Examples Of Oppression In The Handmaid's Tale

Being oppressed and having lost so much, one of the only ways to maintain self respect, a Handmaid in the society of Gilead must both mentally and physically rebel. Most of this activism is subconsciously acted upon, it can be said this form of rebellion is caused by oppression. In the novel The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood it is shown through the use of interior/ dialogue, plot and characterization that activism is caused by oppresion. A Handmaid is an assigned fertile woman in a dystopian society, Gilead, these women are severely oppressed by the government. Analyzing how these literary elements are used, reveals that this theme is prominent throughout the book and makes up a majority of the plot and successfully foreshadows following events. Although there is not

In the beginning, the activism is shown through mostly the use of interior dialogue or at least what the reader believes is interior dialogue. Oppression has led to offred being rebellious which is depicted during the first ceremony mentioned in the book. Offered enters the sitting room which is the first step in the ceremony and describes how she “Would like to steal something”(Atwood 80). These thoughts of Offred indicate that she is rebellious. Her mental rebellion comes from the grievances she goes through every month. The ceremony must take a toll on her character and how she views the dystopian society. This activism is for her own welfare, she even describes that the reason she would like to steal from the sitting