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March 29, 2008
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The Handmaid's Tale
This is a futuristic novel that takes place in northern USA sometime in the beginning of
the twenty-first century, in the oppressive and totalitarian Republic of Gilead. The regime
demands high moral, retribution and a virtuous lifestyle. The Bible is the guiding
principle. As a result of the sexual freedom, free abortion and a high increase of venereal
diseases at the end of the twentieth century, many women, (and men also, but that is
forbidden to say), are sterile. The women, who are still fertile, are recruited as
Handmaids, and their only mission in life is to give birth to the offspring of their
Commander, whose wife is infertile.
The main character in the book is Offred, one of these unfortunate servants who's only
right to exist depends on her ovaries productivity. She lives with her commander and his
wife in a highly supervised centre.
Unlike men, women have been facing unique problems for centuries, and often women
experience harassment and discrimination. In today's society, females are trying to
combat their tribulations through lawsuits and protest rallies. Literature often deals with
people being unable to articulate their problems. Often, unforeseen circumstances force
people to conceal their true emotions. In The Handmaid's Tale the main female
characters find ways to escape their situations rather than deal with them.
Offred from The Handmaid's Tale uses different tactics to cope with her situation. She is
trapped within a distopian society comprised of a community riddled by despair. Though
she is not physically tortured, the overwhelming and ridiculously powerful government
mentally enslaves her. Offred lives in a horrific society, which prevents her from being
freed. Essentially, the government enslaves her because she is a female, and she is fertile.
Offred's reminisces about the way life used to be by remembering stories about her
husband Luke, her daughter, and her best friend Moira, provides her with temporary
relief from her binding situation. Also, Offred befriends the Commander's aide, Nick.
Offred longs to be with her husband and she feels that she can find his love by being with
Nick. She risks her life several times just to be with Nick. Feeling loved by Nick gives
her a window of hope in her otherwise miserable life.
Instead of proclaiming her feelings out loud, she suppresses them. The result is a series of
recordings, which describes her life, and the things she wishes she could change.
Through these examples, it is apparent that Offred cannot face her problems because of
outside circumstances.
Works such as The Handmaid's Tale deal with females being unable to face their
problems. Many authors have written on this subject matter. Though some problems are
unavoidable, one can overcome certain situations by being more assertive. Along with
male domination and the laws of society, women have had to contend with other
challenging and oppressing situations. Despite this, women in modern society are
becoming more powerful.
Word Count: 485
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