The Handmaid's Tale
Throughout the entire text of The Handmaid's Tale, the ruling totalitarian government does what is in its power to attempt to isolate women from society. Not only do are the women isolated from society in terms of sexual contact (or any contact, for that matter), with men, but they are also individualized within the gender itself and separated from each other. Evidence of this isolation is available throughout the novel in different levels. The first level, perhaps the harshest, is the division of genders, with women like the Handmaids unable to communicate with unmarried men.
Offred's separation from men is apparent when she compares herself to the "power of a dog bone" (29), but the bone is "held out of reach" (29). This depicts how there is a strict gender division that disallows them to even communicate with each other, much less have sex. For the Angels, they are not even allowed to look at the so-called dog bone. When we are first introduced to the idea of the Angels, Offred mentions that the Angels must stand outside of the gymnasium "with their backs to us" (10). Offred wishes that they would only look at her and if only "something could be exchanged" (10). The guards of the complex Offred is held in at the beginning of the novel aren't even allowed inside it. With the men not allowed in the Red Center and the women now allowed outside of it, they are each isolated from each other.
Even though women are isolated from men, they are also separated from each other. Women are segregated further into social classes, such as the Handmaid or the lowly Econowife. These women are separated by their function of society, and they are identified with the color they wear. Handmaids wear red, which Offred is opposed to because she "never looked good in red" (14). Her opposition to the color shows the limits of her decision-making (if it can be argued that she makes any at all). All women are separated according to their colors, whether it was red, the green that the
Offred's separation from men is apparent when she compares herself to the "power of a dog bone" (29), but the bone is "held out of reach" (29). This depicts how there is a strict gender division that disallows them to even communicate with each other, much less have sex. For the Angels, they are not even allowed to look at the so-called dog bone. When we are first introduced to the idea of the Angels, Offred mentions that the Angels must stand outside of the gymnasium "with their backs to us" (10). Offred wishes that they would only look at her and if only "something could be exchanged" (10). The guards of the complex Offred is held in at the beginning of the novel aren't even allowed inside it. With the men not allowed in the Red Center and the women now allowed outside of it, they are each isolated from each other.
Even though women are isolated from men, they are also separated from each other. Women are segregated further into social classes, such as the Handmaid or the lowly Econowife. These women are separated by their function of society, and they are identified with the color they wear. Handmaids wear red, which Offred is opposed to because she "never looked good in red" (14). Her opposition to the color shows the limits of her decision-making (if it can be argued that she makes any at all). All women are separated according to their colors, whether it was red, the green that the