The Handmaids Tale Essay Example For Students

The Handmaids Tale Essay The Handmaids Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four can be described as dystopian novels as they both explore the theme of invented futuristic nightmare worlds, which are based on current, social, political and economic trends, and are warnings against possible future disasters. The theme of oppression runs constantly throughout both novels. Both these texts explore rule under a totalitarian government, in which only one party has complete rule. The characters in The Handmaids Tale are under the rule of Gilead whilst Nineteen Eighty-four is an oligarchy, governed by a figure of supreme authority known as Big Brother, and members of the inner party. We will write a custom essay on The Handmaids Tale specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In both texts the protagonists are being, and have been, oppressed in many different ways. The most obvious form of oppression and one that persists throughout both novels is the lack of personal freedom. Characters such as Winston Smith from Nineteen Eighty-four are all under the watchful eye of Big Brother. A telescreen is situated in each room which traces every single movement and sound made. Any sound Winston madewould be picked upso long as he remained within the field of visionhe could be seen as well as heard This shows that Winston is constantly being watched and he must always be aware of his actions. Offred in The Handmaids Tale is in a similar position, as she, along with the other characters in the novel, must always be aware of her actions and surroundings, as many acts committed can be interpreted as illegal. As Offred walks down the corridor at night she comprehends that this is entirely illegal and when she has been caught by Nick, she is aware that he too is illegal, here. The constant repetition of illegal makes the reader conscious of Offreds restrictions. Most characters in both novels have had their sense of personal identity stripped away from them. The societies they live in have de-humanised them, so each individual no longer holds distinctive characteristics. Offred, in The Handmaids Tale must learn to forget who she is, thus totally erasing her past. my name is Offred now there is something rather disturbing about this quote as the reader is now aware that Offred, whose real name is never revealed to the reader, has lost her uniqueness (and freedom). It also shows that Offred has conformed to the Gileadean regime as she has now accepted her new name which is composed of the possessive prepositionfirst name of the gentlemen in question from this, it can be seen that Fred was the name of the gentlemen in question and by placing the possessive preposition Of, at the beginning, the name Of/Fred occurs. By replacing Offreds real name with that of a mans, Atwood is illustrating to the reader that Gilead is also an extremely patriarchal society where men are dominant and the handmaids are no longer themselves but the property of others. It is also one of the many ways Gilead uses when attempting to deflate the past and to establish the regime. Orwell also explores the loss of personal identity through the character of Winston who first starts to write a diary at the beginning of the novel. This diary introduces the reader to the kind of society Winston is living in by allowing the reader to understand Winstons thoughts and feelings. As Nineteen Eighty-Four is written in the third person, Orwell uses free indirect discourse by incorporating Winstons thoughts into a third person narrative. This helps the reader to relate to Winston more easily, however one is still not fully able to sympathise with him as the novel is not written in a first person narrative and as a result the reader is not able to wholly share Winstons thoughts and feelings. But the question also remains as to whom Winston is writing his diary? He himself is not certain. Winston, along with the reader, is aware that it is for someone living in a time when men are different from one another from this the reader is made aware of the current lack of personal identity Big Brother has imposed upon its subjects. Although Winston has his own name and has more freedom than Offred, both characters are oppressed as they no longer hold particular characteristics which make them unique. .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa , .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .postImageUrl , .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa , .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa:hover , .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa:visited , .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa:active { border:0!important; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa:active , .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufc06157c03be58c82cb574aa5ad2f5fa:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: Chapter 32 EssayAfter exploring The Handmaids Tale one can see that Offred and the other characters in the novel are restricted in every single aspect of their lives. For example, when Offred goes shopping, she acknowledges the fact that, even here, the only time that she is allowed to leave the house, she is restricted. A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays in the maze The rat is a metaphor representing Offred, while the maze represents Gilead. Although Offred claims that now and again we vary our routes, she must stay inside the barriers. Offred is able to go wherever she wishes, as long as it is within Gileads app roval. The Handmaids Tale Essay Example For Students The Handmaids Tale Essay In this essay I am going to write about whether I feel that the first two chapters of The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, was successful and effective. To me a successful beginning to a book must make the reader want to continue reading on. In order to do this the first couple of chapters must contain most of the following, the plot, the setting, introduce the main characters and main idea, set the tone, and engages the reader. In the first chapter of The Handmaids Tale we learn about the narrator, the setting and the time when the story takes place. It is set in an old gymnasium where many handmaids including the narrator of the book live. The purpose of these handmaids is to be surrogate mothers for baron couples. The narrator and all the other handmaids clearly crave for a sense of freedom, touch and communication with others. We know this because it is mentioned many times that the handmaids are regulated in their daily activities and cannot talk at night, so they learn how to whisper to one another without attracting attention from the patrol guards. The old gym is like a jail as its surrounded by chain link fences topped with barbed wire. Armed guards specially chosen by the angels patrol the gym at all times. The only time the handmaids were allowed out was when the guards came in and sent them to walk around the football pitch twice daily in pairs. We will write a custom essay on The Handmaids Tale specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now There is an amazing amount of detail to describe the setting of the gym. This is so that it illuminates the condition of the surroundings that the narrator is in. We can also tell that these handmaids are like prisoners and are unhappy with their situation that they would go as far as suicide to escape it.  They removed anything you could tie a rope to.  Another quote from the book relates to suicide.  I know why there is no glass.  The narrator tells us this to show the extent of the handmaids unhappiness. There is no glass, no mirrors because they can use it to harm themselves. The story is set sometime in the future. I think this because the narrator mentions that they were issued with old army blankets the ones that still said U.S on them. The fact that she said still leads me to believe that what we know as the United States is no longer referred to as that. Another scene that makes me believe its set far in to the future is that she talks about looking at old photos of womens fashions. Things that were around before she was born. These are items like mini skirts which were worn in the 1960s and,  One earring, and spiky green-streaked hair.  These styles were around in the 1980s  In the second chapter the scene has changed. She is now living with a Commander and his wife in a house. She describes her room and how it is filled with womens traditional handicrafts. Again she describes the lack of glass and sharp objects in her room. There isnt even any glass for the framed pictures, the windows do not open properly and the glass is shatterproof. There is nothing in the room from which to hang rope from and the door doesnt shut completely. She lives with two aunts who carry around cattle prods, this is quite ironic as the term Aunt is usually used to describe someone who is loving and a relative and someone who a niece or nephew can turn for help. But in this case they are just guards who remind the narrator that she should consider her circumstances to be a privilege not a prison. Another ironic term that is used often is angels these are not angels, as we know them to be. They are to be feared and steered clear of. They are also part of the guarding system. .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff , .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .postImageUrl , .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff , .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff:hover , .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff:visited , .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff:active { border:0!important; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff:active , .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u68c7f68b940de586a4cceee1604650ff:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Who Is To Blame For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet EssayWhen the narrator is listening to the aunts conversation she over hears them using the term  I hear where youre coming from I know what you mean.  The narrator refers to this as old peoples use of language, yet for us these phrases are used by young people. This is another clue as to the time that this story is set in.  So in conclusion, the first two chapters although they are short in length, do tell us a lot about the plot, main characters, themes, and setting in great detail. It has defiantly engaged me and has made me want to read on. So I believe that Margaret Atwood has used the first two chapters to prov ide me with a successful and effective beginning.