The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

Evelyn Reynoso
Butiu
English 11
21 February 2018 Literary Analysis Essay
You are a successful women, success covered in the droplets of your blood, sweat, and tears. Suddenly, your success no longer holds your value and your fertility now defines you. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, American society took multiple steps backwards, drastically changing the lives of all citizens for good as illustrated when Offred lost her financial and property rights in a matter of short time. Formally the United States, the totalitarian Christian society of Gilead is the reflection of future America if oppression of women, environmental damage, and disagreement of religion and politics continue. Women continue to be be oppressed by

Although religion plays a major role to the new government, only one religion is accepted, allowing a great amount of success to their new political system. In order to establish their powerful government, all American government officials were assassinated, for instance, “It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the president and machine-gunned congress and the army declared a state of emergency. They blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time.” (Atwood 174). Not only does this illustrate how Gilead was able to rise to power, but portrays how certain religion groups were marginalized. In comparison to the quote, modern America has a history in oppressing people of different religion backgrounds, labeling them as terrorists and using them as scapegoats to any devastation. Now that Gilead is dominant, only Christianity is allowed to be practiced, in a reformed manner; this idea has only been effective through executions for the sinners practicing another religion. For example, “Only two were hanging on the wall today: one Catholic, not the priest though, placard with an upside down cross and another sect I did not recognize.” (Atwood 200). Though all religions follow the same concept, all believe in different ideas. The idea of Christianity in Gilead is altered to make the

Not only does Gilead reflect the U.S., but warns Americans as to how they may live in the future. Now that the United States is facing similar issues described in The Handmaid’s Tale, it is important to change any negative habits that may lead to any permanent unfavorable change.
If a country does nothing to protect its citizens and environment, your accomplishments are worth nothing, even