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Fear In The Handmaid's Tale

1021 Words5 Pages

Fear is defined as the emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. The emotion of fear is present in everyone's lives and we all have a variety of fears that are unique to us. However, in the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margret Atwood, the society the book takes place, Gilead, is structured in a way to create a fear into the people who reside there. The way this type of economy is shaped has multiple characteristics that lead it to believe that no change can be brought upon it to overcome any fear that it gives off. This literary text delves us into the setting of the book and begins to instate fear into us, the readers. Anything that could potentially restrict the basic freedoms of our current life, comes to life through this book and because of this, it relates to our fears on a more personal connection. The form of fear is derived from various scenarios in the book, including Offred's thoughts of her being infertile, being caught sneaking with the Commander, and being conformed to her new life, all of which add to the apprehension of the …show more content…

The social classes are organized in a way of like a hierarchy of authority. Each class, with their specific duties, serves a purpose to society where the handmaids are at the very bottom of the authority command line but yet serve the greatest of purposes. The handmaids are given set ways to act from their "training" they endure which includes being monitored by the Aunts class. The Aunts wore "Electric cattle prods slung on thongs from their leather belts," instigating the idea that they could use them if needed so (Atwood 4). This example portrays the fear between classes that the society creates and shows the reader the discipline levels that the lower class is put through in order to remain in

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