Mutability of identity in The Road and The Handmaids Tale
“Dystopian literature invites the reader to reflect upon the mutability of identity.” By comparing The Handmaid’s Tale and The Road, discuss how far, and in what ways the two novels support or refute this claim?
Within dystopian literature, identity is something that can be seen as an individual’s most core and precious element. Exposed against a scarcity of freedom in self-expression, we can begin to fully appreciate and understand the importance in the role of identity as well as its robustness. The role of identity and its manipulation is often explored within dystopian literature to exemplify weaknesses in human psychology as well as to destroy false images of strength and superiority that we apply to ourselves. In both The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale representations of strength in identity become more pessimistic as the novel progresses. Like many other dystopian texts such as A Clockwork Orange, identity is presented to us initially as something indestructible. It is the contrast of this against the obvious manipulation of identity further on into the book that highlights the idealisation of our personalities as individual and enduring. Like The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale, the novel looks at society’s effect on identity and suggests that identity must be manipulated in some form in order for a society to be peaceful and effective. The Road and Lord of the Flies share similar representation of how we are controlled by our society. They suggest we have evolved to act in a socially desirable manner and that without control we loose all sense of empathy or moral consciousness. Within The Road and Handmaid’s Tale however there are some positive examples which suggest that although identity is definitely able to be manipulated to a certain extent, expression and communication could both be instinctive aspects able to ultimately withstand full control. An example of this is the relationship between Offered and Nick, and the boys desire to help Ely or the lost
Within dystopian literature, identity is something that can be seen as an individual’s most core and precious element. Exposed against a scarcity of freedom in self-expression, we can begin to fully appreciate and understand the importance in the role of identity as well as its robustness. The role of identity and its manipulation is often explored within dystopian literature to exemplify weaknesses in human psychology as well as to destroy false images of strength and superiority that we apply to ourselves. In both The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale representations of strength in identity become more pessimistic as the novel progresses. Like many other dystopian texts such as A Clockwork Orange, identity is presented to us initially as something indestructible. It is the contrast of this against the obvious manipulation of identity further on into the book that highlights the idealisation of our personalities as individual and enduring. Like The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale, the novel looks at society’s effect on identity and suggests that identity must be manipulated in some form in order for a society to be peaceful and effective. The Road and Lord of the Flies share similar representation of how we are controlled by our society. They suggest we have evolved to act in a socially desirable manner and that without control we loose all sense of empathy or moral consciousness. Within The Road and Handmaid’s Tale however there are some positive examples which suggest that although identity is definitely able to be manipulated to a certain extent, expression and communication could both be instinctive aspects able to ultimately withstand full control. An example of this is the relationship between Offered and Nick, and the boys desire to help Ely or the lost