The Handmaid's Tale Freedom

The Handmaid's Tale has been referred to as a ‘scathing satire' and a ‘dire warning'. The author, Margaret Atwood, is warning us not to take our rights and freedom for granted. There are many significant examples in the book which support this idea such as how Gilead took away all the rights and freedom of people, women are sometimes blamed for their own rape, and people didn't have the right to use birth control and abortion. First of all, in The Handmaid's Tale, the handmaids who live in Gilead

In The Handmaid’s Tale, the main character is told “There is more than one kind of freedom … Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it.” Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau all debate the ideals and consequences of freedom, given or earned. These modern philosophers commonly discuss freedoms as justice or injustices within their preferred or fashioned societies. In the story of The Handmaid’s

controlled to what they were limited to say and not say. Freedom of speech demonstrates power. Power gained over freedom of speech is greatly demonstrated in the novel, alongside with Offred’s interpretation of how she uses her ‘power’. Her guidance of ‘power’ led her to escape the unfortunate situations of her life. Freedom of speech in the Handmaid's tale is a status of power and since handmaids were being restricted from obtaining this freedom of speech, it'll leave them powerless. With that

novel are still able to see it as a dystopian society and thus detach themselves from the text itself. The readers comprehend the apparent loss of freedom and pain that the characters go through and have the knowledge that they exist outside of this story; its happenings will not affect them. This very phenomenon is introduced in The Handmaid’s Tale when the main character recalls a time before the fall of society as they knew it. Regarding the stories in the newspaper, the main character says

The handmaid's tale written by Margaret Atwood revealed by a group of people who maintain and strengthen their power by any form possible while being tortured or maybe even death. This book took place in Gilead, where they have strict rules that are necessary to follow because if not, consequences are they might receive their punishments. The new Republic of Gilead made their laws into a higher form of level by commanding that these rules are made from God, therefore they must obey. This form of

In the book The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, the author depicts a dystopian system of the future. Within it, both the men and the women have become oppressed. The men are prohibited from developing friends and personal relationships with the women and each other. The women are stripped of having personal, financial and educational independence. However, ultimately both sides suffer from the restrictions on sexual freedom and the ability to love. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a dehumanized

In The Handmaid’s Tale written by Margaret Atwood, the Republic of Gilead follows the Biblical rules determining the chain of statutes; this use of religious constitution hugely restricts such fundamental personal freedoms of the citizens of Gilead. These essential freedoms may be expressed as the freedom of belief and freedom of choice which impacts both the religious beliefs and the lifestyle of the citizens. Today, most Muslim-majority countries adopt numerous aspects of Sharia law, a legal code

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. The

time of such political divide in the United States. While Alter (2017) also explores the increased demand for other well-known dystopian novels and especially looks heavily at George Orwell’s 1984, initial focus is given to Atwood’s (1998) The Handmaid’s Tale, considering its direct relation to women’s rights and the article’s timeliness in regards to the Women’s March on Washington. According to Atwood (2017) the book’s sales have spiked 30 percent in 2016. This article is relevant to my paper as

Upon reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, one notices the tragedy of women losing rights. Imagine the feelings of losing all rights and freedoms; how hard the transition would be from an American society, centered on freedoms, to the society where Offred lives in The Handmaid’s Tale. Thankfully for all Americans, Atwood’s prediction of what society would become in the future was inaccurate. But, not all countries enjoy the same freedoms and luxuries as America does; the treatment of women