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Use Of Satire In The Handmaid's Tale

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The Handmaid’s Tale – Response Assignment “We two legged wombs, That’s all: scared vessels, ambulatory chalices” (Atwood 171). In Margret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, the repression of women is the main subject of satire. Atwood satirizes this subject effectively by using irony, and setting the story in a dystopian world. Firstly, Atwood successfully satirizes the repression of women because she effectively uses a dystopian world to convey her message. Right from the get go, we quickly learn that there is a hierarchy in the Gileadean society. Atwood describes a prison like gym, in which our heroine, along with many other women trapped in. This not only skillfully establishes a dark mood that looms over the dystopian society, but it also reveals …show more content…

Her message is that if we continue to ignore the mistreatment of women, our society will look like the society of Gilead. Atwood’s use of irony is most prominent in the historical notes section of the novel. After reliving Offred’s horrific experience of repression in Gilead, we are presented with a group of scientist who are studying Gilead’s society many years after Gilead’s extinction. Atwood vividly describes the dangers and horrors of a society that subjugates women through Offred’s narrative. However, when studied by the scientist, they are insensitive and patronizing to the subjects of their research. They say, “Our job is not to censure, but to understand” (Atwood 376). Frankly, these scientists do not care about the abuse women of the Gileadean society were put through, nor do they condemn Gilead for doing so. In fact they find it rather amusing, when a scientist mentions the underground femaleroad he parodies it and refers to it as the underground frailroad, evoking laughter from the crowd. It is ironic because this is the exact behavior Atwood warns us against. Viewing this problem that plagues the present world in such a facetious manner is sure to doom humanity. This is a brilliant use of irony, because it shows the reader that if we dismiss this subject like these scientists, then the formation of a society like Gilead is closer than we expect. So, we must not diminish the validity of this topic, of the repression of women. Instead we should be aware of it and halt this type of

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The Commander and the Aunts claim that women are better protected in Gilead, where they are treated with respect and kept safe from violence. However, while Gilead claims to suppress sexual violence, it actually institutionalizes it. An example is Jezebel’s, the club that provides the Commanders with prostitutes to service the male elite. Another example is the Ceremony that compels Handmaids to have sex with their Commanders. Foster suggests, “...sex can be pleasure, sacrifice, submission, rebellion, resignation, supplication, domination, enlightenment, the whole works” (158).

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Atwood is able to represent the injustices through a satirical stand point and comical protagonist to understand the journey of these women and how they are portrayed within a society that doesn’t consider them as thoughtful, soulful people. Through the use of biblical allusions the audience can see what the women represent in the novel from bible and how they are predispositioned to be silent because of their portrayal in the Bible. The use of specific word choice shows the deliberate words that spark a tone in each scene and leave a lasting impact towards the audience. Atwood comments on the issues of today by making fun of the thoughts and actions of the characters that represent the rest of the world. Through Offred’s eyes, audience is able to acknowledge and accept the extent to which gender roles are placed in society and how women are portrayed as silenced, domestic

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The structure of Gilead is rigid, specifically designed to oppress and reinforce dominance. Throughout Offred’s perspective of events, it is always difficult to define who the main leaders of the society are. Because of this setup, those in top power can rule as they please without fear of anyone committing assassinations or rebellions. How could a person attack something or someone they do not know? Despite the lack of a main formal authority, the world of the Gilead have maintained the structure of their social system, enforcing importance based on one’s fertility.

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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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These texts demonstrate the societal issues involving oppression of women, women’s sexual role and their status. The Handmaid’s Tale depicts the rigid societal structure whereby women are forced to serve in various aspects and functions in the society. The boundaries of the context set are in Gilead, a totalitarian state dominated by Christian fundamentalists, indicating that Gilead enforces conformity among its citizens. In a simply put manner, one’s social position is fixed. The permanent social statuses are clearly evident from the colour-coding of the women wherein “some [are] in red, some in dull green of

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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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Furthermore, the author displays a dystopian society completely dominated by a totalitarian and theocratic state. The main subject of this novel is the role assigned to women, mainly represented by the handmaids. In Gilead, the made-up country where the novel takes place, women are completely subjected by the government, and especially by men, who clearly have a higher status than women. Moreover, women’s freedom is entirely restricted, as they cannot leave their house at their will, they are forbidden to hold properties or jobs, they cannot read or write, and they are treated as sexual slaves whose only purpose in life is to bear children for elite spouses. The other option is a miserable, short life at the Colonies (a type of concentration camp), and death.

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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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Atwood connects the political events to show how Gilead gained control and keeps their control by establishing fear into the women. Gilead stays in control by limiting speech to religious references, keeping the women from talking about the oppression they are suffering. Additionally, women are blamed for the social issues that were present in a pre-Gilead society such as rape, abortion and adultery. Women get the blame for the issues and men do not suffer consequences since it is in their nature to cheat. Atwood uses allusions to the Old Testament and historical events to satirize the oppression of women in political, religious and social

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