The Handmaid s Tale By Margret Atwood - 888 Words

Margret Atwood’s novel the handmaid’s tale conveys a futuristic society that restrains basic human rights to its people. The republic of Gilead maintains and justifies its power structure through extreme interpretation of religion. As a result of a drastic drop in birth rate, the regime holds women captive for their ability to reproduce. To avoid rebellion Gilead censors all information and sets up an undercover policing unit called the Eyes. The population mindlessly follows the regime making knowledge and reason very rare. In addition, women experience worse censorship because of their reproductive value, and if women had the power of knowledge they might be able to rebel. Margret Atwood uses repetition to amplify Offred’s ability to think and reason by herself, which marks a shift toward Offred gradually gaining her own power and identity. This section illustrates Offred going through a transitional period in her life. Offred is conflicted between escaping Gilead, and living a life of desperation. Margret Atwood chose to use repetition as a vessel to carry this message. For instance, Atwood starts the chapter using epistrophe. â€Å"This is a reconstruction. All of it is a reconstruction. It’s a reconstruction now† (134). The despondent tone along with the repetition of â€Å"reconstruction† signals, and foreshadows, that Offred uncovers the truth about Gilead and becomes cynical toward Gilead. The significance is not that Offred wants to escape, but more importantlyShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaid s Tale By Margret Atwood1275 Words   |  6 PagesIn the novel, â€Å"The Handmaid s Tale†, the author Margret Atwood introduces a dystopian America where everything that once was is no more. In this society there is a change in the state s entire structure, it has returned to its traditional way s or in other words a religious trap; both women and men are sorted into categories, and each plays their part. Men can be Angles, Commanders or Guardians. Angles are unknown but they are the ones who run society, commanders are slightly lower in rank withRead MoreDon t Get Me Wrong Margret Atwood1311 Words   |  6 Pagesfamiliar world of the speculative fiction novels of Margret Atwood best known for The Handmaids Tale and Oryx and Crake ,Which lead to the discovery that these tales of a dystopian world and one of love and adventure seem to hit a little too close to home and bring out emotions that may have been dormant. There is no doubt that she is a brilliant writer, but the question that runs through my mind is, which one is superior. Some say that The Handmaid’s tale was all around controversial and that Oryx andRead MoreFiction Or Reality : All Too Familiar World Of The Speculative Fiction Novels Of Margret Atwood1319 Words   |  6 Pagesfamiliar world of the spec ulative fiction novels of Margret Atwood best known for The Handmaids Tale and Oryx and Crake ,Which lead to the discovery that these tales of a dystopian world and one of love and adventure seem to hit a little too close to home and bring out emotions that may have been dormant. There is no doubt that she is a brilliant writer, but the question that runs through my mind is, which one is superior. Some say that The Handmaid’s tale was all around controversial and that Oryx andRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale Literacy Essay1841 Words   |  8 PagesENG4U: The Handmaid’s Tale Literacy Essay Shoshannah Lewis Margret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in the closely monitored, male dominant area of Gilead where women are deprived of their sexual and human rights, forbidding them to live independently. For many years prior to Gilead’s existence, women were seen as inferior to men and neglected of basic human rights such as voting, career opportunities, and equal salaries. The Republic of Gilead was later introduced following the transitionRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale By Margret Atwood1179 Words   |  5 PagesMargret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale is a striking work of fiction, with strong characters inundated in a depressing melancholy. A dysfunctional patriarchal society based around the common goal of producing offspring, Gilead, becomes the physical manifestation of modern misogyny and championing of the male. Atwood uses this speculative and extreme example in the future to convey a message about current society, resulting in a famou s example of the Dystopian genre. Atwood exploresRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale And Brave New World1448 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough The Handmaid’s Tale by Margret Atwood and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley involve different stories, the societies portrayed in these two dystopic novels lack the basic freedoms needed for a society to function properly. These novels present an individual whose freedom has been stripped away by a government that controls all aspects of their life -knowledge, individuality, relationships with others- in order to maintain stability in a fragile society. The Handmaid s Tale studies our human nature