Analysis Of The Handmaid's Tale
analytical Essay
893 words
The ability to create life is an amazing thing but being forced to have children for strangers is not so amazing. Offred is a handmaid, handmaid's have children for government officials, such as Commander Waterford. Offred used to be married to Luke and together they had a daughter but then everything changed; Offred was separated from her family and assigned to a family as their handmaid. The society which Offred is forced to live in shaped her in many ways. In The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood uses cultural and geographical surroundings to shape Offred's psychological and moral traits as she tries to survive the society that she is forced to live, in hopes that she can rebel and make change.
Margaret Atwood uses the culture of how handmaids dress to psychologically change how Offred sees and thinks about the world and others. On the way home from shopping with her partner Ofglen, Offred sees a group of tourists who are dressed how women used to dress before the war. Offred and Oglen stop and watch the tourists; "We are fascinated, but also repelled. They seem undressed" (28), Offred then remembers that she too used to dress like that. Offred's reaction shows that being a handmaid and having to dress so modestly can alter how you think about yourself and
…show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how margaret atwood uses cultural and geographical surroundings to shape offred's psychological and moral traits as she tries to survive the society that she is forced to live in.
- Analyzes how margaret atwood uses the culture of handmaids to change how offred sees and thinks about the world and others.
- Analyzes how atwood uses geographical surroundings such as being assigned to commander waterford because he holds a lot of power; offred acts and thinks differently, is treated unlike the other handmaids and is held to higher standards.
- Analyzes how atwood uses geographical surroundings such as the harshness of the society and the people living in to affect offred's morals.
- Analyzes how margaret atwood uses cultural and geographical surroundings to shape offred's psychological and moral traits as she tries to survive the society that she is forced to live in.
Before the war handmaids had their own lives, families, and jobs but that’s all gone now; They have all been separated from their families and assigned to A Commander and his wife to have their child. Handmaids did not choose this life but it was forced upon them. The society which Offred is forced to live in shaped her in many ways. In The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood uses cultural and geographical surroundings to shape Offred's psychological and moral traits as she tries to survive the society that she is forced to live, in hopes that she can rebel and make
Related
- analytical
- Moralistic Issues In The Handmaid's Taleanalytical essayRed cloaks, blue cloaks, green cloaks, men. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is like any dystopian future in that its themes are guided by the past. From Ender’s Game and Hunger Games to Fahrenheit 451, moralistic issues in society are challenged through the pages of these novels; The Handmaid's Tale is no exception. Made a handmaid to produce babies and curb a declining population, Offred transitions in her mental state through dramatic changes as she metamorphosizes from a women hesitant and resistant to her newfound role to one accepting of it, and new ideologies infiltrate her such as the honor of her position and the righteous, goodness of Iliad--a future society riddled with imperfections, where Offred now resides. She is a red, a
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how margaret atwood's the handmaid’s tale is like any dystopian future in that its themes are guided by the past.
- Analyzes how atwood's depiction of offred’s desire for change is one that many individuals in society already aspire to obtain.
- Analyzes how atwood reflects on the suppression of women to the point of relenting and accepting the status quo, but she expresses the declination of their self-worth.
- Analyzes how atwood clarifies that the pain of losing freedom diminishes, prompting the question, how many have fallen into this societal trap?
989 wordsRead More - Literary Analysis: A Handmaids's Taleanalytical essayThe world as we know it is a very different place than what our ancestors experienced. Here in the United States we have become accustomed to modern conveniences such as; running water, toilets, washing machines, and automobiles. These are just a few of the luxuries we have grown to expect in our modern society. Women and minorities have many rights that they did not always have. Restrictions don’t bind genders based of their genotype any longer. Feminism has become prevalent in society as many have taken up the belief that everyone no matter your gender should have equal opportunity. A Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood is a story containing the downfall of society as we know it as well as the equal opportunities we have come to know. This
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how modern conveniences like running water, toilets, washing machines, and automobiles have made us accustomed to modern society. feminism has become prevalent in society as many believe that everyone no matter their gender should have equal opportunities. margaret atwood's a handmaids tale describes an america without democracy.
- Analyzes margaret atwood's totalitarian society where women are expected to submit to men in an antiquated way of thinking. the political climate in the novel is one of desperation from sudden increase of infertility.
- Analyzes the dangers of complacency in allowing people to overthrow their democratic government to create this monstrosity of a future.
- Opines that the dangers of power, complacency, and religion within government are relevant in "a handmaids tale."
807 wordsRead More - Conflict In The Handmaids Taleanalytical essayOffred is a handmaid, in the novel The Handmaid’s Tale written by Margaret Atwood, who no longer desired to rebel against the government of Gilead after they separated her from her family. When Offred was taken away from her family the Government of Gilead placed her in an institution known as the Red Center where they trained her along with other women unwillingly to be handmaids. The handmaid’s task was to repopulate the society because of the dramatic decrease in population form lack of childbirth. Handmaids are women who are put into the homes of the commanders who were unable to have kids with their own wives. The Handmaids had very little freedom and were not allowed to do simple tasks by themselves or without supervision like taking baths or going to the store. There was an uprising against the government of Gilead and many people who lived in this society including some handmaids looked for a way to escape to get their freedom back which was taken away from them and to reunited with their families which they lost contact with. Offred was one of the handmaids who was against the government of Gilead before she was put in the Red Center, but she joined the uprising after she became a
In this essay, the author
- Explains that offred was a handmaid in margaret atwood's novel, the handman’s tale, who no longer wanted to rebel against the government of gilead after they separated her from her family.
- Explains that offred was given freedom to entertainment when the commander invited her to his office after dinner without the wife’s knowledge. they also discuss how the commander allowed her activities even if she was annoyed with him.
- Analyzes how the commander allowed offred to have an influence over him by inviting her down to his office at night. she felt as though she could get anything she asked for but she knew not to push her luck.
- Analyzes how serena joy the commander’s wife mistakenly opened up the doors for romance for offred. she wanted her to have sexual relations with nick because she was questioning whether or not her husband could actually get offred pregnant.
- Explains that offred was content with life when she was able to get access to these. she no longer feels trapped in a society that was enforced to reside in. these cause her to rebel less.
717 wordsRead More - Similarities Between Handmaids And Housewivesanalytical essay“I ought to feel hatred for this man. I know I ought to feel it, but it isn’t what I do feel. What I feel is more complicated than that. I don’t know what to call it. It isn’t love” (58 Atwood). The story of Offred is synonymous to the trials and tribulations of a housewife. A patriarchal society where women had no value other than giving birth to children. In the Novel, we are taken back to a time where genders had specific roles and duties in a society. Women in the 1960’s were responsible for taking care of the house and children and had no room for aspirations outside of that. Handmaids face the same daunting task of leaving their dreams behind to achieve a common goal, survival. In the Handmaid’s
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the story of offred is synonymous with the trials and tribulations of a housewife.
- Analyzes how life becomes morbid when you lose your uniqueness and personality. handmaids rebel from the status quo, and others fall in line to avoid the consequence of attempting to acquire what they truly desire.
- Analyzes how davidson's quote shows that even after the fall of gilead, there is still the same sense of not treating women with respect.
- Analyzes how the handmaid's tale used parallelism and satirical elements to connect a fictional dystopian world to the readers lives.
806 wordsRead More - In Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, the character of Offred is restricted by the severe regulations of her society. The once democratic United States of America with equality for all has been turned into the theocratic and totalitarian Republic of Gilead. When Offred is affected by the strict standards of this society, she responds in audacious, yet furtive ways in order to not attract the attention of the omniscient Eyes who control the society and punish offenders
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the character of offred is restricted by the strict standards of her society in margaret atwood's handmaid’s tale.
- Analyzes how gilead erasing the strides feminists had fought to obtain, dehumanizes women, and prevents conflicting ideologies.
- Analyzes how offred is forced to become a handmaid and be passed from commander to commander. the ceremony dehumanizes her and degrades offred to merely breeder for the society.
- Analyzes how offred disagrees with the new rules of the society, but realizes that each handmaid is a spy and will be held accountable for any misdeeds of her pair.
- Compares the happiness offred finds in her affair with nick to the contentment edna seeks in chopin's awakening.
- Analyzes how offred confronts severe standards of a dystopian society. she handles new duties and harsh restrictions and lives under the threat of severe punishment for transgressions.
- Analyzes porfert, joseph, and wagner-lawlor, jennifer a. "from irony to affiliation in margaret atwood's handmaid’s tale."
1195 wordsRead More - Feminism In A Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwoodanalytical essay(Hodson 1). As a result of Reagan’s political views, he manufactured women and their bodies into mere political instruments through anti-abortion and reproductive rights campaigns thus repudiating women the choice of managing their bodies and sexuality. Atwood voices her boundless concern of these anti-feminist politics conducted by men through the handmaids in her novel by examining several debates embodied in the feminist movement (Hodson 1). In the novel, the handmaids have been stripped of many of their rights and sexuality leading to the constant dehumanization of women. This dehumanization is portrayed when Offred mentions that she has lost her rights of socializing and having a family: “There's nobody here I can love… They might as well be nowhere, as I am for them. I too am a missing person." (Atwood 103). The ruling Gileadean men have deprived the handmaids of their rights by not only tearing them from their prior lives and turning them into slaves of reproduction, but have even taken away their names, exhibiting more of the subhuman treatment of women that Atwood was trying to portray. This is proven when Offred says “All the people I could
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes margaret atwood's a handmaid’s tale, which addresses the discrimination and feminist backlash faced by the women of the 1980s.
- Analyzes how atwood wanted to communicate her concerns for modern society through a speculative fiction, painting an exaggerated truth of real situations occurring throughout civilization
- Analyzes how atwood displays reagan's political view of anti-abortion through the laws of gilead prohibiting and punishing the act of abortion.
- Analyzes how hodson's claim that a handmaid’s tale is a speculative fiction is true. atwood warns society of her concerns of male ignorance degrading women to lesser roles in society.
912 wordsRead More - The Theme Of Feminism In The Handmaid's Tale?analytical essayIn the book, The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood writes about an alternate universe about America that illustrates our worst fears. Some of the fears depicted in the book can be seen in the world today, such as the distaste for abortion and the mentality that men are supposed to have more power than women. These issues are not only known as social issues but also feminist issues. Feminism is the belief that women and men should be treated equally socially, politically, and economically. This book shows how these issues could get worse in our society. The author uses Offred, the protagonist in the story, to show how the world could change for the worst. Offred, a handmaid in The Handmaid 's Tale, showed how men and society had control over
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how margaret atwood writes about an alternate universe about america that illustrates our worst fears, such as the distaste for abortion and the mentality that men are supposed to have more power than women.
- Analyzes how offred showed how society and men had control over women in the story.
- Analyzes how society has made offred feel like she is nothing more than something that makes babies and she doesn't see herself as anything more.
- Analyzes how offred showed how society and men's control over women made women think that they needed men in their lives and to have children.
- Analyzes how offred realized that she holds power because she is a woman. she knew what her body was capable of and wasn't afraid to use it anymore.
1194 wordsRead More - Loyalty In The Handmaid's Taleanalytical essayOffred has not portrayed any heroic characteristics in The Handmaid’s Tale, through her actions of weakness, fear, and self-centredness. This novel by Margaret Atwood discusses about the group take over the government and control the Gilead’s society. In this society, all women has no power to become the leader, commander like men do. Offred is one of them, she has to be a handmaid for Serena and the Commander, Fred. Offred wants to get out of this society, that way she has to do something about it. There wasn’t any performances from her changing the society.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how offred has not portrayed any heroic characteristics in the handmaid's tale, through her actions of weakness, fear, and self-centrism.
- Analyzes how offred is scared when he winks at her because they're not allowed to have any conversation.
- Analyzes how offred visits the commander at night and does nothing to rebel against him. she kisses him, plays scrabble, and reads magazines.
- Analyzes how ofglen try to help offred with this society, since they are running out of time. serena wants her to visit nick because she knows that the commander, fred, is infertile.
- Analyzes how at last, she thinks about escaping gilead by burning the house with the match, or hanging herself. she didn't even try to escape, rebel, and made no changes for this society.
689 wordsRead More - Theme Of Oppression In The Handmaid's Taleanalytical essayThe Handmaid’s Tale is oppression through the system and society in which they need to carry out or be part of certain ceremonies. The Handmaid’s don’t get to choose whether or not to participate in these ceremonies, because they are being oppressed by the society they have to do as they are told. Offred however does mention that the option of becoming a Handmaid was hers, but if she had not taken this
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes margaret atwood's novel the handmaid’s tale, which shows oppression in the culture and everyday life.
- Analyzes how the handmaid's tale is oppression through the system and society in which they need to carry out or be part of certain ceremonies.
- Analyzes how offred justifies the dehumanizing ceremony by saying that she agreed to do it. the sentence structure shows her thought process and attitude towards her duties as a handmaid.
- Explains that the standardized system of gilead is based on some interpretation of the bible, thus having extremely corrupt religious laws.
- Analyzes how offred describes the handmaids as sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices, degrading them from their bodies and dehumanizing them.
- Analyzes how gilead oppresses people by making them wear different colours depending on their status in the society. by categorising the people, they loose their identities and make the classes and power in society stand out more.
- Analyzes how margaret atwood exaggerates the personalized oppression which the characters in the handmaid's tale felt. the way the novel was written allows the reader to enter the mind and thoughts of the narrator.
954 wordsRead More - Free Handmaid's Tale Essays: The Struggle of Womenanalytical essayOffred from The Handmaid's Tale uses different tactics to cope with her situation. She is trapped within a distopian society comprised of a community riddled by despair. Though she is not physically tortured, the overwhelming and ridiculously powerful government mentally enslaves her. Offred lives in a horrific society, which prevents her from being freed. Essentially, the government enslaves her because she is a female and she is fertile. Offred memories about the way life used to be with her husband, Luke, her daughter, and her best friend Moira provides her with temporary relief from her binding situation. Also, Offred befriends the Commander's aide, Nick. Offred longs to be with her husband and she feels that she can find his love by being with Nick. She risks her life several times just to be with Nick. Feeling loved by Nick gives her a window of hope in her otherwise miserable life.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the struggle of women in the handmaid's tale, a futuristic novel that takes place in the oppressive and totalitarian republic of gilead.
- Analyzes how the main character in the book is offred, one of these unfortunate servants whose only right to exist depends on her ovaries’ productivity.
- Analyzes how women have been facing unique problems for centuries, and often experience harassment and discrimination. in the handmaid's tale, the main female characters find ways to escape their situations rather than deal with them.
- Analyzes how offred from the handmaid's tale uses different tactics to cope with her situation. she is trapped within a distopian society, which is riddled with despair.
- Analyzes how offred suppresses her feelings by recording her life and the things she wishes she could change. she cannot resolve her problems because of outside circumstances.
- Explains that works such as the handmaid's tale deal with females being unable to resolve their problems. though some problems are unavoidable, one can overcome certain situations by being more assertive.
- Explains that the thesis in the handmaid's tale needs to be stated in the beginning paragraph. offred, the main female character, does not effectively deal with her oppressed condition.
- Explains that a plot summary is good for giving the reader background, but it's important to incorporate plot examples into your argument.
- Suggests rewriting the thesis statement to include a comparison between offred and modern women, and then supporting it by going beyond vague statements.
850 wordsRead More