Themes In The Handmaid's Tale

The theme of a literary work is what makes it enjoyable. Through the use of relatable topics, authors are able to draw the reader further into their story. Every book has a unique message it conveys that adds to the understanding and appreciation of its story. Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale as a warning against the dangers of overly powerful governments. The novel conveys the theme of how governments control every aspect of their citizen’s lives through the motifs of power, identity, and religion.
Throughout the book, Atwood shows how the government controls its citizens by the establishment of a power system. By appointing people specific positions, the government is able to maintain control over them. The control of the higher
Nearly all sense of identity has been taken away from the citizens of Gilead, especially those of lower status. Each job has been assigned a color for easy identification. Readers are quickly exposed to the use of color to identify the people of Gilead when Offred describes her wardrobe as “everything… [being] red: the color of blood, which defines us” (8). These people, who used to have so much freedom to express themselves, are now nothing more than a color. Outside of the color red Offred has no way to show who she is. Another way the citizens are controlled by the government is through their jobs. Each person is seen as useless if they can not do their assigned job, especially the handmaids. This is seen when Offred says that “no woman…would seek to prevent a birth” (33). Not only has the government assigned roles for these women but now they also fear not being able to fulfil them. The women are brainwashed to believe that they must bear children. However, the handmaids are not the only ones who have had their identity simplified to a color or symbol. As Offred walks by the wall one day she sees a body “marked only with a J, in red (200). Nobody will ever know who this person was or what they did. They will forever be remembered as the body with a J. The government has publically stripped the people on The Wall of their personal expression and identity. By breaking down its citizens and forcing
Gilead justifies its abuse of control with religion. Every aspect of the citizens’ lives now revolves around religious concepts. The higher ranking people who work for the government have names like “The Eyes of God” which show how religion is the base of the new Gilead government (193). By giving the watchmen of the city this title, it implies that the government itself is a god. The government is not only based on religion but it also attempts to spread its beliefs to all of its citizens. One way it does this is by forcing the reading of the bible regularly. At the ceremony, the Commander must read “the usual stories” including a passage saying to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth”(88). The government is using this verse to support its idea of forcing women to have children for the benefit of others. The citizens of Gilead, especially the handmaids, are being manipulated by the government through religion. On the other hand, many citizens are only pretending to agree with the religious view that the government is trying to convert them too. Many people attend events like the “Prayvaganza, to demonstrate how obedient and pious [they] are” (212). These mandatory events use religion to force the women into doing what the government wants them to do. Lastly, the handmaids are forced to participate in religious activities that are meant to help them fulfill the