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Skillful Creation Of Discomfort In The Handmaid's Tale

633 Words3 Pages

Title: The Handmaid's Tale: Examining Atwood's Skillful Creation of Discomfort

Introduction:
The Handmaid's Tale, a 1985 dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, explores themes such as feminism, poverty, religion, and sexuality through its protagonist's experiences in a totalitarian society. Atwood skillfully creates discomfort in her reader through various literary devices such as point-of-view shifts and unreliable narrators. This essay aims to analyze how Atwood creates discomfort in her reader and how it relates to the rest of the text, or to other contexts.
Body:
In The Handmaid's Tale, language, imagery, structure, setting, and characters all contribute to the feeling of discomfort in the reader. Atwood uses language to create an atmosphere …show more content…

For example, the color red is a recurring motif throughout the novel. It symbolizes fertility and sexuality, but it is also associated with violence and oppression. The Handmaid's red robes, which symbolize their fertility, also remind them of their oppression. This creates discomfort by highlighting the contradictions and complexities of the society in The Handmaid's …show more content…

By putting readers in June's shoes, Atwood allows them to experience what she goes through every day. This forces readers to evaluate their own lives and those around them, which is uncomfortable but powerful. Furthermore, when the discomfort reflects the experiences of characters within a story, it can be even more effective. For example, June's experience of being taken away from her family by Gilead soldiers after being accused of adultery reflects the discomfort she feels.

In addition, The Handmaid's Tale explores themes of power, oppression, and gender roles as sources of discomfort. The novel shows how these themes intersect and reinforce one another. For example, women are oppressed because they are seen as inferior to men, which reinforces gender roles. This creates discomfort because it challenges readers' assumptions about gender and power.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, The Handmaid's Tale skillfully creates discomfort in its readers through its use of language, imagery, irony, satire, unreliable narration, and themes of power, oppression, and gender roles. The impact of discomfort is significant because it forces readers to evaluate their own values and beliefs. Through this discomfort, readers can gain a better understanding of the complexities and contradictions of the society in The Handmaid's Tale, as well as those of our own society. The novel's enduring popularity is a testament to its power to create

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