The Handmaid's Tale: Oppression and Possession in Gilead

Categories: The Handmaid’s Tale

Chapter 1 of The Handmaid's Tale delves into the idea that "Something could be exchanged… we still had our bodies." The novel examines how women can be both oppressed and oppressors. Atwood's storytelling is rich with feminist undertones, showcasing a future where women may face oppression. The Giledean government enforces strict laws based on intense biblical readings. Referencing the tale of Rachel and Jacob from the Bible, where Rachel used her maid for childbearing, Atwood depicts Handmaids as instruments for reproduction.

In Gilead, 'The Ceremony' involves Handmaids and their Commanders trying to conceive.

Despite being oppressed, females may also have advantages and be oppressors themselves. The title suggests an unreliable narrative, foreshadowing chaos. "The Handmaid’s Tale" symbolizes women's oppression and possession with the apostrophe.

Atwood demonstrates the lack of personal belongings through Offred in Chapter 1, highlighting that "We still had our bodies." Despite the absence of other possessions, the Handmaids still retained their physical form. However, Atwood introduces a contradiction with the apostrophe in the title, hinting that Offred has her own story to share willingly.

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The conclusion of the chapter reveals the Handmaids' names: 'Alma. Janine. Dolores. Moira. June.'

The failure to disclose Offred's identity captivates readers from any era, as humans universally fear or loathe the unknown. By juxtaposing their names with full stops, Atwood may be asserting the individuality of women, yet the list-like structure of these one-word sentences hints at a sense of collective identity. The compilation of the women's names raises the expectation that these characters will have each other for support and companionship throughout the novel.

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Atwood's decision to put the names of the women in chapter 1 at the end is both striking and ironic, possibly symbolizing their low status in the Giledean Republic and their position at the bottom of the social hierarchy. This also gives a sense of finality; their identities being extinguished, their last moment of naming themselves, their transition to being nameless possessions. This passage implies suppression and stifled voices for women in the society of tomorrow.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood crafts a dystopian warning about the consequences of global conservatism in a realistic manner. The protagonist's name, Offred, holds hidden reasons for her oppression as a Handmaid. The repetition of 'about' in reference to Ofglen signifies the complete elimination of her identity, highlighting the Handmaids' belief in Gilead's societal structure.

In the past, Handmaids have been forced into their designated roles to the point of fully embracing them. To a reader today, the portrayal of Handmaids may seem extreme, considering nuclear families and traditional gender roles were more accepted in the 1980s. Presently, readers are more likely to view Atwood's depiction of oppression through Offred with a critical eye, as society has evolved to embrace diverse family structures and challenge traditional gender norms.

The name Offred could also be rearranged to say ‘off red’; the red could imply the womb which is a vital tool in reproduction that she cannot control in her current state. Luckily, Offred's womb is teeming with life, as she is fertile. The act of intercourse to produce children is known as ‘The Ceremony’. The term ceremony gives the act significance, sacredness, and religious connotations, making it special in some ways. Nowadays, sex is often exploited in the media through the objectification of women.

Atwood introduces her unique concept of exploitation in The Handmaid's Tale, focusing on the mistreatment of Handmaids by the state rather than through media. While contemporary readers may view 'The Ceremony' more casually due to the prevalence of sexual content in novels, it remains unsettling as it portrays forced reproduction through sex. Atwood's emphasis on the sole purpose of sex for procreation may seem unusual to modern readers.

In this era, sex is often viewed as a source of pleasure rather than a means of reproduction. With the availability of various contraceptives and the freedom to express one's sexuality, modern readers may find it difficult to relate to the constrained sexual lives depicted by Atwood in "The Handmaid's Tale." However, contemporary readers can see that Atwood is highlighting the extreme lack of control women had over their reproductive choices during a time when laws regarding abortion were changing under Reagan's presidency, resulting in unwanted pregnancies and the creation of children that were not necessarily desired- 'what I must present is a made thing, not something born'.

Through Offred, Atwood demonstrates that the presence of an unwanted baby leads to a lack of compassion towards it. The abrupt pauses created by short sentences like 'I wait. I compose myself.' suggest a need for reflection on societal norms. By splitting 'myself' into 'my self,' Atwood highlights the divide between Offred's societal role and her true identity.

The text also suggests that the speaker views herself as an afterthought, as indicated by her repetition of 'myself' in a different way. In a different light, the Gileadean Republic can be seen as a functionalistic utopia where women hold complete power. The society relies entirely on women for reproduction, positioning them as heroines and saviours. Without Handmaids, there would be no future due to a breakdown in society's foundations. This places women at the pinnacle of the societal hierarchy. Despite being at the bottom of the social ladder in Gilead, women hold the most value; their bodies are considered the most precious commodity in the state. This could symbolize the economic struggles of Atwood's era, where mishandling money could lead to an undesirable world similar to mistreating women. The rise of the Moral Majority sparked fear within the feminist community due to their increasing religious influence.

Atwood's depiction of a potential undoing of gender equality in the current patriarchal world strikes fear in the contemporary reader, emphasizing the importance of valuing women and their bodies. Through her creation of a hostile dystopia, she warns readers about the dangers of global conservatism and the potential consequences for women's rights.

Updated: Feb 21, 2024
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The Handmaid's Tale: Oppression and Possession in Gilead. (2016, Oct 29). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-handmaids-tale-role-of-handmaids-essay

The Handmaid's Tale: Oppression and Possession in Gilead essay
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