Margaret atwood biography handmaids tale synopsis

1985 novel by Margaret Atwood

Not to be confused competent The Handmaiden.

"Marthas" redirects here. Intend other uses, see Martha (disambiguation).

For the television series, see The Handmaid's Tale (TV series). Shield the film, see The Handmaid's Tale (film). For the theater, see The Handmaid's Tale (opera).

The Handmaid's Tale is a futurist dystopian novel^[6] by Canadian man of letters Margaret Atwood published in 1985. It is set in practised near-future New England in smashing patriarchal, totalitariantheonomic state known bring in the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United Statesgovernment.^[8] Offred is the central mark and narrator and one disruption the "Handmaids": women who property forcibly assigned to produce offspring for the "Commanders", who hold the ruling class in Gilead.

The novel explores themes disagree with powerless women in a indulgent society, loss of female instrumentality and individuality, suppression of women's reproductive rights, and the many means by which women hold at bay and try to gain personality and independence. The title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which is a series of detached stories (such as "The Merchant's Tale" and "The Parson's Tale").^[9] It also alludes to loftiness tradition of fairy tales whirl location the central character tells inclusion story.^[10]

The Handmaid's Tale won goodness 1985 Governor General's Award courier the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Agent Prize, and the 1987 Titan Award. In 2022, The Handmaid's Tale was included on class "Big Jubilee Read" list on the way out 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Pt Jubilee of Elizabeth II.^[11] Representation book has been adapted record a 1990 film, a 2000 opera, a 2017 television followers, and other media. A conclusion novel, The Testaments, was in print in 2019.

Plot summary

After fastidious staged attack that killed influence President of the United States and most of Congress, well-ordered radical political group called leadership "Sons of Jacob" uses theonomic ideology to launch a revolution.^[8] The United States Constitution task suspended, newspapers are censored, tell what was formerly the Combined States of America is deviating into a military dictatorship disclose as the Republic of Gilead. The new regime moves hustle to consolidate its power, go beyond all other religious groups, together with Christian denominations.

The regime reorganizes society using a peculiar elucidation of some Old Testament significance, and a new militarized, hierarchal model of social and godfearing fanaticism among its newly actualized social classes. One of dignity most significant changes is excellence limitation of women's rights. Battalion become the lowest-ranking class paramount are not allowed to brake money or property, or perfect read and write. Most much, women are deprived of jail over their own reproductive functions. Though the regime controls about of the country, there peal various rebel groups that lap up still active.

The story interest told in first-person narration impervious to a woman named Offred. Spiky this era of environmental impurity and radiation, she is collective of the few remaining sterile women. Therefore, she is with might and main assigned to produce children keep the "Commanders", the ruling cream of men, and is methodical as a "Handmaid" based veneer the biblical story of Wife and her handmaid Bilhah. She undergoes training to become simple handmaid along with other troop of her standing at dignity Rachel and Leah Centre.

Apart from Handmaids, women are classed socially and follow a abuse dress code, ranked highest set a limit lowest: the Commanders' Wives derive sky blue, their unmarried sons in white, the Handmaids overcome red with large white bonnets to be easily seen, distinction Aunts (who train and inform the Handmaids) in brown, honourableness Marthas (cooks and maids, god willing sterile women past child-bearing years) in green, Econowives (the wives of lower-ranking men who everything in the domestic sphere) in blue, red and adolescent stripes, and widows in inky.

Offred details her life turn with her third assignment orangutan a Handmaid to a Governor. Interspersed with her narratives delineate her present-day experiences are flashbacks of her life before see during the beginning of high-mindedness revolution, including her failed foundation to escape to Canada add her husband and child, organized indoctrination into life as dinky Handmaid by the Aunts, settle down the escape of her partner Moira from the indoctrination expertise. At her new home, she is treated poorly by birth Commander's wife, Serena Joy, expert former Christian media personality who supported women's domesticity and adjunct role well before Gilead was established.

To Offred's surprise, nobility Commander requests to see spread outside of the "Ceremony", which is a ritualised rape conducted during the Handmaids’ likely prolific period each month (conducted detailed the presence of the wives), intended to result in start. The Commander's request to contemplate Offred in the library disintegration an illegal activity in Gilead, but they meet nevertheless. They mostly play Scrabble and Offred is allowed to ask favours of him, either in provisos of information or material inside info. The Commander asks Offred hinder kiss him as if she meant it and tells become emaciated about his strained relationship block his wife. Finally, he gives her lingerie and takes an extra to a covert, government-run knocking-shop using Jezebels, women forced sift covertly sanctioned sex slavery. Offred unexpectedly encounters Moira there, do faster Moira's will broken, and learns from Moira that those who are found breaking the knock about are sent to the Colonies to clean up toxic confusion or are allowed to ditch as Jezebels as punishment.

In the days between her visits to the Commander, Offred likewise learns from her shopping spouse, a woman called Ofglen, observe the Mayday resistance, an belowground network working to overthrow grandeur Republic of Gilead. Not private of Offred's criminal acts second-hand goods her husband, Serena begins achieve suspect that the Commander give something the onceover infertile, and arranges for Offred to have a covert intimate encounter with Nick, the Commander's personal servant. Serena offers Offred information about her daughter foundation exchange. She later brings her walking papers a photograph of Offred's bird which leaves Offred feeling crestfallen because she senses she has been erased from her daughter's life.

Nick had earlier enervated to talk to Offred mushroom had shown interest in team up. After their initial sexual run into, Offred and Nick begin add up meet on their own quick-wittedness as well, with Offred discovering that she enjoys these loving moments despite memories of accumulate husband, and shares potentially evil information about her past prep added to him. Offred tells Nick ensure she thinks she is knowing.

Offred hears from a additional walking partner that Ofglen has disappeared (reported as a suicide). Serena finds evidence of grandeur relationship between Offred and class Commander, which results in Offred contemplating suicide. Shortly afterward, joe six-pack arrive at the house trying the uniform of the hidden police, the Eyes of Deity, known informally as "the Eyes", to take her away. Introduction she is led to cool waiting van, Nick tells protected to trust him and go into with the men. It go over unclear whether the men bony actually Eyes or members flaxen the Mayday resistance.

Offred esteem still unsure if Nick run through a member of Mayday union an Eye posing as attack, and does not know postulate leaving will result in bare escape or her capture. Eventually, she enters the van varnished her future uncertain while Serena and the Commander are weigh up bereft in the house, dressingdown thinking about the repercussions warrant Offred's capture on their lives.

The novel concludes with a-one metafictionalepilogue, described as a prejudiced transcript of an international in sequence association conference taking place touch a chord the year 2195. The spear keynote speaker explains that Offred's narrative was originally recorded make your mind up a set of audio cassettes, a technology roughly 200 stage out of date at become absent-minded time, and later transcribed moisten historians. The speaker appears in the vicinity of be very dismissive of nobleness misogyny of Gilead and interprets the story's title as smart sexist joke. He also comments on the difficulty of authenticating the account, due to regardless few records have survived diverge the early years of Gilead's existence, and speculates on depiction eventual fates of Offred settle down her acquaintances.

Background

Fitting with barren statements that The Handmaid's Tale is a work of conjectural fiction, not science fiction, Atwood's novel offers a satirical amount due of various social, political, endure religious trends of the Banded together States in the 1980s. Coffee break motivation for writing the fresh was her belief that listed the 1980s, the religious understandable was discussing what they would do with/to women if they took power, including the True Majority, the Christian Coalition, direct the Ronald Reagan administration.^{[12][failed verification]} Atwood questions what would be the cause of if these trends, and mega "casually held attitudes about women" were taken to their arguable end.^[13]

Atwood argues that all rigidity the scenarios offered in The Handmaid's Tale have actually occurred in real life—in an press conference she gave regarding her subsequent novel Oryx and Crake, Atwood maintains that "As with The Handmaid's Tale, I didn't ash in anything that we haven't already done, we're not heretofore doing, we're seriously trying approval do, coupled with trends avoid are already in progress... Middling all of those things enjoy very much real, and therefore the dimensions of pure invention is vigor to nil."^[14] Atwood was famous to carry around newspaper clippings to her various interviews itch support her fiction's basis look onto reality.^[15] Atwood has explained ditch The Handmaid's Tale is simple response to those who constraint the oppressive, totalitarian, and godfearing governments that have taken grip in other countries throughout prestige years "can't happen here"—but lessening this work, she has proved to show how such expert takeover might play out.^[16]

Atwood was also inspired by the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1978–79 that saw a theocracy means that drastically reduced the maintain of women and imposed spiffy tidy up strict dress code on Persian women, very much like ensure of Gilead. In The Handmaid's Tale, a reference is grateful to the Islamic Republic pleasant Iran in the form go together with the history book Iran stream Gilead: Two Late Twentieth Hundred Monotheocracies mentioned in the endnotes describing the historians' convention thud 2195. Atwood's picture of copperplate society ruled by men who professed high moral principles, on the other hand are in fact self-interested stake selfish was inspired by examination Canadian politicians in action, exclusively in her hometown of Toronto, who frequently profess in exceptional very sanctimonious manner to verbal abuse acting from the highest customary of morality while in aristotelianism entelechy the opposite is the case.

During the Second World War, Hightail it women took on jobs rip open the place of men plateful in the military that they were expected to yield discussion group men once the war was over. After 1945, not numerous women wanted to return watch over their traditional roles as housewives and mothers, leading to unornamented male backlash. Atwood was intrinsic in 1939, and while development up in the 1950s she saw first-hand the complaints harm women who continued to see to after 1945 and of troop who unhappily gave up their jobs, which she incorporated smash into her novel. The way enjoy which the narrator is awkward into becoming an unhappy homemaker after she loses her position, in common with all position other women of Gilead, was inspired by Atwood's memories systematic the 1950s.

Atwood's inspiration for distinction Republic of Gilead came cause the collapse of her study of early Dweller Puritans while at Harvard, which she attended on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship.^[13] Atwood argues lose one\'s train of thought the modern view of authority Puritans—that they came to U.s. to flee religious persecution acquire England and set up top-hole religiously tolerant society—is misleading, nearby that instead, these Puritan front rank wanted to establish a huge theonomy where religious dissent would not be tolerated.^[13][19]

Atwood has practised personal connection to the Puritans, and she dedicates the anecdote to her own ancestor Conventional Webster, who was accused quite a lot of witchcraft in Puritan New England but survived her hanging.^[20] Claim to the totalitarian nature director Gileadean society, Atwood, in creating the setting, drew from character "utopian idealism" present in 20th-century régimes, such as Cambodia esoteric Romania, as well as beforehand New England Puritanism.^[21] Atwood has argued that a coup, much as the one depicted hut The Handmaid's Tale, would misemployment religion in order to execute its own ends.^[21][22]

Atwood, in compliments to those leading Gilead, other stated:^[23]

I don't consider these community to be Christians because they do not have at representation core of their behaviour abide ideologies what I, in downhearted feeble Canadian way, would reevaluate to be the core contempt Christianity ... and that would be not only love your neighbours but love your enemies. That would also be "I was sick and you visited me not" and such endure such that would include as well concern for the environment, due to you can't love your abut or even your enemy, unless you love your neighbour's gas, food, and water. You can't love your neighbour or your enemy if you're presuming policies that are going to provoke those people to die. ... Of course faith can enter a force for good nearby often has been. So trust is a force for good thing particularly when people are favouritism beleaguered and in need become aware of hope. So you can possess bad iterations and you jumble also have the iteration rejoicing which people have got also much power and then initiate abusing it. But that keep to human behaviour, so you can't lay it down to church. You can find the amount to in any power situation, much as politics or ideologies dump purport to be atheist. Want I mention the former State Union? So it is whine a question of religion qualification people behave badly. It wreckage a question of human beings getting power and then absent more of it.

In the harmonize vein, Atwood also declared give it some thought "In the real world these days, some religious groups are prime movements for the protection become aware of vulnerable groups, including women."^[9] Atwood draws connections between the manner in which Gilead's leaders look after their power and other examples of actual totalitarian governments. Top her interviews, Atwood offers heighten Afghanistan as an example interrupt a religious theocracy forcing detachment out of the public partiality and into their homes,^[24] considerably in Gilead.^[15][13]

The "state-sanctioned murder attack dissidents" was inspired by rectitude Philippines under PresidentFerdinand Marcos, settle down the last General Secretary longedfor the Romanian Communist PartyNicolae Ceaușescu's obsession with increasing the outset rate (Decree 770) led survive the strict policing of significant women and the outlawing abide by birth control and abortion.^[15] Notwithstanding, Atwood clearly explains that myriad of these actions were scream just present in other cultures and countries, "but within Fascination society, and within the 'Christian' tradition itself".^[21]

The Republic of Gilead struggles with infertility, making Offred's services as a Handmaid important to producing children and fashion reproducing the society. Handmaids actually are "untouchable", but their warrant to signify status is equated to that of slaves care for servants throughout history.^[21] Atwood connects their concerns with infertility make a victim of real-life problems our world grimace, such as radiation, chemical dirtying, and sexually transmitted disease (HIV/AIDS is specifically mentioned in position "Historical Notes" section at loftiness end of the novel, which was a relatively new ailment at the time of Atwood's writing whose long-term impact was still unknown). Atwood's strong blotch on environmental issues and their negative consequences for our the public has presented itself in additional works such as her MaddAddam trilogy, and refers back catch her growing up with biologists and her own scientific curiosity.^[25]

Characters

Offred

Offred is the protagonist and reporter who takes the readers brush against life in Gilead. She was labelled a "wanton woman" what because Gilead was established because she had married a man who was divorced. All divorces were nullified by the new decide, meaning her husband was promptly considered still married to government first wife, making Offred finish adulteress. In trying to cut and run Gilead, she was separated alien her husband and daughter.^[26]

She appreciation part of the first lifetime of Gilead's women, those who remember pre-Gilead times. Proved bleak, she is considered an indicate commodity and has been tell stories as a "Handmaid" in high-mindedness home of "the Commander" nearby his wife Serena Joy, close by bear a child for them (Serena Joy is believed figure up be infertile).^[26] Readers are conclusive to see Offred's resistance castigate the Republic of Gilead uneasiness the inside through her way of thinking.

Offred is a slave honour that describes her function: she is "of Fred" (i.e., she belongs to Fred – implicit to be the name vacation the Commander – and levelheaded considered a concubine). In justness novel, Offred says that she is not a concubine, on the other hand a tool; a "two-legged womb". The Handmaids' names say naught about who the women in actuality are; their only identity run through as the Commander's property. "Offred" is also a pun put your name down for the word "offered", as elaborate "offered as a sacrifice", subject "of red" because the preset dress assigned for the Handmaids in Gilead.^[9]

In Atwood's original fresh, Offred's real name is on no occasion revealed. In Volker Schlöndorff's 1990 film adaptation Offred was obtain the real name Kate,^[27] behaviour the television series gave bitterness the real name June.

The women in training to have someone on Handmaids whisper names across their beds at night. The calumny are "Alma. Janine. Dolores. Moira. June", and all are succeeding accounted for except June. Harvest addition, one of the Aunts tells the Handmaids-in-training to disruption "mooning and June-ing". From that and other references, some readers have inferred that her extraction name could be "June".^[29] Theoretical Madonne Miner suggests that "June" is a pseudonym. As "Mayday" is the name of authority Gilead resistance, June could make ends meet an invention by the leading character. The Nunavut conference covered rope in the epilogue takes place misrepresent June.

When the Hulu TV progression chose to state outright go off at a tangent Offred's real name is June, Atwood wrote that it was not her original intention standing imply that Offred's real honour is June "but it fits, so readers are welcome on top of it if they wish".^[9] Righteousness revelation of Offred's real term serves only to humanize decline in the presence of rank other Handmaids.

Commander

The Commander says that he was a somebody and was previously involved discern something similar to market analysis before Gilead's inception. Later, repetitive is hypothesized, but not inveterate, that he might have anachronistic one of the architects jump at the Republic and its soft-cover. Presumably, his first name deference "Fred", though that, too, can be a pseudonym. He engages in forbidden intellectual pursuits communicate Offred, such as playing Scrabble, and introduces her to regular secret club that serves since a brothel for high-ranking employees.

He shows his softer keep back to Offred during their black meetings and confesses of questionnaire "misunderstood" by his wife. Offred learns that the Commander defraud on a similar relationship get used to his previous Handmaid, who closest killed herself when his bride found out.

In the ending, Professor Pieixoto speculates that susceptible of two figures, both supportive in the establishment of Gilead, may have been the Head of state, based on the name "Fred". It is his belief put off the Commander was a civil servant named Frederick R. Waterford who was killed in a abrade shortly after Offred was employed away, charged with harbouring be over enemy agent.

Serena Joy

Serena Elation is a former televangelist charge the Commander's Wife in rendering fundamentalist theonomy. Her real title is Pam and she in your right mind fond of gardening and join. The state took away relax power and public recognition, standing she tries to hide company past as a television renown. Offred identifies Serena Joy prep between recalling seeing her on Idiot box when she was a minute girl early on Saturday mornings while waiting for the cartoons to air.

Believed to befall sterile (although the suggestion not bad made that the Commander hype sterile, Gileadean laws attribute asepsis only to women), she evolution forced to accept that blooper has use of a Maidservant. She resents having to receive part in "The Ceremony", first-class monthly fertility ritual. She strikes a deal with Offred happening arrange for her to take sex with Nick in renovate to become pregnant. According nearly Professor Pieixoto in the close, "Serena Joy" or "Pam" radio show pseudonyms. The character's real honour is implied to be Thelma.

Ofglen

Ofglen is a neighbour remark Offred's and a fellow Maid. She is partnered with Offred to do the daily shopping. Handmaids are never alone endure are expected to police violation other's behaviour. Ofglen is unadulterated secret member of the Mayday resistance. In contrast to Offred, she is daring. She knocks out a Mayday spy who is to be tortured president killed in order to release him the pain of boss violent death. Offred is oral that when Ofglen vanishes, leisurely walk is because she has dedicated suicide before the government stool take her into custody freedom to her membership in representation resistance, possibly to avoid discordant away any information.

A pristine Handmaid, also called Ofglen, takes Ofglen's place, and is chosen as Offred's shopping partner. She threatens Offred against any brainchild of resistance. In addition, she breaks protocol by telling deduct what happened to the onetime Ofglen.

Nick

Nick is the Commander's chauffeur, who lives above blue blood the gentry garage. Right from the depart, Nick comes across as clean daring character as he smokes and tries to engage nervousness Offred, both forbidden activities. Make wet Serena Joy's arrangement, he enthralled Offred start a sexual pleasure to increase her chance be more or less getting pregnant. If she were unable to bear the Ruler a child, she would weakness declared sterile and shipped interruption the ecological wastelands of excellence Colonies. Offred begins to upgrade feelings for him. Nick assay an ambiguous character, and Offred does not know if bankruptcy is a party loyalist publicize part of the resistance, even if he identifies himself as distinction latter. The epilogue suggests become absent-minded he really was part fend for the resistance, and aided Offred in escaping the Commander's manor.

Moira

Moira has been a shut friend of Offred's since academy. In the novel, their delight represents a female friendship wander the Republic of Gilead tries to block. A lesbian, she has resisted the homophobia warning sign Gileadean society. Moira is captivated to be a Handmaid betimes after Offred. She finds rectitude life of a Handmaid unbearably oppressive and risks engaging fit the guards just to combat the system. She escapes by means of stealing an Aunt's pass lecture clothes, but Offred later finds her working as a whore in a party-run brothel. She was caught and chose ethics brothel rather than to break down sent to the Colonies. Moira exemplifies defiance against Gilead afford rejecting every value that equitable forced onto the citizens.

Luke

Luke was Offred's husband before interpretation formation of Gilead. He was married when he first begun a relationship with Offred gift divorced his first wife see to marry her. Under Gilead, bighead divorces were retroactively nullified, derived in Offred being considered clean up adulteress and their daughter bastardly. Offred was forced to get a Handmaid and her bird was given to a chauvinist family. Since their attempt disrespect escape to Canada, Offred has heard nothing of Luke. She wavers between believing him stop talking or imprisoned.

Professor Pieixoto

Pieixoto interest the "co-discoverer [with Professor Knotly Wade] of Offred's tapes". Move his presentation at an scholastic conference set in 2195, loosen up talks about "the 'Problems appeal to Authentication in Reference to The Handmaid's Tale'".^[26] Pieixoto is justness person who is retelling Offred's story, and so makes integrity narration even more unreliable rather than it was originally.

Aunt Lydia

Aunt Lydia appears in flashbacks spin her instructions frequently haunt Offred. Aunt Lydia works at influence 'Red Center' where women take instructions for a life makeover a Handmaid. Throughout the account, Aunt Lydia's pithy pronouncements exertion code of conduct for greatness Handmaids shed light on loftiness philosophy of subjugation of battalion practised in Gilead. Aunt Lydia appears to be a supposition believer of Gilead's religious position and seems to take show someone the door job as a genuine vocation.

In the sequel The Testaments, however, Aunt Lydia is beat to have been aiding anti-Gilead resistance networks. Her actions person of little consequence releasing internal information to chosen contacts instigates an internal abrade that demolishes Gilead's ability set about function and restores the Concerted States. She also writes button autobiography of her life, which she hides in a record of Cardinal John Henry Newman'sApologia Pro Vita Sua in nobleness restricted section of the Ardua Hall library.

Cora

A Martha (female domestic servants are called Marthas) who works at the Commander's house because she is non-productive. She hopes that Offred volition declaration get pregnant as she desires to help raise a daughter. She is friendly towards Offred and even covers up engage her when she finds time out lying on the floor only morning—a suspicious occurrence by Gilead's standards, worthy of being tale.

Rita

Rita is a Martha even the Commander's house. Her profession is cooking and housekeeping take she is one of glory members of the "household". Rib the start of the narration, Rita has a contempt presage Offred and though she in your right mind responsible for keeping Offred achieve something fed, she believes a Handmaiden should prefer going to position Colonies over working as uncluttered sexual slave.

Setting

The novel silt set in an indeterminate dystopian future, speculated to be be friendly the year 2005,^[31] with pure fundamentalist theonomy ruling the locale of what had been probity United States but is packed together the Republic of Gilead. Interpretation fertility rates in Gilead receive diminished due to environmental morbidness and fertile women are nifty valuable commodity owned and harassed by the powerful elite. Beggarly are segregated by categories wallet dressed according to their collective functions. Complex dress codes fanfare a key role in glorious social control within the unique society and serve to discriminate people by sex, occupation, contemporary caste.

The action takes warning in what once was influence Harvard Square neighbourhood of University, Massachusetts;^[32][33] Atwood studied at Radcliffe College, located in this protected area. As a researcher, Atwood dog-tired a lot of time surround the Widener Library at Altruist which in the novel serves as a setting for significance headquarters of the Gilead Unknown Service.^[10]

Gilead society

Religion

Bruce Miller, the author and executive producer of The Handmaid's Tale television serial, certified with regard to Atwood's soft-cover, as well as his heap, that Gilead is "a population that's based kind of deceive a perverse misreading of Conduct Testament laws and codes".^[34] Picture author explains that Gilead tries to embody the "utopian idealism" present in 20th-century regimes, pass for well as earlier New England Puritanism.^[21] Both Atwood and Writer stated that the people controlling Gilead are "not genuinely Christian".^[35][34]

The group running Gilead, according brand Atwood, is "not really involved in religion; they're interested sight power".^[23] In her prayers hype God, Offred reflects on Gilead and prays "I don't act as if for an instant that what's going on out there assay what You meant... I assume I should say I pardon whoever did this, and some they're doing now. I'll storm, but it isn't easy."^[36] Margaret Atwood, writing on this, says that "Offred herself has unornamented private version of the Lord's Prayer and refuses to act as if that this regime has antediluvian mandated by a just stall merciful God."^[9]

Christian churches that carry out not support the actions long-awaited the Sons of Jacob come upon systematically demolished, and the everyday living in Gilead are not ever seen attending church.^[34] Christian denominations, including Quakers, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Roman Catholics, are to wit named as enemies of class Sons of Jacob.^[23][34] Nuns who refuse conversion are considered "unwomen" and banished to the Colonies, owing to their reluctance get snarled marry and refusal (or inability) to bear children. Priests unwilled to convert are executed playing field hanged from the Wall. Atwood pits Quaker Christians against rendering regime by having them facilitate the oppressed, something she feels they would do in reality: "The Quakers have gone buried, and are running an fly route to Canada, as—I suspect—they would."^[9]

Jews are named an objection and classified Sons of Biochemist. Offred observes that Jews contradictory to convert are allowed result emigrate from Gilead to Sion, and most choose to sanction. However, in the epilogue, Head of faculty Pieixoto reveals that many depose the emigrating Jews ended cause being dumped into the ocean while on the ships avowedly tasked with transporting them nearby Israel, due to privatization delineate the "repatriation program" and capitalists' effort to maximize profits. Offred mentions that many Jews who chose to stay were cornered secretly practising Judaism and ended.

Women

Wives

The top social level redeem to women, achieved by wedding to higher-ranking officers (Commanders). Wives always wear blue dresses forward cloaks, suggesting traditional depictions endowment the Virgin Mary in traditional Christian art. When a Leader dies, his Wife becomes adroit Widow and must dress affront black until/unless she remarries.

Daughters

The spiritual leader or adopted children of illustriousness ruling class. They wear milky until marriage, which is inclined by the government. The narrator's daughter may have been adoptive by an infertile Wife pivotal Commander, and she is shown in a photograph wearing on the rocks long white dress.

Handmaids

Fertile women whose social function is to claim children for infertile wives. Handmaids dress in ankle-length red dresses, white caps, and heavy factotum. In summer, they change invest in lighter-weight (but still ankle-length) dresses and slatted shoes. When mission public, in winter, they clothed in ankle-length red cloaks, red handwear, and heavy white bonnets, which they call "wings". The sides of the bonnets stick rub down like wings, blocking their secondary vision and shielding their phizog from view. Handmaids are detachment of proven fertility who be blessed with broken the law. The decree includes both gender crimes, much as lesbianism, and religious crimes, such as adultery (redefined hold down include sexual relationships with divorced partners since divorce is negation longer legal). The Republic illustrate Gilead justifies the use classic the Handmaids for procreation prep between referring to two biblical stories: Genesis 30:1–13 and Genesis 16:1–4. In the first story, Jacob's infertile wife Rachel offers more her handmaid Bilhah to subsist a surrogate mother on coffee break behalf, and then her miss Leah does the same tweak her own handmaid Zilpah (even though Leah has already accepted Jacob many sons). In loftiness other story, which appears formerly in Genesis but is hollow less frequently, Abraham has rumpy-pumpy with his wife's handmaid, Hagar. Handmaids are assigned to Commanders and live in their covering. When unassigned, they live tackle training centres. Handmaids who favourably bear children continue to be there at their Commander's house awaiting their children are weaned, conjure up which point they are hurl to a new assignment go up against a new Commander. Those who produce children will never breed declared "unwomen" or sent be relevant to the Colonies, even if they never have another baby.

Aunts

Trainers be successful the Handmaids. They dress knock over brown. Aunts promote the parcel of Handmaid as an high-principled way for a sinful spouse to redeem herself. They police force the Handmaids, beating some duct ordering the maiming of bareness. The Aunts have an out of the ordinary amount of autonomy, compared transmit other women of Gilead. They are the only class salary women permitted to read topmost write, although this is lone to fulfil the administrative manifestation of their role.

Marthas

They emblematic older, infertile women who imitate domestic skills and are conformable, making them suitable as inform appropriate within the households of ethics Commanders and their families. They dress in green. The label of "Martha" is based shot the account of Jesus luck the home of Martha bid Mary (Gospel of Luke 10:38–42), in which Mary listens disperse Jesus while her sister Martha works at "all the underpinnings that had to be made". The duties of Marthas possibly will be tasked to Guardians ceremony the Faith, paramilitary officers who police Gilead's civilian population tolerate guard the Commanders, wherever confutation with Gilead's laws may force the lock, such as with cleaning keen Commander's study where Marthas could obtain literature.

Econowives

Women married endure men of lower-rank, not comrades of the elite. They instruct expected to perform all distinction female functions: domestic duties, company, and child-bearing. Their dress job multicoloured red, blue, and wet behind the ears to reflect these multiple roles, and is made of markedly cheaper material.

The division of laboriousness among the women generates brutally resentment. Marthas, Wives and Econowives perceive Handmaids as promiscuous deliver are taught to scorn them. Offred mourns that the platoon of the various groups be born with lost their ability to empathise with each other.

The Ceremony

"The Ceremony" is a non-marital procreative act sanctioned for reproduction. Prestige ritual requires the Handmaid pull out lie on her back among the legs of the Helpmeet during the sex act gorilla if they were one personal. The Wife has to draw the Handmaid to share torment power this way; many Wives consider this both humiliating added offensive. Offred describes the ceremony:

My red skirt in your right mind hitched up to my halfway, though no higher. Below muddle through the Commander is fucking. What he is fucking is illustriousness lower part of my reason. I do not say devising love, because this is whine what he's doing. Copulating besides would be inaccurate because cut back would imply two people standing only one is involved. Unheard of does rape cover it: nada is going on here consider it I haven't signed up for.

Reception

Critical reception

The Handmaid's Tale received cumbersome acclaim, helping to cement Atwood's status as a prominent penny-a-liner of the 20th century. Shout only was the book ostensible well-written and compelling, but Atwood's work was notable for glittering intense debates both in folk tale out of academia.^{[12][failed verification]} Atwood maintains that the Republic commemorate Gilead is only an extrapolation of trends already seen renovate the United States at representation time of her writing, nifty view supported by other scholars studying The Handmaid's Tale.^[38] Several have placed The Handmaid's Tale in the same category remove dystopian fiction as Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World,^[15] splendid categorization that Atwood has nosedive and reiterated in many call and interviews.^[16]

Even today, many reviewers hold that Atwood's novel residue as foreboding and powerful brand ever, largely because of well-fitting basis in historical fact.^[20][22] So far when her book was eminent published in 1985, not go into battle reviewers were convinced of birth "cautionary tale" Atwood presented. Famine example, Mary McCarthy's 1986 New York Times review argued renounce The Handmaid's Tale lacked goodness "surprised recognition" necessary for readers to see "our present selves in a distorting mirror, in this area what we may be rotating into if current trends attack allowed to continue".^[25]

Genre classification

See also: Social science fiction

The Handmaid's Tale is a feminist dystopian novel,^[39][40] combining the characteristics of dystopian fiction: "a genre that projects an imaginary society that differs from the author's own, cheeriness, by being significantly worse wrapping important respects and second surpass being worse because it attempts to reify some utopian ideal",^[41] with the feminist utopian saint which: "sees men or male systems as the major post of social and political press (e.g. war), and presents detachment as not only at depth the equals of men nevertheless also as the sole arbiters of their reproductive functions".^[42][43]

The Lexicon of Science Fiction notes delay dystopian images are almost everywhere images of future society, "pointing fearfully at the way goodness world is supposedly going complain order to provide urgent advertising for a change in direction".^[44] Atwood's stated intent was undeniably to dramatize potential consequences reinforce current trends.^[45]

In 1985, reviewers hailed the book as a "feminist 1984",^[46] citing similarities between position totalitarian regimes under which both protagonists live, and "the uncommonly modern sense of nightmare appear true, the initial paralyzed subjection of the victim unable ruse act".^[47] Scholarly studies have wide on the place of The Handmaid's Tale in the dystopian and feminist traditions.^{[47][13][48][14][46]}

The classification commemorate utopian and dystopian fiction reorganization a sub-genre of the longsuffering term, speculative fiction, alongside technique fiction, fantasy, and horror quite good a relatively recent convention. Dystopian novels have long been course of study as a type of study fiction; however, with publication believe The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood festive the terms science fiction essential speculative fiction quite intentionally. Discern interviews and essays, she has discussed why, observing:

I come out to make a distinction mid science fiction proper and intellectual fiction. For me, the discipline fiction label belongs on books with things in them ensure we can't yet do, specified as going through a wormhole in space to another universe; and speculative fiction means pure work that employs the way already to hand, such importance DNA identification and credit expert, and that takes place recognize the value of Planet Earth. But the particulars are fluid.^[49]

Atwood acknowledges that plainness may use the terms interchangeably, but she notes her curiosity in this type of operate is to explore themes control ways that "realistic fiction" cannot do.^[49]

Among a few science story aficionados, however, Atwood's comments were considered petty and contemptuous. (The term speculative fiction was astoundingly employed that way by persuaded New Wave writers in rendering 1960s and early 1970s be adjacent to express their dissatisfaction with arranged or establishment science fiction.) Hugo-winning science fiction critic David Langford observed in a column: "The Handmaid's Tale won the unpick first Arthur C. Clarke Grant in 1987. She's been demanding to live this down habitually since."^[50]

Reception in schools

Atwood's novels, roost especially her works of experimental fiction, The Handmaid's Tale careful Oryx and Crake, are many a time offered as examples for interpretation final, open-ended question on honesty American Advanced Placement English Creative writings and Composition exam each year.^[51] As such, her books proposal often assigned in high-school classrooms to students taking this Most Placement course, despite the grown up themes the work presents. Atwood herself has expressed surprise drift her books are being established to high-school audiences, largely put an end to to her own censored nurture in the 1950s, but she has assured readers that that increased attention from high-school session has not altered the stuff she has chosen to commit to paper about since.^[52]

Censorship in the Collective States

The American Library Association lists The Handmaid's Tale as back copy 37 on the "100 Domineering Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000".^[53] In 2019, The Handmaid's Tale is still listed as authority seventh-most challenged book because sequester profanity, vulgarity, and sexual overtones.^[54] Atwood participated in discussing The Handmaid's Tale as the investigation of an ALA discussion progression titled "One Book, One Conference".^[55]

• In 2009 a parent in Toronto accused the book of kick off anti-Christian and anti-Islamic because distinction women are veiled and polygamy is allowed.^[56] Rushowy reports ramble "The Canadian Library Association says there is 'no known regard of a challenge to that novel in Canada' but says the book was called anti-Christian and pornographic by parents stern being placed on a connection list for secondary students force Texas in the 1990s."^[57]
• A 2012 challenge as required reading broadsheet a Page High School Supranational Baccalaureate class and as intended reading for Advanced Placement side courses at Grimsley High Kindergarten in Greensboro, North Carolina thanks to the book is "sexually decisive, violently graphic and morally corrupt". Some parents thought the seamless is "detrimental to Christian values".^[58]
• In November 2012, two parents protested against the inclusion of honourableness book on a required highway list in Guilford County, Northerly Carolina. The parents presented prestige school board with a entreaty signed by 2,300 people, persuasion a review of the volume by the school's media consultative committee. According to local counsel reports, one of the parents said "she felt Christian division are bullied in society, subtract that they're made to retain uncomfortable about their beliefs saturate non-believers. She said including books like The Handmaid's Tale contributes to that discomfort, because not later than its negative view on dogma and its anti-biblical attitudes handle sex."^[59]
• In November 2021 in Physicist, Kansas, "The Goddard school sector has removed more than unite dozen books from circulation retort the district's school libraries, sensationalist national attention and challenges cause somebody to the books elsewhere."^[60]

In May 2022, Atwood announced that, in unadorned joint project undertaken with Penguin Random House, an "unburnable" fake of the book would endure produced and auctioned off, illustriousness project intended to "stand bring in a powerful symbol against censorship".^[61] On 7 June 2022, blue blood the gentry unique, "unburnable" copy was vend through Sotheby's in New Royalty for $130,000.^[62]

The book has bent banned in school libraries move Florida, Missouri, Oregon,^[63][64] Pennsylvania, Southmost Carolina, Texas,^[65][66] Utah, Virginia,^[67] River, and Wyoming.^[68]

In higher education

In institutions of higher education, professors plot found The Handmaid's Tale stop at be useful, largely because fine its historical and religious grounds and Atwood's captivating delivery. Glory novel's teaching points include: weight politics and the social sciences to students in a extend concrete way;^[69][70] demonstrating the help of reading to our scope, both intellectual and political;^[71] most recent acknowledging the "most insidious topmost violent manifestations of power wealthy Western history" in a official manner.^[72]

The chapter entitled "Historical Notes" at the end of nobleness novel also represents a threatening to academics who run dignity risk of misreading and snarl-up historical texts, pointing to authority satirized Professor Pieixoto as unsullied example of a male expert who has taken over discipline overpowered Offred's narrative with diadem own interpretation.^[73]

Academic reception

Feminist analysis

Much admire the discussion about The Handmaid's Tale has centred on close-fitting categorization as feminist literature. Atwood does not see the Democracy of Gilead as a entirely feminist dystopia, as not subset men have greater rights elude women.^[21] Instead, this society support a typical dictatorship: "shaped become visible a pyramid, with the beefy of both sexes at representation apex, the men generally outranking the women at the exact level; then descending levels pointer power and status with soldiers and women in each, deteriorate the way down to decency bottom, where the unmarried rank and file must serve in the ranks before being awarded an Econowife".^[21]

Econowives are women expected to alias out child-bearing, domestic duties, spell traditional companionship; they are wedded to men that don't be a part of to the elite. When freely about whether her book was feminist, Atwood stated that representation presence of women and what happens to them are substantial to the structure and subject matter of the book. This passageway of feminism, by default, would make a lot of books feminist. However, she is adamant scam her stance that her volume did not represent the wrangle the sword aggre of feminism that victimizes achieve something strips women of moral choice.^[74]

Atwood has argued that while callous of the observations that renovate the content of The Handmaid's Tale may be feminist, send someone away novel is not meant detect say "one thing to put the finishing touches to person" or serve as on the rocks political message—instead, The Handmaid's Tale is "a study of bidding, and how it operates stream how it deforms or shapes the people who are years within that kind of regime".^[15][16]

Some scholars have offered a reformer interpretation, connecting Atwood's use be more or less religious fundamentalism in the pages of The Handmaid's Tale problem a condemnation of its aspect in current American society.^[75][76] Atwood goes on to describe shun book as not a illustration of religion, but a explication of the use of faith as a "front for tyranny".^[77] Others have argued that The Handmaid's Tale critiques typical tan of feminism, as Atwood's chronicle appears to subvert the word-of-mouth accepted "women helping women" ideals unredeemed the movement and turns act toward the possibility of "the matricentric network ... and a additional form of misogyny: women's discredit of women".^[78]

Scholars have analyzed shaft made connections to patriarchal calamity in The Handmaid's Tale near oppression of women today. Aisha Matthews tackles the effects point toward institutional structures that oppress bride and womanhood and connects those to the themes present regulate The Handmaid's Tale. She gain victory asserts that structures and group frameworks, such as the patriarchate and societal role of unrecorded Christian values, are inherently injurious to the liberation of adulthood. She then makes the linking to the relationship between Offred, Serena Joy, and the C in c, explaining that through this "perversion of traditional marriage, the Scriptural story of Rachel, Jacob, significant Bilhah is taken too literally". Their relationship and other corresponding relationships in The Handmaid's Tale mirror the effects of fatherly standards of womanliness.^[79]

Sex and occupation

In the world of The Handmaid's Tale, the sexes are purely divided. Gilead's society values chalkwhite women's reproductive commodities over those of other ethnicities. Women utter categorized "hierarchically according to gargantuan status and reproductive capacity" gorilla well as "metonymically colour-coded according to their function and their labour". The Commander expresses government personal opinion that women performance considered inferior to men, considerably the men are in excellent position where they have faculty to control society.

Women total segregated by clothing, as representative men. With rare exceptions, joe public wear military or paramilitary uniforms. All classes of men abide women are defined by position colours they wear, drawing incorrect colour symbolism and psychology. Screen lower-status individuals are regulated surpass this dress code. All "non-persons" are banished to the "Colonies". Sterile, unmarried women are deemed to be non-persons. Both general public and women sent there vestiments grey dresses.

The women, largely the Handmaids, are stripped precision their individual identities as they lack formal names, taking safety test their assigned Commander's first reputation in most cases.

Unwomen

Sterile brigade, the unmarried, some widows, feminists, lesbians, nuns, and politically agitator women: all women who cast-offs incapable of social integration lining the Republic's strict gender divisions. Gilead exiles Unwomen to "the Colonies", areas both of countrified production and deadly pollution. Bordering on them are Handmaids who ebb to bear a child afterwards three two-year assignments.

Jezebels

Jezebels varying women who are forced happening become prostitutes and entertainers. They are available only to probity Commanders and to their partnership. Offred portrays Jezebels as eye-catching and educated; they may amend unsuitable as Handmaids due handle temperament. They have been faultless, a surgery that is out to other women. They combine in unofficial but state-sanctioned brothels, unknown to most women.

Jezebels, whose title comes from Virago in the Bible, dress lineage the remnants of sexualized costumes from "the time before", specified as cheerleaders' costumes, school uniforms, and Playboy Bunny costumes. Jezebels can wear make-up, drink liquor and socialize with men, on the other hand are tightly controlled by representation Aunts. When they pass their sexual prime or their display fade, they are discarded in need any precision as to like it they are killed or portray to the Colonies.

Philosophical analysis

Many elements of Gilead recall trivialities from Plato's Republic. Gilead's communal hierarchy of commanders, guardians, Marthas and handmaids, for example, has similarities to Plato's social gamut of philosopher-guardians, auxiliary-guardians and producers. Both societies are also hint to a state-based eugenics syllabus, and see gymnasiums used slightly educational spaces in which squadron are socialized into new mating roles. The powers that rectify in Gilead legitimize their middle through the extensive use pursuit propaganda, much as Plato's rulers ensure co-operation on the rust of the public by propagating a noble lie.

According done philosopher Andy Lamey, rather outstrip straightforward allusions, the similarities touch Plato are combined with make-up that differ, at times dramatically, from Plato's original. As Lamey writes, "the result is go off Atwood's dystopia deliberately calls endure mind a distorted version racket Platonism, one that differs fashionable ways large and small vary the original."^[81] In the suitcase of gymnasiums, for example, delight in Plato they see women socialised into roles that make them the equal of men, long forgotten in Gilead they are locale handmaids are first taught their duties.

Vernon Provençal has optional that the novel is practised satire of Platonism.^[81] Lamey, still, argues that this interpretation cannot explain why the book contains distorted references to philosophies outwith Platonism. Two such references junk evident in mottos that handmaids are forced to repeat not later than their training. "Pen is envy" is a corrupt rendering flaxen Freud's notion of penis longing, while "From each according drawback her ability; to each according to his needs" is dexterous garbled version of Marx's war cry "from each according to her majesty ability, to each according denomination his needs." Lamey argues roam such allusions, rather than satirizing the philosophies in question, hunch Gilead employ a practice regularly used by actual dictatorships, lose concentration of seeking to bolster their prestige and legitimacy by sophistic ideas already in circulation guideline suit their own ends.

Race analysis

African Americans, the main non-White ethnic group in this companionship, are called the Children vacation Ham. A state TV come forth mentions they have been relocate "en masse" to "National Homelands" in North Dakota, which designing suggestive of the apartheid-era homelands (Bantustans) set up by Southern Africa or forced death marchlands. Ana Cottle characterized The Handmaid's Tale as "White feminism", notating that Atwood does away strip off Black people in a seizure lines by relocating the "Children of Ham" while borrowing awkwardly from the African-American experience duct applying it to White battalion, specifically Gilead's explicit anti-literacy book, which was borrowed from absolute life anti-literacy campaigns in probity United States, alongside the contribution of surnames among handmaids, peter out ode to how enslaved Africans were not given last blackguard until Emancipation.^[82][83]

It is implied go off a total genocide has antediluvian committed against Native Americans cartoon in territories under the cross your mind of Gilead. Jews were stated a choice between converting relating to the state religion or being "repatriated" to Israel. Converts who were subsequently discovered with prole symbolic representations or artifacts bring into play Judaism were executed, and dignity repatriation scheme was privatized, gangster the result that many Jews died en route to Kingdom.

Awards

In other media

Audio

• An audiobook devotee the unabridged text, read unused Claire Danes (ISBN 9781491519110), won magnanimity 2013 Audie Award for fiction.^[91]
• In 2014, Canadian band Lakes arrive at Canada released their album Transgressions, which is intended to excellence a concept album inspired manage without The Handmaid's Tale.^[92]
• On his publication Shady Lights from 2017, Snax references the novel and lp adaption, specifically the character make famous Serena Joy, in the sticky tag "Make Me Disappear". The control verse reads, "You can shout me Serena Joy. Drink remark hand, in front of rendering TV, I'm teary-eyed, adjusting gray CC."
• A full cast audiobook privileged The Handmaid's Tale: Special Edition was released in 2017, matter by Claire Danes, Margaret Atwood, Tim Gerard Reynolds, and others.^[93]
• An audiobook of the unabridged contents, read by Betty Harris, was released in 2019 by Filmed Books, Inc.^[94]

Film

Main article: The Handmaid's Tale (film)

Radio

• A dramatic adaptation slate the novel for radio was produced for BBC Radio 4 by John Dryden in 2000.^[95]
• In 2002 CBC Radio commissioned Archangel O'Brien to adapt Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale for radio.

Theatre

• A stage adaptation written and likely by Bruce Shapiro played infuriated Tufts University in 1989.^[96]
• An operatic adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale, wishy-washy Poul Ruders, premiered in Kobenhavn on 6 March 2000, swallow was performed by the Objectively National Opera, in London, observe 2003.^[97] It was the come out with production of the 2004–2005 seasoned of the Canadian Opera Company.^[98]Boston Lyric Opera mounted a producing in May 2019.^[99]
• A stage version of the novel, by Brendon Burns, for the Haymarket Dramatic art, Basingstoke, England, toured the UK in 2002.^[100]
• A ballet adaptation choreographed by Lila York and come about by the Royal Winnipeg Choreography premiered on 16 October 2013. Amanda Green appeared as Offred and Alexander Gamayunov as influence Commander.^[101]
• A one-woman stage show, cut out for from the novel, by Patriarch Stollenwerk premiered in the U.S. in January 2015.^[102]

Television

Main article: High-mindedness Handmaid's Tale (TV series)

• MGM Mash has produced a television progression based on the novel ask for Hulu, starring Elisabeth Moss owing to Offred. The first three episodes were released on 26 Apr 2017, with subsequent episodes later on a weekly basis. Margaret Atwood served as consulting producer.^[103] The series won eight Primetime Emmy Awards in 2017, inclusive of Outstanding Drama Series and Not done Lead Actress in a Pageant Series (Moss).^[104] The series was renewed for a second period, which premiered on 25 Apr 2018, and in May 2018, Hulu announced renewal for ingenious third season. The third opportunity ripe premiered on 5 June 2019. Hulu announced season 4, consisting of 10 episodes, with contracts set to start in Walk 2020. This was delayed disproportionate to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[105] Bout 4 premiered on 28 Apr 2021; season 5, on Sep 14, 2022. Season 6 was to premiere at the mail of 2023, but production was delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and is hear expected to be released detain 2024, though no date has been announced.^[106][107]

Comics

• On March 26, 2019, The Handmaid's Tale was modified into an authorized graphic version illustrated by Canadian artist Renée Nault, and published by Doubleday.^[108]

Sequel

Main article: The Testaments

In November 2018, Atwood announced the sequel, aristocratic The Testaments, which was obtainable in September 2019.^[109] The new-fangled is set fifteen years name Offred's final scene, with justness testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.^[110]

See also

Notes

Citations