It’s a dangerous world for a woman, I think that has become increasingly evident over the last few years, even if these dangers have always been present. Our world is run by men, designed for men, and no matter what women seem to do they are punished by it, always failing to live up to an impossible set of standards.
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel of female oppression, The Handmaids Tale, was a huge critical success when it released in 1985, and for a time it seemed to act as a caution for society to wake up and realise where we were heading. Following its adaptation into a massively successful TV series, The Handmaids Tale has re-entered the public consciousness, but are we already too far gone? It seems like these days’ reality is truly stranger than fiction.
Following the destruction of the U.S government by a group of Christian radicals known as the ‘Sons of Jacob’, a set of extreme right political, religious, and sociological views are implemented which strip females of all autonomy and free will.
Now classified into various ranks and societal roles, Offred is a Haindmaiden, a woman designated for reproduction and assigned to high-ranking officials to ensure their bloodline can continue.
Scared into submission over years of psychological conditioning, Offred begins to learn of an underground rebellion, as well as cracks in the hierarchy of this new world. But will she take action, or remain submissive?
The Handmaids Tale is hands down one of the most disturbing books I have ever read, and I think what makes it so effective is how strikingly plausible it is. Atwood details how this kind of line of thinking can rise to power, and a lot of what she put to paper forty years ago has terrifyingly come to fruition in the real world.
For such a short book, the way Offred’s world is presented makes it as startlingly real as our own. The way women and men have been conditioned to accept this new way of life is incredibly believable, both in constant fear of disappearing in the night or being dragged away in an unmarked van on the street.
I find myself conflicted about the ending though. On the one hand I feel like it’s masterfully bold to end the story so abruptly and with so few answers. It’s completely open to interpretation as to what happens to Offred. As we know from the epilogue, the regime does fall at some point, as all systems of power do. But we learn nothing of Offred’s fate, and whether she played any role in the downfall of that society.
I think it’s unlikely, considering the kind of person Offred is. I do not think that she would be able to be a freedom fighter.
However, I also feel that it’s somewhat underwhelming to end the book just as it starts to get moving, and especially with absolutely zero closure.
I can easily see The Handmaids Tale being something I go back to again and again. It’s such an easy read, but it’s also so powerful and thought provoking. It’s tough subject matter, there were many points where I just had to put the book down and walk away before I got too angry.
But that’s the sign of great literature, and I can’t be the only person who had this reaction as the book frequents ‘banned book’ lists across the globe.
Out of all the dystopian worlds I have visited in fiction over the years, I think The Handmaids Tale may be the one I would want to live in the least…but it’s probably also the one closest to where we actually are right now.
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel of female oppression, The Handmaids Tale, was a huge critical success when it released in 1985, and for a time it seemed to act as a caution for society to wake up and realise where we were heading. Following its adaptation into a massively successful TV series, The Handmaids Tale has re-entered the public consciousness, but are we already too far gone? It seems like these days’ reality is truly stranger than fiction.
Following the destruction of the U.S government by a group of Christian radicals known as the ‘Sons of Jacob’, a set of extreme right political, religious, and sociological views are implemented which strip females of all autonomy and free will.
Now classified into various ranks and societal roles, Offred is a Haindmaiden, a woman designated for reproduction and assigned to high-ranking officials to ensure their bloodline can continue.
Scared into submission over years of psychological conditioning, Offred begins to learn of an underground rebellion, as well as cracks in the hierarchy of this new world. But will she take action, or remain submissive?
The Handmaids Tale is hands down one of the most disturbing books I have ever read, and I think what makes it so effective is how strikingly plausible it is. Atwood details how this kind of line of thinking can rise to power, and a lot of what she put to paper forty years ago has terrifyingly come to fruition in the real world.
For such a short book, the way Offred’s world is presented makes it as startlingly real as our own. The way women and men have been conditioned to accept this new way of life is incredibly believable, both in constant fear of disappearing in the night or being dragged away in an unmarked van on the street.
I find myself conflicted about the ending though. On the one hand I feel like it’s masterfully bold to end the story so abruptly and with so few answers. It’s completely open to interpretation as to what happens to Offred. As we know from the epilogue, the regime does fall at some point, as all systems of power do. But we learn nothing of Offred’s fate, and whether she played any role in the downfall of that society.
I think it’s unlikely, considering the kind of person Offred is. I do not think that she would be able to be a freedom fighter.
However, I also feel that it’s somewhat underwhelming to end the book just as it starts to get moving, and especially with absolutely zero closure.
I can easily see The Handmaids Tale being something I go back to again and again. It’s such an easy read, but it’s also so powerful and thought provoking. It’s tough subject matter, there were many points where I just had to put the book down and walk away before I got too angry.
But that’s the sign of great literature, and I can’t be the only person who had this reaction as the book frequents ‘banned book’ lists across the globe.
Out of all the dystopian worlds I have visited in fiction over the years, I think The Handmaids Tale may be the one I would want to live in the least…but it’s probably also the one closest to where we actually are right now.