The Handmaid's Tale Propaganda

The portray different way in which the Republic of Gilead exercise control in the society. The Republic of Gilead has controlled, and also oppressed the society’s right in a manipulative way. By using religious to disguise for their lawlessness. They have projected their control over the society by their impartial ideologies, sexism and misogyny, slavery and social hierarchy. The Republic of Gilead exercises control over its society in way that in Gilead society women rights are taken for granted.

The regimentation of society leads them to believe that the future will be better for everyone. Women are assigned to groupings according to their function. Different colored uniforms represent different powers “black, for the Commander, blue, for the Commander’s Wife, and the one assigned to me, which is red” (9). Jealousy and rivalries are encouraged among the different groups. When she sees the Commanders wife she wonders “What does she envy me? She doesn’t speak to me, unless she can’t avoid it” (15). She envies her only because she is capable of bearing children unlike herself. She see’s Offred as “a reproach…and a necessity” (15). because she will never have children of her own. The policies that are taught and advocated by Gilead are considered very immoral and corrupt because of what they lead the handmaids to believe. At scheduled times they are able to watch television but were misinformed, but being the only remaining medium it forced illiteracy. Although some would rebel and hide reading material, and word games such as scrabble. When watching television they were given false hope, and told lies regarding the politics of Gilead. Such as those who practiced Judaism were relocated to Israel, when in reality they were execution victims even if

Through the use of religion to objectify and subjugate women, Atwood depicts and critiques the dangers of Jerry Falwell’s misogyny, presenting an exaggeration of Christian Fundamentalism. In Gilead, the oppression of women is second nature; as Offred thinks whether she can be physically hit, she says “They can hit us, there’s Scriptural precedent. But not with any implement. Only with their hands. (16)”. Atwood highlights Gilead’s manipulation of religion to hold power over the subjects. Although there is no explicit Biblical evidence stated here, the legitimacy of the Bible to subjugate women is effective because subjects like Offred do not question the Scriptural precedent. In the larger picture, it is satirical that Gilead is able to use the Bible to brainwash individuals. Atwood utilizes humour through the language because women cannot be hit with an implement but can be hit by hands. Yet, both means of physical punishment have the same result. While Offred is at the Red Center, she says a prayer before lunch: “Blessed be the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed be the meek. Blessed are the silent. I knew they made that up, I knew it was wrong, and the things they left out, too, but there was no way of checking.”

Control dominates all aspects of Gileadian society, from minor, seemingly petty normalities such as the clothes allowed, all the way up to how and who to have sexual relations with. Unimaginable in this day, Atwood represents modern society gone sour, something which is chillingly

It shocks me how the people of Gilead do not get any luxuries like coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, music or reading. I don’t understand how prohibiting those items benefit Gilead. People are still able to get the items, if they really want something they will find a way to get it.

It is a wonder at how humans, subconsciously or consciously, naturally conform and accept their environment. In the novel, the abnormal lifestyles of the characters become the ordinary in the absence of an escape towards normality. When one encounters new situations, it is of human nature to convert these unfamiliar experiences into habitual activities to rid the discomfort of abnormality and feel at ease. To survive, Offred and other characters within the society of Gilead must conform to the lifestyle that is forced upon them.

Aunt Lydia rhetorically asked Offred, “You see what things used to be like? That’s what they thought of women then”(118). She is reinforcing the idea that Gilead is proposing of how women were previously treated , however, in their current society women are now safe and treated with respect. Some forms of propaganda were directed towards women in order to give comfort in The Republic of Gilead and evoke fear of the past. Another form of propaganda that is used includes a more biased approach of distributing

Gilead is a wonderful story written by Marilynne Robinson. It is a story of acceptance and forgiveness. The lessons may well be the hardest lessons to learn in life. John Ames is a reverend in this small town of Gilead, Iowa. He is in the later years of his life, and the story depicts his thoughts and struggles through his writings that he will leave to his son. The focus of his struggles is with his namesake John Ames “Jack” Boughton. John Ames seeks to have peace and grace for when the time of his passing comes, and to do this his relationship with Jack must change.

Prevention of individuality strips away key unique and identifying factors, reducing humans to become machines, uniform in thought, action and persona. Gilead’s regime largely achieves this goal for the Handmaids and the Aunts. Wives, being the counterparts to the masterminds of the operation, retain their individuality, as do the Commanders. Sexual intimacy and relationships, however, are destroyed by the regime. Romance and love being some of the most powerful human concepts and emotions, this means that Gilead truly dehumanises all involved, to varying extents. Atwood used personification to represent the wide-ranging surveillance in the form of the ‘Eyes of God’ state surveillance agency. The intrusion of the state into Offred’s mind was clear at multiple points in the book, mentioning sights of black cars marked with the eye symbol and “men in grey suits” as well as

It has been used to turn a leader into an idol that is to be respected, admired, and often feared. Propaganda is used in Gilead through television campaigns that showed embossed footage to boost public morale and experience in the Red Center, by showing how the abuse of women in the past is why the way the society is now is so much better for the women. It also shows the women's past rebellion, all of whom are now “Unwomen” working in the colony. This propagande instills fear and keeps the citizens in

This is in keeping with the founding purpose of Gilead: intervention over reproduction in the face of decreased birthrates. Using this crisis as its ostensible mission, the state government assumes complete control over women’s bodies through cultural, social, and political subjugation. Despite Gilead’s seemingly pro-feminist rhetoric, its subjugation of women sets them apart as an inferior class, reducing them to “two-legged wombs” (Atwood, 136). Waterford’s stated haven for female dignity and protection is exposed for its hypocrisy and falsity when Offred, in her internal reflections, reveal the many humiliations that women experience and are nonetheless expected to ignore, to brush off as the unintended small anomalies of an otherwise fair and just society: room doors that do not “shut properly” (Atwood, 8) by design, the constant possibility of being labeled “Unwoman” and sent to the Colonies where they would “starve to death and Lord knows what all” (Atwood, 10), and having their birth names taken away and forbidden from being used (Atwood, 84), to mention a few. Waterford’s ideological justification

The restrictions placed on television and media by the Republic of Gilead greatly affected the amount of knowledge (information) that individuals of society possess. Gilead places strict restrictions on television, only broadcasting specific media and newscast events. For example, the news would broadcast updates on the war that Gilead is ‘fighting’,

The Gilead regime uses language, particularly Biblical language to solidify its power. Language has a strong influence in moulding how people think, and it is fully abused by the rulers of Gilead, for example, the phrase, ‘’give me children or else I die.’’ (pg. 99 ) gave the republic of Gilead the idea to use handmaids to bear children for barren wives. Bible readings and prayers before the ceremony, Is another example the regime justifies its actions and the role of the handmaid, to disguise what is actually taking place, which is the exploitation and abuse of women.

These factors led to women being robbed of freedoms, such as reading and writing, having emotional relationships with men, and loss of property. The role of the novel’s setting in a dystopian society also exemplifies the inequalities of women being slaves to men. Offred and Ofglen, in simple terms, attempt to rid Gilead of its patriarchal and dystopian characteristics. But the secret police force called “The Eyes” keeps track of their every move. The organization is basically a necessity to the government because of the underground resistance group called Mayday, in which Ofglen is a member. Being a part of this group is extremely risky and illegal. This is also what causes Ofglen to commit suicide because she tries to cover up for Offred in her belief that she will contribute massive change in the future of

In “The Handmaids Tale”, author Margaret Atwood vividly illustrates the repulsive society of Gilead, that is strictly regulated by a Theocracy. In a Theocracy both religion and the government is one entity that rules under the teachings of the Bible and God. In Gilead, every inhabitant has an occupation based on gender and class that they must entirely devote themselves too. The authoritarian rule of Gilead disciplines many characters into being docile, obedient and submissive in consequence of modified communication. Gilead is able to drastically change and maintain order in this society by the manipulation and alteration of phrases. Through the perception of color, defined phrases and biblical ceremonies is that Gilead is able to suppress an entire society. Gilead imposes compliancy to a Theocracy by the use of the colored uniforms, defines freedom, biblical references and objects such as a wall.