Satire In The Handmaid's Tale

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Dystopian worlds are not products of the present, but are depictions of current contemporary society. The realisation that oppressive fictional worlds bear an irrefutable resemblance to modern society, is fundamentally the most shocking aspect of the dystopian genre. This notion is advanced in Margaret Atwood’s speculative fiction novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (1985), which satirises political concerns that were prevalent during the second wave of feminism, and cautions contemporary society of the dangers of religious fanaticism. In doing so, it exposes the vices and follies of Christian theocracy; highlighting it’s decaying values and the loss identity. Through Atwood’s exploration of the Gileadean regime, it is evident that the similarities
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Gardiner, A.B. 2004, “The interrelated Defense of Abortion and Pornography in Amrgaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.” Life and Learning XIII: Proceedings of the Thirteenth University faculty for Life Conference at Georgetown University 2003. Ed. Joseph W. Koterski, S.J. Washington, DC: University Faculty for Life [Georgetown University], 2004. 87-101
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