The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

Imagine a world where women cannot read or write. Women cannot own property, work, or even have a bank account. These are things only a man can do. Women are only to cook, clean, and bear children then care for them. This world may seem like the world before the twentieth century. However, in the late 21st century, this is the future and society of Gilead. This is the world in which Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, takes setting in. The novel is told in a first person account by Offred, a Handmaid. Through her, the reader learns about the rules and regulations a Handmaid of Gileadean society must obey. The reader learns about how different women are classified into sects and that each has a permanent role in society. This classification

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood creates an atmosphere of despair and hopelessness for women. She does this through creating many restrictions and rules for women, many of which differ depending on their position on society. For example, all women are not allowed to read or write. They cannot hold a job or have any money. They cannot have any unregulated conversion with anyone. All women are demeaned and must wear clothing that represents what sect and classification they belong to. Marthas, women who specifically cook and clean for the more affluent Commanders, must only wear green. Handmaids must only wear red dresses with white veils to cover their face, and their only duty is to procreate with the Commander they are assigned to in order to repopulate Gilead. Commanders’ Wives wear blue dresses, and they do not have any specific job. They stay at home and knit or garden, or they visit other Wives when they are unwell and attend Births. Econowives are a combination of Marthas, Wives, and a Handmaid for the less powerful and affluent Commanders, who wear striped dresses. The Aunts are the woman that train Handmaids and lead the ceremonies of women. Each class of women are oppressed by men and the other women. Because women are so divided and only have certain duties, they have to find ways to empower themselves. The different classes of women do find ways to do so by rebelling in small ways to have a sense of control over their lives