The Soviet Government, Gilead of The Handmaid’s Tale and Oceania of 1984

Though the rewards are pleasing to the ear, the path to obtaining the benefits of communism is a violent one. This strict governing idea was derived from Communist Manifesto, a book written by two German economists, Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels, who declare that many problems in society are caused by the unequal distribution of wealth. These two believe that “Communism deprives no man of the ability to appropriate the fruits of his labour. The only thing it deprives him of is the ability to enslave others by means of such appropriations.” To achieve the goal of happiness and prosperity for all, the lines that distinguish the differences between the rich and poor must be erased. Obviously, the rich will never voluntarily give up their goods or status; therefore the figureheads must force equality among the citizens. Communism places their citizens, whether they be the wealthy or the laborers, into working classes that specify their contribution to the government. With such balanced placement of the people, individuality is impossible for any single person to achieve.

The process of creating communism within a country requires the use of fear tactics in order to homogenize the mentality of the people in order for a successful rule. Within the ruling class of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was Joseph Stalin, a strict dictator who believed in the rules of communism, successfully accomplished the main feat: instilling fear within the society. To help enforce this effect, he created a Secret Police to silence the rebellious groups of “Kulaks” as well as several projects to help build his nation. Although Stalin understood that the requirements of communism have similar beliefs to those of the successful governments of Gilead and Oceania, he still had come to his downfall. In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and George Orwell’s 1984, the administrations utilize strategies such as mind manipulation to establish a successful foundation, whose outcome differs from other communist rulers that have caused their own demise. Holding similar characteristics, the governments of the Soviet Union, Gilead of The Handmaid’s Tale and Oceania of 1984, all help ensure that their rule is enforced through the creation of a special workforce, placement of citizens into strictly organized groups, and forcing all the people to work for the administration. The men of Gilead created a workforce called the Eye, and had their women categorized according to what their purposes were.