Handmaid's Tale

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Recommended: Critically analyse Margaret Atwood as a novelist

Handmaids Tale Essay #1 In Gilead, the rules and laws enforced on the people is no longer related the democratic governing that America has although the setting of the book is in the United States. From the documents that inform on American governing such as the Bill of Rights, it is inferred that Gilead has a Totalarian dictatorship fused with feudalism. Totalarianism dictatorship is evident in Handmaids Tale because that style of governing is (quoted from Wikipedia) a political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible. The idea of having personal partners or relationship is strict and sometimes forbidden which ties to Gilead having that style of Government. Feudalism is present in Gilead with the Commander as the higher power and with the Handmaids as least powerful. It is also inferred that Gilead is a unsafe and depressing place to be.(The people want to leave and be free like what Luke and Offred wanted.) Gilead focusses on the ability to produce more children so the population can grow. Controlling women’s fertility automatically makes it a form of dictatorship. Gilead principle’s relate to Totalarianism. Women and men are affected with men not being in relationships with other females that are Handmaids. The punishments when breaking a law are extreme. The law breaker would always suffer through death showing Gilead’s desperate actions to enforce order. “These men we’ve been told are like war criminals. They have committed atrocities and must be made into examples.” In Gilead nothing is private. Offered is always worried and cautious when she approaches men. If she makes one mistake she ... ... middle of paper ... ...s so sad that women would cut themselves with razors and bleed to death in bathrooms. Offred said that soon she will get used to the daily life style even if it is different from her old one. The new independent government that Gilead enforced on the people changed their reality. Gilead differs from the other unknown places in the book such as where the Japanese ladies are from being able to wear modern 21 century clothing of their liking. Gilead’s principles have trapped the people into a mental form of slavery, always listening to orders and obeying laws that are extreme. The Bill of Rights are laws that protect the people and the distribution of power in the government while Gilead follows a Totalarian style of government. Overall Gilead’s principles have kept order and with that order they continue the goal in forcing the population to grow.

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