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Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

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Thesis: Atwood uses the concept of time through flashbacks to compare and contrast between past and present freedoms. Before the fall of Gilead, the women in society were free to do as they pleased; however, currently, they are forced to obey strict rules, and must give in to the commanders demands. Through constant flashbacks, the main character Offred remembers the freedoms granted to her under a democratic government, compared to protection granted under a totalitarian society. Atwood compares these differences to warn how life for common people would exist under a totalitarian government if freedom is given up for safety. Evidence: The novel is narrated from the point of view of Offred. As Offred reveals moments from her past, the differences between living under a democratic government or a totalitarian society serve as a warning to what may become if one group of people had complete authority over everyone else. …show more content…

Previously, Offred was granted “freedom to” where she was free to think, feel, and act however she would have liked. Presently, the totalitarian government has converted the past freedom into protection and safety for the women. Offred must sacrifice all of her freedoms in order to achieve safety. She is now restricted in society into playing the role of a Handmaid where her only responsibility is to give birth. Now, that Handmaids are confined into their role in society, they no longer have the freedom of a romantic relationship, and instead are controlled by the commander during monthly appointments. Women are now controlled by the fear that if they disobey, they will be sent away into the unknown. Offred’s flashbacks contrasts women’s freedom and their role in

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In the novel, The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood shows the significance of Offred's role as a rebel by highlighting her transition from powerless to powerful. She makes this transition by investing in specific relationships which build up her societal standing and increase her power. Offred shares information with individuals in order to gain power over them, and in all things she has a specific motive before acting. Offred is seen manipulating people through building seemingly deep relationships, while making some mistakes on the way with the Commander, Serena Joy, and Nick.

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Once a week, the Handmaids’ escort themselves with the assistance of Aunt Helena and Aunt Lydia to the Domestic Science room. The sensation of comfortness in this area does not alter the probability of an unpeaceful awakening. The maids are forced to view explicit movies which have the description of “Unwoman” and are taught that a woman who acts in this manner wastes valuable time in her life. Offred reminisces on the sickening explanation for the pressure of sitting through a screening without the chance of leaving when she speaks out saying, “ They want us to hear the screams and grunts and shrieks of what is supposed to be either extreme pain or extreme pleasure or both at once, but they don't want us to hear what the Unwomen are saying” (Atwood 138). These horrifying sounds are being engraved into the womens’ brains which will manifest a new fear.

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Don't you hate it when someone tries to help you out, but instead they make things worse. In Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, we learn about the relationship between the Commander and Offred and how even though they live in the same house the Commander believes that Offred’s life is much better than what it actually is. The different relationships and events that occur in the novel shows that ignorance really is bliss and that ignorance can cause separation between social classes and genders. Gender roles and social classes lead to ignorance as shown in the relationship between the novel’s characters, the Commander and Offred.

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She is used by Commander for sex and companionship and had an affair with Nick (higher preganancy chance). Most of her actions are being forced “Which of us is it worse for, her or me?”(151) meant the sex between the narrator and commander is unbearable to the point of watching your husband having sex with another women right infront of you. Her only defiance done totally by herself is “I will use the butter later that night.” (113), everything else including escaping the Gilead, having an affair with Commander, having an affair with Nick and leaving the Commanders house are all stimulated by others. Offred represent those who does not stand against oppresion, being pushed around and used for sex.

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“You wanted a women 's culture. Well, now there is one. It isn’t what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for small mercies.” (Atwood 124) Offred is looking back on her past life to a story her mother once told her.

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It is narrated by the protagonist, Offred who is a handmaid forced into sexual servitude. Facing a plunging birth rate, the fundamentalist regime treats women as property of the state. Handmaids are the few of the remaining fertile women and their sole purpose is to help the government into re-populating their society, where a lot of people are left sterile. The Handmaid’s Tale deals with the theme of women in subjugation to misogyny in a patriarchal society, primarily. It shows the struggle that women have to go through in that society, as a Handmaid or as not being able to be one.

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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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The suffocating society of Gilead is presented where individualism is completely taken away from them, and what it means to be human has been completely eroded away from what we know today. To be human today means, to be honest, affectionate, caring, understanding and to have passions. However, being too passionate for something only leads to chaos as seen through Victor 's overpowering desire for knowledge that led to chaotic results. Offred 's identity and individualism have been completely stripped away from her as he legal rights, name and clothes have been destroyed. She 's just another cog in a machine as she is labeled as a handmaid, only valued for her "viable ovaries".

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At the same time, the Historical Notes reveal that other records of those who lived in Gilead also exist (346). Though Offred has never participated in a coordinated regime subversive activity, her story, along with those of other survivors, now form a polyphony of resistance. Storytelling in The Handmaid’s Tale performs various functions: it is Offred’s way of resistance, her survival strategy, her intellectual pastime, and a testimony to the future. By telling herself stories she escapes into memories, shape and change her experience, and substitute the lacking communication. She uses storytelling to preserve herself, to validate her existence, to prove her life matters.

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Aunt Lydia’s more relevant quote in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, is the two freedoms, who gives the reader an accurate insight of the Gilead society. This quote exposes the contrast between the freedom before and after the settlement of the Republic of Gilead, and the mentality of the brainwashed nation. It is well known that the Gileadean era is a dystopia, but the reader must study deeper into both societies –Gileadean and pre-Gileadean- to understand which one is really worse. Before the appearing of the Republic of Gilead, freedom was seen as a person’s desire, however, on the Gileadean era, freedom is a collective idea. On the current community, freedom is settled by laws based on moral and social values, but ignoring the

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Authority is enforced in the social structures of the Gilead and how people are treated based on their class. Control is established within the household amongst those in given power over those below them. Influence is manipulated amongst the handmaids over those with greater power in their interactions and needs. Atwood is able to bring power to readers’ attention in a variety of ways, ranging from straightforward to interpretive, guiding readers to question: Is power held in the perpetrator’s hands or the victim’s

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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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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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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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Liberal Democracy is a democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law. The word democracy is greek, the word “demos” means people and “kratos” means power. The idea of liberalism first began in the 1600’s with John Locke as he believed that the people should be allowed to remove the government currently ruling when they have misused their power for ulterior motives. Although the seed was planted in the 1600’s, liberal democracy only properly took form in the 1840’s in Canada. Australia and New Zealand followed not long after as they began to use the secret ballot system to elect political leaders.

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