The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: Why The Handmaid’s Tale is More Relevant Now Than Ever: Critical Review
Exploring the Timely Parallels Between Atwood’s Dystopia and Today’s World (Unpacking the Complexities of Power, Identity and Survival)
Book Reviewed by: Anjana Bohara_
About The Author Margaret Eleanor Atwood
Margaret Atwood, born November 18, 1939, is a versatile Canadian writer who has excelled in various roles such as poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Over the years, since 1961, she has released a total of 18 poetry books, 18 novels, 11 non-fiction books, nine collections of short fiction, eight children’s books, two graphic novels, and several small press editions of both poetry and fiction. Atwood has been recognized with numerous awards and honors for her literary contributions, including two Booker Prizes, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Governor General’s Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Princess of Asturias Awards, and the National Book Critics and PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Many of her literary works have been adapted into films and television shows.Atwood’s writings encompass a wide range of subjects such as gender and identity, religion and myth, the influence of language, climate change, as well as power politics. Her poems often draw inspiration from myths and fairy tales, which have intrigued her since her early years. She played a key role in establishing the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Additionally, she holds the position of Senior Fellow at Massey College, Toronto. Notably, Atwood is the creator of the Long Pen device and associated technologies, allowing remote robotic document writing.
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood was published in 1985 and takes place in the future New England is under the control of a patriarchal and totalitarian theonomy state called the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United States government. The novel is set in an indeterminate dystopian future where a fundamentalist theonomy rules the former United States, now known as the Republic of Gilead. Fertility rates in Gilead have declined due to environmental toxicity, and fertile women have become a valuable commodity owned and enslaved by the powerful elite. People are segregated based on categories and are required to dress according to their social functions.
These complex dress codes are instrumental in enforcing social control within the new society and are used to differentiate people based on sex, occupation, and caste.The story unfolds in what used to be the Harvard Square neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Atwood studied at Radcliffe College, located in this area. As a researcher, Atwood spent a significant amount of time in the Widener Library at Harvard, which, in the novel, serves as the setting for the headquarters of the Gilead Secret Service.
Characters of the Book Handmaid’s Tale
Offred
Offred is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. The entire story is told from her point of view, as she shares her experiences and memories. She is a perceptive, kind, and intelligent woman who also possesses a dark sense of humor. Offred is not a heroic figure; after a failed escape attempt, she submits to her role in the regime to avoid further torture or exile. She contrasts herself with her feminist activist mother and is wary of joining the resistance against Gilead, despite being friends with a member of the rebellion. In her affair with Nick, Offred seeks physical autonomy denied by Gilead, but she does not actively participate in resisting the regime. Her passivity demonstrates how oppressive regimes like Gilead can undermine people’s ability to resist.
The Commander
The leader mentions that he used to work as a scientist and was previously involved in something similar to market research before Gilead’s establishment. There is speculation, though not confirmed, that he might have been involved in creating the Republic and its laws. It is assumed that his first name is “Fred”, but it might also be a pseudonym. He engages in prohibited intellectual activities with Offred, such as playing Scrabble, and introduces her to a clandestine club that functions as a brothel for high-ranking officers.
During their covert meetings, he reveals his more compassionate side to Offred and admits to being “misunderstood” by his wife. Offred discovers that the Commander had a similar relationship with his previous handmaid, who later committed suicide when his wife discovered the affair.
In the epilogue, Professor Peixoto theorizes that one of two influential figures involved in the establishment of Gilead may have been the Commander, based on the name “Fred”. He believes that the Commander was a man named Frederick R. Waterford, who was eliminated in a purge shortly after Offred was taken away, accused of harboring an enemy agent.
Serena Joy
Serena Joy, whose real name is Pam, is a former televangelist and the Commander’s wife in the fundamentalist theonomy. Despite her fondness for gardening and knitting, the state stripped her of her power and public recognition. Offred recognizes her as the woman she used to watch on TV early on Saturday mornings while waiting for cartoons to air.
Although it’s implied that the Commander may be sterile, Gileadean laws attribute sterility only to women. Serena Joy is forced to accept that her husband requires the use of a Handmaid, which she resents. In an attempt to become pregnant, she arranges for Offred to have sex with Nick.
Ofglen
Ofglen is an acquaintance and neighbor of Offred’s and another Handmaid. She accompanies Offred when they go shopping. Handmaids are always in pairs and are expected to monitor each other’s behavior. Ofglen is part of the Mayday Resistance group. Unlike Offred, she is courageous. She incapacitates a Mayday spy who is going to be tortured and killed to spare him from a violent death. When Ofglen disappears, Offred is informed that she has committed suicide to avoid being captured by the government due to her involvement in the resistance, possibly to prevent divulging any information. A new Handmaid, also named Ofglen, replaces the original Ofglen and is assigned as Offred’s shopping partner. She warns Offred against any rebellious thoughts and goes against the rules by informing her about what happened to the previous Ofglen.
Nick
Nick is the chauffeur of the Commander, residing above the garage. He initially appears daring due to his habit of smoking and attempts to interact with Offred, both prohibited activities. As per Serena Joy’s arrangement, he and Offred initiate a sexual relationship to improve her chances of conceiving. If Offred were unable to bear the Commander a child, she would be deemed sterile and sent to the ecological wastelands of the Colonies. Offred begins to develop emotions for him. Nick is an enigmatic character, and Offred is uncertain whether he is a loyalist of the party or part of the resistance, despite identifying himself as the latter. The epilogue suggests that he indeed was part of the resistance and aided Offred in escaping the Commander’s house.
Moira
Moira and Offred have been good friends since their college days. Their friendship in the novel represents a strong bond that the Republic of Gilead attempts to disrupt. Moira, who is a lesbian, resists the homophobia present in Gileadean society. Soon after Offred becomes a Handmaid, Moira is also taken to serve in that role. She finds the life of a Handmaid incredibly oppressive and takes risks by defying the system, even engaging with the guards. Moira manages to escape by stealing an aunt’s pass and clothes, but Offred later discovers her working as a prostitute in a party-run brothel. Moira was caught and chose to work in the brothel rather than be sent to the Colonies. Her actions exemplify defiance against Gilead and its forced values on its citizens.
Luke
Luke was Offred’s spouse before the establishment of Gilead. He was previously married when he began a relationship with Offred, and he divorced his first wife to be with her. Under Gilead’s rule, all divorces were invalidated retroactively, resulting in Offred being labeled an adulteress and their daughter deemed illegitimate. Offred was forced to become a Handmaid, and their daughter was given to a loyalist family. Since they attempted to escape to Canada, Offred has had no news of Luke. She is torn between believing he is either dead or imprisoned.
Professor Peixoto
Peixoto, along with Professor Knotly Wade, is credited as the co-discoverer of Offred’s tapes. During a presentation at an academic conference set in 2197, he discusses “the challenges of verifying the authenticity of The Handmaid’s Tale.” Peixoto is the individual who retells Offred’s story, thereby introducing an additional layer of unreliability to the narrative.
Aunt Lydia
In flashbacks, Aunt Lydia’s instructions continue to haunt Offred. She is employed at the ‘Red Center’, where women are trained for their roles as Handmaids. Throughout the story, Aunt Lydia’s succinct instructions regarding the conduct expected from Handmaids shed light on the oppressive philosophy towards women in Gilead. Aunt Lydia appears to be a devout believer in Gilead’s religious ideology and is dedicated to her role. She works as a servant in the Commander’s household due to her infertility. She hopes for Offred to conceive, as she yearns to assist in raising a child. She shows kindness towards Offred and even covers for her when she discovers her lying on the floor one morning, an incident that raises suspicion based on Gilead’s standards.
Rita
Rita serves as a Martha in Commander Fred’s household, responsible for cooking and housekeeping. She is part of the household staff. At the beginning of the novel, Rita holds disdain for Offred and believes that a Handmaid would prefer being sent to the colonies over serving as a sexual slave.
Plot of The Handmaid’s Tale
The “Sons of Jacob,” a radical political group, uses the theonomy ideology to stage an attack that kills the President and most of Congress, leading to a revolution. This resulted in the suspension of the United States Constitution, censorship of newspapers, and the transformation of the country into a military dictatorship known as the Republic of Gilead. The new regime quickly consolidates power, subduing all other religious groups, including traditional Christian denominations.
The society is reorganized based on a unique interpretation of Old Testament ideas, creating a militarized, hierarchical structure driven by religious fanaticism. The most significant change is the restriction of people’s rights. Women are relegated to the lowest social class, stripped of the right to own money or property, and forbidden from reading and writing. Furthermore, they lose control over their reproductive functions.
The narrative is presented in first-person narration by a character named Offred. In a time marked by environmental pollution and radiation, she is one of the few remaining fertile women. Consequently, she is compelled to bear children for the ruling class of men, known as the “Commanders,” and is referred to as a “Handmaid,” drawing inspiration from the biblical story of Rachel and her handmaid, Bilhah. She undergoes training at the Rachel and Leah Centre alongside other women in similar positions.
Apart from Handmaids, women are categorized socially and adhere to a strict dress code, ranked from highest to lowest: the Commanders’ Wives wear teal blue, the Handmaids wear burgundy with large white bonnets for visibility, the Aunts (who train and indoctrinate the Handmaids) wear brown, the Marthas (cooks and maids, potentially sterile women beyond child-bearing years) wear green, Econowives (the wives of lower-ranking men who handle everything in the domestic sphere) wear blue, red, and green stripes, very young girls wear pink, young boys wear blue, and widows wear black.
Offred recounts her life starting with her third assignment as a Handmaid to a Commander. Alongside her present-day experiences, she also recalls flashbacks of her life before and during the onset of the revolution, including her failed attempt to escape to Canada with her husband and child, her indoctrination into life as a Handmaid by the aunts, and the escape of her friend Moira from the indoctrination facility. In her new home, she is mistreated by the Commander’s wife, Serena Joy, a former Christian media personality who advocated for women’s domesticity and subordination long before Gilead was established.
To Offred’s surprise, the Commander requests to see her outside of the “Ceremony,” the reproductive ritual mandatory for handmaids (conducted in the presence of the wives) and intended to result in conception. The commander’s request to see Offred in the library is an illegal activity in Gilead, but they meet nonetheless. They mostly play Scrabble, and Offred is allowed to ask him for favors, be it information or material items. The commander asks Offred to kiss him “as if she meant it” and confides in her about his strained relationship with his wife. Eventually, he gives her lingerie and takes her to a covert, government-run brothel called Jezebel’s. Offred unexpectedly encounters Moira there, with Moira’s spirit broken, and learns from her that those found breaking the law are sent to the Colonies to clean up toxic waste or are allowed to work at Jezebel’s as punishment.
In the days between her visits to the Commander, Offred also learns from her shopping partner, a woman named Ofglen, about the Mayday Resistance, an underground network working to overthrow the Republic of Gilead. Unaware of Offred’s transgressions with her husband, Serena begins to suspect that the Commander is infertile and arranges for Offred to begin a covert sexual relationship with Nick, the Commander’s personal servant. Serena offers Offred information about her daughter in exchange. She later brings her a photograph of Offred’s daughter, leaving Offred feeling downhearted as she senses she has been erased from her daughter’s life.
Nick had previously attempted to communicate with Offred and had shown interest in her. After their initial encounter, Offred and Nick begin to meet of their own accord as well, with Offred realizing that she enjoys these intimate moments despite memories of her husband, and shares potentially perilous details about her past with him. Offred confides in Nick that she believes she is pregnant.
Offred learns from a new walking partner that Ofglen has vanished and been reported as having committed suicide. Serena discovers evidence of Offred’s relationship with the Commander, leading Offred to consider ending her own life. Shortly after, individuals wearing the uniform of the secret police, known as “the Eyes,” arrive at the house to take Offred away. As she is escorted to a waiting van, Nick advises her to trust him and accompany the men. It remains unclear whether the individuals are truly members of the Eyes or part of the Mayday resistance.
Offred remains uncertain whether Nick is involved with Mayday or is posing as an Eye aligned with them, and she is unsure of whether leaving will lead to her escape or capture. Ultimately, she boards the van with an uncertain future, while Commander Fred and Serena are left distraught in the house, each contemplating the potential repercussions of Offred’s capture on their lives.
The novel ends with a metafictional epilogue, described as a partial transcript of a historical association conference taking place in the year 2195. The keynote speaker explains that Offred’s narrative of the events depicted in the novel was recorded on cassette tapes, later discovered and transcribed by historians investigating what is referred to as “the Gilead Period.”
Themes of the Handmaid’s Tale
Gender Conflicts
Although Atwood raises many questions about gender conflict, she does not appear to offer readers any definite answers. Offred becomes increasingly aware that, as a man, Luke is aligned with the new regime, while she is on the opposing side, despite believing he loves her. The Commander attempts to justify to Offred why the new regime benefits men, essentially acknowledging that for it to be better for men, it has to be worse for women. One of the most pressing questions is whether these sentiments were repressed in the old society, or if they were cultivated by the new one. Would the Commander view the new regime as superior if his survival was not dependent on his support for it? Did Luke genuinely prefer the new way of life? Before understanding the new divorce laws, how did he feel about the new laws restricting women’s activities? Since Offred never inquires, the reader is left without answers to these critical questions.
The fundamental question is whether gender conflict genuinely exists. Is there truly more conflict between men and women than between women and women, or men and men? Despite the lack of discussion about relationships between men in The Handmaid’s Tale, relationships between women are not inherently superior to those between women and men. Offred finds herself debating these issues with her mother and Moira. The various categories of women following the regime change only serve to widen the divisions among women. Some wives even attempt to fatally harm Handmaids out of anger over their existence, while fully aware that they are powerless to change it. In general, relationships between men and women are not depicted in a positive light. An exception is the relationship between Offred and Nick: the strength of their relationship lies in Nick’s willingness to sacrifice his safety to be with and assist Offred. Atwood might be suggesting that all relationships are challenging, whether among genders or within them.
Power
One of the central themes in The Handmaid’s Tale revolves around the concept of power and how it is wielded. In Gilead, where a theocratic dictatorship reigns, power is enforced from the top down. Individuals have no means of legally defending themselves against the government’s authority, and there is no chance of external intervention. This form of power is distinctly visible since it must be openly displayed when imposed from a single source. In contrast to a democratic society where people consent to be governed and therefore have a stake in upholding societal structures, Gilead requires the pervasive presence of guards and weapons on the streets and even within private residences. The potential for surveillance is ever-present, and the only realm of freedom for individuals lies within their thoughts, fostering significant isolation.
Despite the Gilead regime’s success in establishing order, Atwood’s characters illustrate that even when significant power is taken away from individuals, they will uncover ways to maintain control over themselves and others. Offred employs subtle manipulation of her sexuality, realizing the extent of power she holds simply by being a woman. Though she cannot follow through with her suggestions, she understands that she is sparking ideas in the minds of men and secretly communicating with the Guardians under the watchful eyes of the Angels. Offred discovers that some Handmaids choose to end their own lives to retain some semblance of control over their bodies and decisions, and she contemplates suicide as a constant thought. Through her relationship with the Commander, Offred gains actual power, yet she is wary of testing its boundaries. Ultimately, she realizes that her influence over him is futile, as he refuses to intervene and save her from his wife’s wrath.
Feminism
Although Atwood is commonly seen as a feminist author, The Handmaid’s Tale presents a nuanced portrayal of feminism. Atwood often emphasizes in interviews that the extreme society of Gilead reflects the simultaneous influence of conservative and feminist ideologies during the time of her writing. Moira serves as a mouthpiece for many of these ideas in the novel, and Offred’s recollection of their discussions echoes the influence on the novel’s themes. One pivotal concept was Moira’s belief that living exclusively among women would address many of the challenges women were then confronting.
In Gilead’s new social structure, the intention is to establish a society centered around women. Many women have minimal contact with men. Women are expected to support each other during childbirth, death, and illness. Women educate each other about the new regime. Within households, women collaborate to fulfill the diverse roles dictated by their gender. However, the utopian vision of this community is far from the reality. Atwood seems to suggest that one flaw in the feminist community is the assumption that women inherently feel allegiance to one another.
Offred’s mother represents a different strain of feminism. Before the establishment of the new regime, Offred’s mother advocated for abortion rights, the prohibition of pornography, and other women’s issues. As a young person, Offred felt embarrassed by her mother’s activism. Her mother would admonish her for being unappreciative and passive about her rights. Only after Gilead’s rise does Offred realize her complacency. She hadn’t recognized that her job or her property rights could be taken away. Now, she comprehends how the absence of rights alters one’s perspective.
One aspect that makes Offred women in general reflect that before Gilead, she didn’t identify as a feminist. She was apprehensive that feminism would alienate her from men. She disliked it when her mother debated with Luke, trying to make him acknowledge that his cooking was only possible because of feminism. Now, Offred recognizes that feminism merely compels women to acknowledge their inherent separation from men. It is femininity itself that fosters this disconnection. This becomes evident when Offred loses her job and is hesitant to ask Luke if he prefers the new order. Atwood examines feminism from various angles, and although she acknowledges its shortcomings, Offred ultimately seems to grasp its significance.
Sexuality
The Gileadean regime heavily focuses on controlling sex and sexuality. It executes individuals based on their sexual orientation, bans pornography and certain clothing, kills abortion providers, and outlaws divorce and remarriage. It also ritualizes sexual relations based on its distorted interpretation of religious texts. In its attempt to separate sex from sexuality, the regime demonstrates both underestimation of and fear of the power of sexuality. Despite severe punishment, illicit sexual activities persist, revealing the futility of the government’s efforts. The Commander’s secret affairs with the Handmaids and the existence of a clandestine club for sexual encounters among the elite show that these regulations do not eliminate forbidden sexual acts. Through her risky affair with Nick, Offred highlights the enduring power of sexual acts, even when faced with extreme consequences imposed by the regime.
Individual’s Role in Society
One of the questions raised in The Handmaid’s Tale is whether the rights of the individual should be sacrificed for the needs of society. The Gileadean society was under immense pressure as highlighted in the Historical Notes. With a declining population, drastic measures were necessary to prevent their extinction. While enlisting women with viable ovaries was a practical solution, there were significant drawbacks. Essentially, the Gileadeans were motivated by Utilitarianism, striving to do what they believed was best for the majority.
One of the main flaws in this rationale is that, as a theocracy, the Gilead regime’s decision-making is not always as logically driven as required to address its problems. The regime’s perception that fertility issues arise solely from women, as opposed to men, is a Biblical precedent that leads to the wastage of fertile handmaids on Commanders who are infertile. This flawed reasoning prompts handmaids to defy the sexual norms of the new society, seeking ways to conceive outside the prescribed boundaries. To effectively address their declining birth rate, the Gileadean society must adopt a more scientific approach to the issue. Ultimately, the Gileadean leaders prioritize their religious beliefs over the rights of the individual or the survival of the group.
Language Influence
One of Atwood’s most intricate and well-integrated themes is the power of language. The concept of storytelling is intricately woven throughout Offred’s narrative. She conveys that everything is a reinterpretation of something else, never an exact representation of the truth. Offred deliberates on possible themes for her story, acknowledging her attempt to enhance the tone of her story by including elements such as “flowers.” She apologizes for the prevalence of violence and suffering. As highlighted in the historical notes, Offred’s narrative deviates significantly from a straightforward historical account. She discusses different topics, poses different queries, and provides different responses.
Additionally, the use of language is fascinating in the way Offred contemplates words, analyzing them to divert her focus from her reality and facilitate her survival. For instance, she ponders the word “chair” and its various connotations, from a method of execution to the French word for flesh. When playing Scrabble with the Commander, she employs the search for words as a means to distract herself from her fear and bewilderment.
Furthermore, a significant alteration to language imposed by the regime is the prohibition of language use for women. On one hand, this intensifies the power of words and language. On the other hand, it imbues the illicit use of language with a sense of sexual taboo. Offred’s profound contemplation of words and her solace in reliving memories serve to help her retain her grasp of language. When the Commander permits Offred to read or engage in a game of Scrabble, she realizes they are partaking in a form of “kinky” sexual activity.
Moral Contingency
Moral Relativism Through the Historical Notes, Atwood prompts the general inquiry of whether it is feasible to assess a culture beyond its borders. It appears evident that she believes the answer is “yes”. Despite Gilead’s culture being significantly different from our own, it seems improbable that the reader does not view it critically. Atwood appears to validate this assessment, as while she unravels Gilead’s disparities, the narrative also discloses that there are numerous similarities between cultures, regardless of the social or cultural norms that set them apart. In essence, the same types of relationships and power imbalances underlie all societies. Atwood appears to imply that these similarities enable outsiders to pass judgment. A larger question is whether Atwood’s novel is political: is she hinting at specific cultures that she believes her readers have refrained from making judgments about?
Summing Up The Review
The narrative unfolds in a dystopian future society, where a stringent, religious government has gained power over the United States, which is now known as Gilead. The regime is known for its severe repression, which includes public executions, the eradication of intellectuals, and the subjugation of women who are compelled into reproductive servitude. Individuals considered undesirable are sent to labor camps, where they are expected to perish within a few years.
In this society, people are categorized into specific roles based on the color of their clothing. Women known as Handmaids, who are enslaved to bear children, wear red and white, and are prohibited from reading or owning property. The wives of the male rulers wear blue, while servants wear pale green, and the “Aunts” who oversee the Handmaids wear brown. The regime exerts control over every aspect of life, employing secret police, enforcing strict state control, and eliminating personal freedoms, prompting comparisons to Orwell’s 1984.
It is the story that is narrated by Offred, a woman taken while trying to escape to Canada and forced into her role as a Handmaid. She often reflects on her previous life before Gilead’s rise, recalling how women were objectified and exploited in the past, but notes that the new regime, under the appearance of moral and religious authority, has brought even worse horrors. Punishments for failing to obey, such as being sent to brothels or labor camps, are brutal and carried out by the brutal Aunties in the name of “God’s will.”
Offred is faced with the challenge of finding her missing daughter while maneuvering within a repressive system. The book’s fundamental message serves as a stark reminder of the perils of unrestrained authority, particularly when it is justified by religious fanaticism. Atwood also makes connections to real-life situations where similar injustices, particularly against women, have taken place, drawing on historical and contemporary instances from places like Soviet Russia, Afghanistan, Nazi Germany, and various Muslim-majority countries.
The novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” evokes strong emotions with its disturbing yet powerful description of a terrifying future. It remains an essential read due to the continued presence of ideological extremism in the world.
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