The Handmaids Tale - 1234 Words

Deisy Monterrozo English 101 S26487 Fall 2017 September 20, 2017 The Handmaids Tale Margaret Atwood s novel, The Handmaid s Tale, is a future version of the United States. Atwood introduces Offred as a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. Handmaids are assigned to bear children for couples who have trouble conceiving. Offred serves the commander and his wife, Serena Joy. Offred s freedom is completely restricted. She can only leave the house on shopping trips, the door of her room cannot be completely shut, and the Eyes, Gilead s secret police force, watch her every public move. Offred tells the story of her daily life, frequently slipping to flashbacks that are portions of her life from before and during the start of the†¦show more content†¦Serena Joy, she used to be a powerful woman, but Galilea s government seems without freedom or choice. She worked as a gospel singer and anti-feminist activist and crusader for traditional values in Pre-Gilead times. After that, she used to give speeches as a television personality who promoted an ant i-feminist about the sanctity of the home she was advocating the women return to the home and submission to their husbands. Now, she s the commander s wife. Atwood makes it obvious how unhappy she is in the current domestic situation, acting as a wife, she is broken inside. This unhappiness derives from the restrictive and male-dominated society. Gilead s society cannot bring happiness even to its most powerful women. Only men have the freedom of reading, and while he is in the room he opens the Bible and reads a verse that Serena Joy is identified with, Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear fruit upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. (88) This verse in the bible is talking about how she wants to bear children. In Gilead, they make their people believe that if they cannot have children, then they should die. If Serena could not bear children, she will be sent to th e colonies to die. Atwood shows us that Offred has not freedom of choice and sheShow MoreRelatedHandmaids tale1446 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Marlyn Barroso ETS 192 October 3rd, 2013 Hierarchy in The HandMaid s Tale Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale is a interesting novel that will have you confused but also have you bitting your nails with intrigue. So many questions might go in your head, at the same time; Atwood wrote this novel so her readers can have curiosity, even after reading the last word of the last paragraph of the last page of the book. One of the main topics of this novel is the effect on society when aRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale1450 Words   |  6 PagesJames Fils-Aime The Handmaid s Tale Fact or Fiction The Handmaid s Tale is a dystopian novel in which Atwood creates a world which seems absurd and near impossible. Women being kept in slavery only to create babies, cult like religious control over the population, and the deportation of an entire race, these things all seem like fiction. However Atwood s novel is closer to fact than fiction; all the events which take place in the story haveRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale1256 Words   |  6 PagesDeisy Monterrozo English 101 S26487 Fall 2017 September 20, 2017 The handmaids Tale Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is about a future version of the United States. Atwood introduces Offred as a handmaid in the republic of Gilead. Handmaids are assigned to bear children for couples that have trouble conceiving. Offred serves the commander and his wife, Serena Joy. Offred’s freedom is complete restricted. She can only leave the house only on shopping trips, the door of her room cannotRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale1246 Words   |  5 PagesThe handmaids Tale Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is about a future version of the United States. Atwood introduces Offred as a handmaid in the republic of Gilead. Handmaids are assigned to bear children for couples that have trouble conceiving. Offred serves the commander and his wife, Serena Joy. Offred’s freedom is complete restricted. She can only leave the house only on shopping trips, the door of her room cannot be completely shut, and the Eyes, Gilead’s secret police forceRead MoreSymbolism In The Handmaids Tale1025 Words   |  5 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale The Handmaid’s Tale is a story told in the voice of Offred, who is the character of the â€Å"handmaid†, which is described best by women who are being forced and used for reproduction because they can make babies. In the Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood uses symbolism, which is the use of symbols to represent ideas, to show the reader the handmaid’s role in society of Gilead. The handmaids were women who had broken the law of Gilead, and forced into having sex and reproducing forRead MoreThe Fall Of The Handmaids Tale2017 Words   |  9 Pages 1. In the beginning of The Handmaids Tale, there are 3 quotations that form the front piece of the book and insight the readers into the important aspects of the book. â€Å"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This quotation resembles how important it was to give children. That if Rachel gave no children she might as well die, â€Å"Give me children or else I die†. This quotation sets the theme for infertility. Rachel allows Jacob to get the maid pregnant because she wants to claim the childrenRead MoreReligion in Handmaids Tale814 Words   |  4 PagesReligion in Handmaids Tale â€Å"Religion is the opiate of the masses† by Karl Marx. This is a quote which states that religion controls the human mind because God can see everything at all times, all-seeing, and unlike the police or the government nothing can be hidden from God. This is the technique of control that is used in Gilead. The punishments given from the government and from religious societies are different. The government gives punishments as time in prison or fines which canRead MoreEssay on Handmaids Tale3088 Words   |  13 Pages Many of the principles of Gilead are based on Old Testament beliefs. Discuss Atwoods use of biblical allusions and their political significance in the novel. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; ‘The Handmaids Tale’ is a book full of biblical allusions, before Atwood begins the text an epigraph gives us an extract from Genesis 30: 1-3 â€Å"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled againstRead MoreHandmaids Tale Analysis775 Words   |  4 Pagestwisted version? In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the author portrays a dystopian world, where a woman are forced to follow the norms of the twisted version of the Bible. Atwood uses the creations of handmaids, a woman who is used as a vessel for babies, in order to portray how religion impacted the society she has created, Gilead. The readers are introduced to Offred, the narrator and the main character of the text, she is one of the many handmaids that are introduced in the text. OffredRead MoreHandmaids Tale and 19842089 Words   |  9 PagesHow far is language a tool of oppression in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’? Most dystopian novels contain themes of corruption and oppression, therefore in both ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’ language is obviously used as a form of the states control, enabling dystopian leaders to remain in power by manipulating language to restrict free thought. Orwell and Atwood have utilized language as a key tool of oppression throughout their novels. The use of language is