Margret Atwood decided to go with this type of horrific, imaginary universe when creating Gilead in her famed novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”. When a dystopian universe such as Gilead takes place, there will eventually …show more content…

That’s not necessarily true for the Commander of Offred though. The first act of disobedience that the Commander shows is when he is in the doorway of Offred’s room, “I can see now, it’s the Commander, he isn’t supposed to be here. He hears me coming, turns, hesitates, walks forward. Towards me. He is violating customs” (Atwood 49). Though the Commander is very aware of the rules in Gilead, he still is being defiant by being outside of Offred’s bedroom door. The Commander goes on to rebel against the rules when he asks for Offred to play a board game with him that is against the law for all women to be playing: “Now it’s forbidden, for us. Now it’s dangerous. Now it’s indecent. Now it’s something he can’t do with his Wife. Now it’s desirable. Now he’s compromised himself” (Atwood 138-139). The Commander shows the biggest act of rebellion when he takes Offred out of the house: “I know without being told that what he’s proposing is risky, for him but especially for me” (Atwood 231). Even though he is a Commander and does not have strict rules like the Handmaid’s, he still acts of disobedience to authority. He explains why to Offred saying, “…everyone’s human, after all” (Atwood 237). The Commander’s position in society and his act of defiance against the rules shows that no matter what, there will be rebellion in some

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“No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body”. When Margaret Sanger spoke these words, she was expressing her belief on a woman’s right to have an abortion. This quote, however, speaks to the fact that women are oppressed on more than just abortions. In the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Atwood portrays the dehumanization of sexuality through both the characters and events within the novel, therefore proving that women will always be considered less than men will. Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1939.

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The Commander takes Offred to Jezebel, treating it as a date. The Commander starts showing off to a group of men and Offred knows he’s breaking the rules. His obvious actions are seen by Offred as noted in this quote, “He is breaking the rules, under their noses, thumbing his nose at them, getting away with it.. when he thinks no one is looking he winks at me” (Atwood 236). The Commander draws attention to himself by showing his mastery of the world. His power allows him to do anything he desires and that’s what he’s doing with Offred.

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