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Examples Of Oppression In The Handmaid's Tale

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A Tale of Oppression and Resistance
The Effect of Feminist Criticism and Reader Response Theory as viewed in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale

Kate Evenhouse

AP Literature & Composition
Ms. Surles
30 May 2023

A Tale of Oppression and Resistance
The Effect of Feminist Criticism and Reader Response Theory as viewed in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale

Women throughout history are in a constant power struggle fighting for their rights as an equal human being to men. Despite their tireless efforts, they are often belittled, silenced, and oppressed by a patriarchal society that values their voices and contributions less than those of men. The three waves of feminism portray this fight and show significant progress, but …show more content…

Readers create certain assumptions that align with the form of literary criticism known as feminist criticism. In the book “Critical Theory Today a User-Friendly Guide,” author Lois Tyson defines feminist criticism as “the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women” (Tyson). In literature, men have manipulated women into thinking they are inferior and make this the protocol for structuring pieces of work. Male authors distinguish their women characters as delicate, emotional, and sexual while their male characters are powerful, dominant, and emotionally controlled. Feminist criticism analyzes how women are suppressed in a patriarchal form of society and questions why this is the norm for literary works. Tyson writes, “Because the works of (white) female authors (and of all authors of color) do not describe experience from a (white) male point of view, they were not considered universal and hence did not become part of the literary canon” (Tyson). The patriarchy’s dominance in literature can marginalize womens contributions, perceiving them as insignificant. Even though men may try to hide this oppression behind excuses, it is important that women recognize and address the problem at hand. Not only do gender roles affect literature and how it is created, it also used "successfully to justify inequities, [...] such as excluding women from equal access to leadership and decision-making positions, [...] paying men higher wages than women for doing the same job, [...] and convincing women that they are not fit for careers in such areas as mathematics and engineering” (Tyson). All of these actions are rooted in the deep beliefs of men's supremacy which now help gender roles shape and enforce the inequality between men and women.

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After skimming through Volume 1 of The Norton Anthology Literature by Women, I noticed the reoccurring themes of patriarchy, women subordination, and the strength to be creative despite oppression. During the times that these literary pieces were written, women were constantly battling the patriarchy in order to get basic rights. During the earlier time periods, intelligence was seen as a sign of an evil spirit in a woman, resulting in miniscule amounts of literary works written by women. Women were not provided with equal spaces to creatively express themselves, as mentioned by Virginia Woolf. Moreover, they were not given the same publishing opportunities, many women either went anonymous or by a fake male name to have their works published.

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the President of the United States and all of Congress, the United States is shaken at the center. Wars take after, and demolition follows. Out of the lethal waste dumps rises the Republic of Gilead. The forces that be, in the place where there is Gilead bring back the abuse of ladies that is a sign of severe religions and their social orders. This abuse is supported by people with significant influence as a way to guarantee the survival of mankind and the conservation of the beliefs of Gilead.

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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Rebellion is the resistance to or defiance of any authority, control, or tradition(Dictionary.com). Rebellion is mandatory for a change to happen in a society because it brings about change. To willingly risk yourself and others in danger to try to rebel against the harsh restrictions you face as a society is a burdensome task. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, rebellion is first seen when Offred’s husband convinces her to flee the country with their daughter and escape the harsh restrictions they live within. Furthermore, rebellion is also seen in the relationship between the Commander and Offred.

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Through her writing style and character development, Kennedy empowers women, providing a refreshing perspective on female characters' roles in literature. Kennedy's depiction of women as domineering and powerful figures challenges societal norms and stereotypes surrounding women's roles in various aspects of life. By portraying women as strong, assertive, and capable of taking charge, Kennedy offers a refreshing perspective on female characters in literature. Her stories serve as a reminder of the importance of empowering women and breaking down gender

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Dystopian 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.

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In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Gilead's theocratic control of a woman's fertility serves to reinforce patriarchy. With this reinforcement, men uphold their positions of power through the maintenance of the ideal family unit which implicitly controls female sexuality. Denying women the freedom to make their own choices reduces them to the simple function of procreating. Atwood thus critiques patriarchal modes specifically in relation to ostensibly authorizing religious edicts. Offred is forced to live under an oppressed totalitarian regime, where she is a slave, being raped for procreation purposes.

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Fife High School “The Handmaid’s Tale” Margaret Atwood’s unique interpretation of Oppression and Rebellion Brooke Mittelstaedt Advanced Placement Literature and Composition Period 5 Mr. Giddings 19 May 2023 The Republic of Gilead, which was previously a democratic system, is depicted in Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" as having evolved into a totalitarian state. Due to the declining birth rate, the fundamentalist government that rules the new order of "Gilead" treats women like property and uses them to produce more human beings. The hierarchy calls these women “handmaids” to justify their so-called Biblical beliefs.

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Throughout the plotline of The Handmaid’s Tale, the protagonist June, otherwise known as Offred lives in the oppressive society of Gilead where women are treated as commodities and their primary purpose is to bear children for wealthy couples who cannot conceive naturally. Offred's life consists of daily rituals and strict rules that she must follow or face severe punishment. She struggles against her oppressors while trying to maintain hope for herself and other oppressed women around her. Her oppressors consist of the Commanders, Aunts, and The Wives. They set up such a society to have complete control over all of the women in Gilead.

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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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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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Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, argues that women are instruments of the patriarchy, that women know this, and that women allow the system of oppression to live on. Her fictions ask, “What stories do women tell about themselves? What happens when their stories run counter to literary conventions or society’s expectations?” (Lecker 1). The Handmaid’s Tale is told through the protagonist, Offred, and allows readers to follow through her life as a handmaid while looking back on how life used to be prior to the societal changes.

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The 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.

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Rebellion in The Handmaid’s Tale Imagine not being able to do what you used to do because some actions are forbidden in this new society. In the Handmaid's Tale, Gilead is a dystopian society where people are limited to certain actions. Throughout the story, Offred’s actions are rebellious because she has broken so many rules. Atwood demonstrates that restricted expression leads to rebellion by showing the Commanders and Offred’s affair developing throughout time and the actions of both characters.

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This novel is also autobiographical. Throughout history, women have been locked in a struggle to free themselves from the borderline that separates and differentiate themselves from men. In many circles, it is agreed that the battleground for this struggle and fight exists in literature. In a

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Women have less to say about what they need or want but they have to pay much and also to face the results when the men around them botch. It is dreary to see these frail willed men delineated in the novel who failed to stay up for women, who recognize an overall population where women are set backs of their

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