Examples Of Oppression In Handmaid's Tale

Feminist Oppression Feminism is equality for all people, and since the massive take over by Gilead the struggle for equality was over and people supporting feminism were oppressed. Women had three choices; handmaid, prostitute, or the colonies. Even women of high ranking men were oppressed. Although Offred grew up with an active feminist for a mother, she quickly adapted in order to survive. While she is going through this she realizes all of the things she did in her past life she took for granted and now they are gone. Prior to the take over by Gilead, the feminist movement was strong and growing daily. Similar to modern times here. Offred’s mother was an active feminist and instilled similar qualities into Offred. Although Offred was not as devoted as her mother, she still was allowed to do what she wanted and wear whatever, all things that were taken away by Gilead. “It’s an event, a small defiance of rule, so small as to be

The Commander’s wife: Serena Joy has to be quiet and allow her husband to do whatever he wants, even if he is going against all of the things he preaches. She has to be present when the Commander tries to impregnate Offred, and then if the handmaid becomes pregnant, the wife has to raise the child as their own. Serena Joy may be the most miserable character in the book. Although Offred is the handmaid, she has what Serena Joy wishes she had which was the attention from the Commander. “There is something subversive about this garden of Serena’s, a sense of buried things bursting upwards, wordlessly, into the light, as if to point, to say: Whatever is silenced will damour to be heard, though silently.” Pg. 153 The inequality comes into play when the high ranking “Godly” men participate in activities they have banned on a regular bases like drinking. They are allowed to do that but nobody else