What Are The Stereotypes In The Handmaid's Tale

Imagine how different society would be if human civil liberties were ripped out of reach overnight. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood imagines a dystopian world in which human rights are neglected and women are discriminated against. This paper reviews the regime of Gilead, in which objectifying standards are placed upon the citizens, specifically females. Women are exploited and viewed in perverted manners, and they have no voice in how things are. Men are praised simply for their existence and their gender, and the stereotypes are intense and extreme. Oftentimes, the handmaids feel unsafe and in full distress. They are taught to believe that their only purpose is giving birth and conceiving life, and if they are unable to do so, they

As described in the book, the Gilead regime eroticizes women to the most extreme measures. Throughout their daily lives, they are constantly ridiculed for their gender and level of class. Offred never truly feels safe due to the commander’s abusive tendencies and her own doctor’s sexual antics. “Everything except the wings around my face is red—the color of blood, which defines us” (Atwood 8). As Offred states, “the color of blood, which defines us,” she refers to the association between red and a woman’s menstrual cycle. This is crucial for the conception of a child because, when a woman has her period, her ovaries shed the protective lining of the uterus, the womb, that would be used for the development of the egg. The handmaid’s color red represents sexuality in the sense that it reminds them of their purpose as conceivers of life and strictly. It is portrayed in a perverted way that excites the male population more than the handmaids. Correspondingly, the author explains, “There are only women who are fruitful and women who are barren; that’s the law. “Lots of women do it,” he goes on. “You want a baby, don’t you?” (Atwood

“Think about it,” he says. “I’ve seen your chart”. You don’t have a lot of time left. But it’s your life” (Atwood 61). Offred’s visit to the doctor’s office is portrayed in the quote above. The doctor is offering his sperm to Offred and making it appear that he is trying to “help” her when in reality he has purely sexual intentions. This is seen a lot throughout the novel, especially when the book introduces Jezebels at the nightclub. Women in The Handmaid’s Tale are overly objectified due to Gilead’s misogynistic ruling and the power and forced control it relays. Women are either forced to be carriers of life or considered barren and banished to work for eternity. Additionally, the novel describes, “At last, he moves forward, puts his arms around me, strokes my back, and holds me that way for comfort. “Come on,” he says. “We haven’t got much time” (Atwood 262). At this moment, Offred is about to be impregnated. When she first arrives, he states that they do not have to physically “make love” to one another if she would rather not. She has a longing for love and touch, and although this is artificial, she feels that it’s better than nothing at