Handmaid's Tale II

Apart from the obvious feminist theory undertones of Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood asserts biblical allusions as she portrays her authoritative society. With very little background on biblical literature, it was difficult for me to immediately recognize these allusions, but further reading has revealed that these connotations are far from coincidental.

For example, Gilead refers to “Jeremiah 8: 22: ‘Is there no balm in Gildead Is there no physician there?’” (Jasper). The novel also plays upon the power relations portrayed in the Bible as a way to emphasize authority and the way in which it creates social control over citizens. The soldiers who watch the women are called Guardians. The narrator explains, “We file towards the front door, in the drizzle, the Guardians saluting” (114). Now, my DB has no intent to criticize or offend the believers in our class, but I think that Atwood deserves some merit for revealing these instances of coercion that the government establishes. I don’t think her book had the sole purpose of criticizing Christianity, but to reveal the dangers of social order, which still permeates in our culture. The narrator provides an example of society’s blind following as she describes, “We recited that, after dessert. It was from the Bible, or so they said” (117). This type of ‘re-education’ ultimately suppresses individual thinking and perpetuates power through the means of surveillance.

government surveillance 

This book is a direct reflection of our growing society, and in response to the time this book was written in 1985. In 1984, Ayatollah Khomeini had forced women out of Iranian universities, out of the labor market, and enforced laws requiring burqas to be worn in public. Finally, Atwood also criticizes patriarchal government in the United States. During the Reagan administration, “Medicaid ceased to fund legal abortions, effectively eliminating freedom of choice; several states passed laws restricting not only legal abortions but even the provision of information about abortion (Neuman). Similar to these restrictions in our world, Atwood portrays her characters that are forced to be docile and believe, “He knows my situation, none better. He knows all the rules” (154). 

Income Inequality

I think there’s a consensus within our class discussions that this book advocates women’s freedom of choice and an equal-treating government. But going beyond this, a more important discussion to have is, how do we, as students, prevent this oppression from escalating?

Jefferson advocates separation of church and state

Jasper, David. The Bible and literature: a reader (p 48).

Neuman, Shirley. 'Just a Backlash': Margaret Atwood, Feminism, and The Handmaid's Tale. University of Toronto Quarterly. 2006.