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Gender Roles In The Handmaid's Tale

1466 Words6 Pages

Cassadina Mei
English 2
Ms. Hayman
4/04/2023
HMTE As a contributing member of society, everyone plays a role in this world. In Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, the story takes place in a futuristic dystopian United States. Only the United States is no longer united and a new form of patriarchal government now controls every movement of their citizens. In Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, she discusses how women have always been systematically oppressed and viewed as “the other” in relation to men. We see a reflection of her theory. In this new society, gender plays a big role in how they experience Gilead. Offred gives us her firsthand account of Gilead as a woman. Factoring in different aspects of her womanhood, we can have …show more content…

She often reminisces of her life before Gilead and memories of her daughter are ones she holds dearly. The painful yet comforting memories gave Offred a will to live, she’s willing to push herself through the mistreatment in the hopes that she can survive Gilead and one day be reunited with her daughter. Despite giving Offred strength and comfort, her daughter is also her weakness. After multiple ceremonies, Offred still wasn’t pregnant, her time at the Waterford’s was running out and Serena Joy knew this. Desperate for a child of her own, she wanted Offred to secretly sleep with Nick, their driver. Offred was hesitant as the consequences if she were to be caught would be fatal. But something Serena Joy said caught her attention. “"Maybe I could get something for you," she says. Because I have been good. "Something you want," she adds, wheedling almost. … "A picture," she says, as if offering me some juvenile treat, an ice cream, and a trip to the zoo. I look up at her again, puzzled. "Of her," she says. "Your little girl. But only maybe."” (Atwood 206) Serena sensed her hesitation and knew what would change her mind. Serena herself knows how much value a child can bring into a person’s life, she also knew that Offred previously had a child who was taken from her. Serena weaponized the loss of Offred’s daughter and used that to manipulate her into her

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