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The Freedom Of Religion In The Handmaid's Tale

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Imagine a country where rights were revoked. The withstanding government has long been destroyed and as a result, citizens are now labeled by economic status, age, and able bodiedness. The clothes you are required to wear show your status in society. No longer are you judged by the content of your character, but by the ability to reproduce. Believing in a religion other than Christianity is fatal. Reading, writing or speaking out of character result in death. Fear is made custom in society in order to get people to conform to the views of the new leaders. This is the way of life in Margaret Atwood’s Novel The Handmaid’s Tale. The book is narrated by a handmaid named Offred. Offred lives in Gilead, a place where everything is restricted because the government and the constitution are no longer in power. This means that citizens of Gilead, no longer have freedom of …show more content…

Minority religious groups are targeted unless they convert to Christianity. The most important things in Gilead society are the ability to make babies and living life under God. Margaret Atwood’s novel titled The Handmaid’s Tale, borrows text from The Bible and uses it to show how people can interpret it to target other religious groups or minorities in order to gain power and control and how The Bible heavily influenced the story behind the novel. A big biblical reference in The Handmaid’s Tale is the purpose of handmaids and their use for reproductive purposes. Their role in society is derived from the Book of Genesis found in the Old Testament in the bible. In the epigraph, Atwood quotes: “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said unto Jacob, Give me children or

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The Religion Influences in The Handmaid’s Tale Word Count: 1563 This purpose of this essay is to establish and explain connections between the Christian Religion and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. It is not attempting to point out flaws or discriminate against the religion. Margret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is a dystopian novel, that centres around the themes of corruption, oppression, and theocracy. Told in the first person, the novel follows the female ‘Offred’ in her daily life/activities and past experiences in the newly founded “Republic of Gilead”.

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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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