Orwell 's 1984 And Huxley 's Brave New World

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood explores how societies, such as Gilead, exist as a result of complacency as the novel serves as a cautionary tale to future societies. Through ‘The Historical Notes’, Atwood explores the continuation of patriarchy and how the female voice is constantly undermined by the male gaze. Dominick Grace’s analysis of ‘The Historical Notes’ ‘questions … the authenticity’ of Offred’s account as it relies purely on the reliability of memories, which are subjective.

Offred, in Margaret Atwood’s disturbing novel The Handmaid’s Tale says, “But who can remember pain once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind.” The society of Gilead causes the aforementioned pain and demoralization by using women’s bodies as political instruments. Similar to Atwood’s novel, today’s men put immense pressure on women to be a certain way, give them children, and take care of the home and the like. In Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, she examines the theme of demoralization of women through graphic predictions of what women’s futures may look like.

The chosen leaders in The Handmaid’s Tale use rhetoric to proselytize religion and Gileadean ideals. In Gilead, women do not have the choice to leave, even the Marthas—who are ranked just above the Handmaids—discuss the possibility of leaving the house in private. However, because the Colonies are where the “Unwomen… starve to death” (Atwood 10), Cora uses rhetoric to persuade Rita not to consider the Colonies. The negative connotation and denotation of “Unwomen” in The Handmaid’s Tale conveys a religious value in Gilead because it is someone who cannot bear children. It should not come as a surprise that the Handmaids’ lives are not always lillies—just like the ones on the FAITH-printed cushion. Though these words are not spoken, it is clear that Handmaids are marginalized, even if they are “spoiled” (Atwood 89).

Paula Hawkins, a well-known British author, once said, “I have lost control over everything, even the places in my head.” In Margaret Atwood’s futuristic dystopia The Handmaid’s Tale, a woman named Offred feels she is losing control over everything in her life. Offred lives in the Republic of Gilead. A group of fundamentalists create the Republic of Gilead after they murder the President of the United States and members of Congress. The fundamentalists use the power to their advantage and restrict women’s freedom. As a result, each woman is assigned a specific duty to perform in society. Offred’s husband and child are taken away from her and she is now forced to live her life as a Handmaid. Offred’s role in society is to produce a child

In the novel, the handmaid's tale offers moral ambiguity and is intertwined with the toxic relationships she often forms with others. Her moral ambiguity is a tool used in the novel to help the reader relate to Offred and see the world through her eyes. Throughout the novel “the handmaid's tale” we learn to accept the character Offred for what she is. We see her situation being treated as a “vessel” to be fertilized instead of a human being, yet even acknowledging her place throughout the story, we see that Offred is not an angel. In some modern societies, the most basic of views can be considered impudent and selfish.

The patriarchal hellscape of the Handmaid’s tale strips women of all sexual freedom, either assigning them to roles as ‘Wife’, ‘Maid’ or ‘Martha’ (the combined job of a cook and cleaner).The concept of the Handmaids was inspired by ‘’the stealing of women for reproductive purposes and the appropriation of their babies’’ in Genesis 30, according to Atwood herself, explaining ‘The Sons of Jacob’ as the leading powers. A maid’s sole role within society is to reproduce with their assigned commander, therefore making the sexual relationship between the two an act of treason and rebellion against the State of Gilead. By indulging in the sexual attraction she feels towards Nick, Offred not only defies her role as a Handmaid, manages to claim back some authority over her own body. This is the ultimate rebellion for Offred, as her value in society is determined by the degree to which she fulfils her ‘duty’ honourably. . Due to the biblical inspirations behind The Handmaid’s Tale, the writer has faced many repercussions from religious areas.

Comparatively to Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Handmaid’s Tale has prohibited the use of language and literacy for women in Gilead in order to suppress the independent voice, desire and autonomy. This is used as a means of social control and manipulation as a measure of ensuring that there are no opportunities in which woman can gain political power and be taken away from fulfilling their reproductive duties. In Atwood’s novel, language and reading are considered dangerous weapons in a woman’s hands, as having the capacity to underpin a women’s independence. Allowing women to be ambiguous, to think for themselves generating a desire to be autonomy’s while providing an opportunity to be mobile and rebellious. As a result, as soon as Offred

In Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale she explores the concept of a not-so-distant future where toxic chemicals and abuses to the body have left many men and women alike sterile. The main character, Offred, gives the reader a first person account about her submissive life as a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. A republic that was formed after a coup against the U.S. government. She and her fellow handmaids are fertile women that the commanders of Gilead ‘enslave’ to ensure their power and to repopulate their ‘society’. While the laws that govern the people of Gilead seem outlandish and oppressive, they are merely

The final element that shows Offred’s struggles is the theme of love. Atwood is known for displaying feminism in her novels, and The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel that displays how the hero is affected through the works of feminism by other characters. The theme of feminism is shown through the characters Moira, Offred’s mother, and Aunt Lydia. Moira is shown as a character who demonstrates feminism, which provides hope for Offred. The Republic of Gilead restricts women from the previous pleasures and rights that were given to them during the pre Gilead period.

The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood describes the story of Offred, a Handmaid, that is a woman ascribed a breeding function by society, and who is placed with a husband and wife higher up the social ladder who need a child. Through Offred's eyes we explore the rigidity of the theocracy in which she lives, the contradictions in the society they have created, and her attempts to find solace through otherwise trivial things. The heroine is never identified except as Offred, the property of her current Commander, she was a modern woman: college-educated, a wife and a mother when she lost all that due to the change in her society. The novel can be viewed from one perspective as being a feminist depiction of the suppression of a woman, from another

In today’s society women are viewed as equal as men, or that is how it should be. There are active women activist who fight for women rights and such today. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale the author Margaret Atwood shows her readers a different society and a different view on women. This novel shows how in the society of Gilead there is discrimination towards women and how women are only seen as a tool to produce babies. Margaret Atwood shows her reader through the life of Offred how one day things are perfectly fine and the next day Offred is a total mess. By using Offred story Margaret Atwood is able to show others how women are not suppose to be treated.

From the outset of 'The Handmaids Tale' the reader is placed in an unknown world, where the rights and freedom of women have been taken away. We follow the narrative journey of a handmaid, named Offred.

A Critical Analysis of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” In this dystopia novel, it reveals a remarkable new world called Gilead. “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood, explores all these themes about women who are being subjugated to misogyny to a patriarchal society and had many means by which women tried to gain not only their individualism and their own independence. Her purpose of writing this novel is to warn of the price of an overly zealous religious philosophy, one that places women in such a submissive role in the family. I believe there are also statements about class in there, since the poor woman are being meant to serve the rich families need for a child. As the novel goes along the narrator Offred is going between the past and

Women in the past were perceived as insignificant because of the society’s inability to embrace and acknowledge women as of equal importance as men and of those who are wealthy. In Margret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, the character by the name of Offred, is a handmaid and tells her perspective of the dystopian life in the community of Gilead. The women of 1985 serve the males and the rich if they are not a wealthy maiden themselves. However, regardless of class, women are always discerned as of lesser significance than men. This is manifested through Offred’s observation that although the women who are a Commander’s wife are entitled of higher authority than the handmaids, they are still seen as insignificant. In order to give them

Women have been domesticated by men since the beginning of time. This role was given to women changing substantially as the years have gone by. It is still true that today there is a battle for equality of the sexes, and this novel by Margaret Atwood displays the harsh reality we continue to face in this male dominant society. Interestingly enough, this was written and published in the 80s and is still relevant today. Some believe that it is perfectly fine to not have equality amongst all let alone equality for women. Atwood’s use of men gives them power over women but they are not to blame for this mistreatment of the opposite sex. The Handmaid’s Tale gives a clear picture of what could happen to our society if women are continued to be seen as voiceless sex objects. It only takes one person to realize that what is occurring is wrong and it takes men and women both to stop the nonsense. Men in the story like The Commander and Nick realize the wrongness, giving the women some hope. The concern for Offred the Commander displays proves not all men are evil or to blame in Gilead.