Handmaids Tale
Now Playing: Utopia, Followed by: Dystopia
In the not so distant future, the story of The Handmaid’s Tale unfolds. Set in what seems to be a dystopian United States where various violations of human rights from around the globe are exposed. It is these violations that a patriarchal, authoritarian theocracy is created in the nation-state of Gilead. Oppression, status, and fear run rampant through the nation-state. Obedience is tantamount for the survival of women and the regime. Atwood exposes how building a utopia leads to a dystopia for those that are considered as being an “other.”
The destruction of past decades inflicted on the earth and society brought a rebirth of Puritan values. Men took over everything and women were assigned a duty. Exposure to toxins made most women at this time infertile. Unmarried, infertile women were given a chose; they could become a Martha (cleaning slaves), Jezebels (underground prostitutes), or be shipped off to the colonies to clean up toxic waste and be labeled as unwomen. Fertile women were destined to become Handmaids (sex slaves). A Handmaid’s duty was to become a walking womb to a family of a ranking officer. These women were sent to “The Center” where they were taught how to properly behave as Handmaids. The Center is where fear and obedience are instilled the Handmaids and where red would become their new identity. Once assigned to a house, the Handmaid becomes the husband’s property. From the very start of Offred’s tale, the Handmaid procliams that she is literally a prisoner, tattooed with a cattel number: "Four digits and an eye . . . It's supposed to guarantee that I'll never be able to fade, finally, into another landscape. I am too important, too scarce, for that. I am a national resource" (4-5). The officials at The Center and the house staff ensure that there is no way possible for the Handmaid to end her life. The names that they are given reflect this; if the husband’s name was Steve you became Ofsteve. Your
In the not so distant future, the story of The Handmaid’s Tale unfolds. Set in what seems to be a dystopian United States where various violations of human rights from around the globe are exposed. It is these violations that a patriarchal, authoritarian theocracy is created in the nation-state of Gilead. Oppression, status, and fear run rampant through the nation-state. Obedience is tantamount for the survival of women and the regime. Atwood exposes how building a utopia leads to a dystopia for those that are considered as being an “other.”
The destruction of past decades inflicted on the earth and society brought a rebirth of Puritan values. Men took over everything and women were assigned a duty. Exposure to toxins made most women at this time infertile. Unmarried, infertile women were given a chose; they could become a Martha (cleaning slaves), Jezebels (underground prostitutes), or be shipped off to the colonies to clean up toxic waste and be labeled as unwomen. Fertile women were destined to become Handmaids (sex slaves). A Handmaid’s duty was to become a walking womb to a family of a ranking officer. These women were sent to “The Center” where they were taught how to properly behave as Handmaids. The Center is where fear and obedience are instilled the Handmaids and where red would become their new identity. Once assigned to a house, the Handmaid becomes the husband’s property. From the very start of Offred’s tale, the Handmaid procliams that she is literally a prisoner, tattooed with a cattel number: "Four digits and an eye . . . It's supposed to guarantee that I'll never be able to fade, finally, into another landscape. I am too important, too scarce, for that. I am a national resource" (4-5). The officials at The Center and the house staff ensure that there is no way possible for the Handmaid to end her life. The names that they are given reflect this; if the husband’s name was Steve you became Ofsteve. Your