The Handmaid's Tale
Serena Joy is the most powerful female presence in the hierarchy of Gileadean women; she is the central character in the dystopian novel, signifying the foundation for the Gileadean regime. Atwood uses Serena Joy as a symbol for the present dystopian society, justifying why the society of Gilead arose and how its oppression had infiltrated the lives of unsuspecting people.
Atwood individualises the character of Serena Joy, as her high status in the society demands power and the domination over the inferior members of the Commander’s household, such as Offred – a handmaid. This shows that Serena Joy has a sense of control, using this privilege to become “a woman who might bend the rules”; this is similar to the Commander, as Serena Joy is able to associate herself with the black market, for example “exchanging trade” for relics of the past such as cigarettes. Through the black market, Atwood suggests that Serena Joy is a representation of a society based on a biblical view, thriving to become pure and perfect on the surface, yet the powerful figures that should exemplify obedience to the rules are constantly exploiting their authority.
Additionally, the presentation of Serena Joy as a character it made interesting by her contradiction of accepting the new-found Gileadean society; it is plain that she resents the arrangement of having a handmaid in the house keenly as a violation of her marriage; “My husband. I want that to be clear. Till death do...
Gender inequality has existed all around the world for many centuries. Women were seen as property of men and their purpose of existence was to provide for the men in their lives. Men would play the role of being the breadwinners, whereas women played the role of being the caregiver of the family and household and must obey the men around her. The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood portrays how women in society are controlled and demeaned by men, and how men feel they are more superior over women.
The women in this novel are fairly passive and tend to let the men manipulate them. According to Martha Duffy, Smiley sees a link between the exploitation of women and that of the land. The land is stronger than the women in this novel in that despite the fact that men manipulate and attempt to change it as much as possible, it is still its own entity. This presents a contrast to what occurs when the women are dominated.
The most prominent female character in the novel, Brigid O’Shaughnessy, employs her sexuality, secrecy and mysterious nature when trying to gain more power and control throughout the novel. This can be seen easily in her description at the beginning of the novel. “She was tall and pliantly slender, without angularity anywhere. Her body was erect and high-breasted, her legs long, her hands and feet narrow…The hair curling from under her blue hat was darkly red, her full lips more brightly red” (Hammett, 4). Her physical description gives her an air of sexuality and intrigue that can immediately be assumed will be beneficial to her throughout the story. However, it is not until later when her use of her sexuality can be interpreted as a desperate attempt to take power back from the leading male character. “‘I’ve thrown myself on your mercy, told you that without your help I’m utterly lost. What else is there?’ She suddenly moved close to him on the settee and cried angrily: ‘Can I buy you with my body?’” (Hammett, 57). The desperation, which is a common characteristic that can be seen among hard-boiled female characters, pushed her ...
A new society is created by a group of people who strengthen and maintain their power by any means necessary including torture and death. Margaret Atwood's book, A Handmaid's Tale, can be compared to the morning after a bad fight within an abusive relationship. Being surrounded by rules that must be obeyed because of being afraid of the torture that will be received. There are no other choices because there is control over what is done, who you see and talk to, and has taken you far away from your family. You have no money or way out. The new republic of Gilead takes it laws to an even higher level because these laws are said to be of God and by disobeying them you are disobeying him. People are already likely to do anything for their God especially when they live in fear of punishment or death. The republic of Gilead is created and maintains its power structure through the use of religion, laws that isolate people from communication to one another and their families, and the fear of punishment for disobeying the law.
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.
Jeanette's mother, referred to by name only once in the novel, is probably the second most important character in the book, outdone only by the protagonist herself. She acts not as a role model, but as an example of what not to become, of a lifestyle to reject. Throughout the book, Mother encourages suppression of feelings she defines as unholy by way of personal example and by her attempted repression of Jeanette's homosexuality. An...
Feminism as we know it began in the mid 1960's as the Women's Liberation Movement. Among its chief tenants is the idea of women's empowerment, the idea that women are capable of doing and should be allowed to do anything men can do. Feminists believe that neither sex is naturally superior. They stand behind the idea that women are inherently just as strong and intelligent as the so-called stronger sex. Many writers have taken up the cause of feminism in their work. One of the most well known writers to deal with feminist themes is Margaret Atwood. Her work is clearly influenced by the movement and many literary critics, as well as Atwood herself, have identified her as a feminist writer. However, one of Atwood's most successful books, The Handmaid's Tale, stands in stark contrast to the ideas of feminism. In fact, the female characters in the novel are portrayed in such a way that they directly conflict with the idea of women's empowerment.
She gives her the password of Gilead’s. She hasn’t used it for days. Also, Serena wants her to visit Nick because she know that the Commander, Fred is infertile. It doesn’t means that Serena is on her side, she’s doing this for herself. After the first night, Nick and Offred meet in his room, Offred continues sneak in his room every night. She stops visiting at the Commander’s place. Ofglen try to help again and give her the key to check the Commander’s office to see what they’re hiding. Offred silently declines her, she feel satisfied with Nick. (Atwood 270) This shows that she’s doing what she likes now. She refuses to break in Commander’s office. She was running out of the time and she decided to decline the opportunity of escaping the Gilead with Ofglen. That’s the symbol of non heroine where she only think about herself, not others.
Her worse fears came true after she saw what was behind the doors of the forbidden room. The worst thing imaginable would be that her new husband was either abusive or a murderer and the latter seems to have been Carter’s choice for the Heroine. The Heroine realizes that her innocence has been taken from her from Marquis and she will now find herself in the same fate as the previous wives. “Nothing in my life of family love and music had prepared me for these grown-up games and yet these were clues to his self that showed me, at least, how much he had been loved, even if they did not reveal any good reason for it. But I wanted to know still more; and, as I closed the office door and locked it, the means to discover more fell in my way.” (Page 15). The Heroine herself admits that her experiences before her marriage to Marquis could not have prepared her for what she may find in the chamber or find out about Marquis. Her referral to “grown-up games’ in itself proves that even the Heroine believes that she may have been a little naïve going into this marriage and that she is not ready for the total package that may come with her new
Serena a young women, known to be beautiful and courageous, has an evil side. A quote from the book, “they're timid men, especially Buchanan, "Serena said. “Willkie’s just gotten old, but it's Buchanan's nature. The sooner you and I are shed of them the better" (Rash 76). This shows how she does not care about anyone else but herself and her needs. Another thing to get from this quote, is the mysterious meaning that she could be pushing the idea of killing Buchanan or pushing the idea that they must find a way to get rid of him. Throughout the book, she uses her abilities to manipulate her husband into doing anything she wants and will do anything it cost to make people step down or get out of the way. Also in the book, a character named Galloway states, “I've never seen a women shoot a bear before, “he said," and I'...
In Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaids Tale’, we hear a transcribed account of one womans posting ‘Offred’ in the Republic of Gilead. A society based around Biblical philosophies as a way to validate inhumane state practises. In a society of declining birth rates, fertile women are chosen to become Handmaids, walking incubators, whose role in life is to reproduce for barren wives of commanders. Older women, gay men, and barren Handmaids are sent to the colonies to clean toxic waste.
Throughout the ages, the fight for women’s rights and equality has always been an uphill battle, from Abigail Adams’ famous reminder to her husband John to “think about the women,” to women earning less than their male counterparts when doing the same job in today’s society. This hindrance that comes with being a woman is also prominently featured in A Mercy, by Toni Morrison. Most of the female characters are vital to the plot, although almost all are made to be dependant on others in some form, while others are painted in a fashion not at all coveted. In A Mercy, women of all races and social classes are presented to have an undesirable socioeconomic status, through their family’s ranking, mental vulnerability, and their contrast to men in the book.
...e ways in life jealousy and revenge is shown. Serena throughout the book is noticeable the source to the beginning of the jealous and revengeful streak that the camp goes through. Rash uses many of his different characters to show different forms of jealousy and revenge. As with Galloway he shows us a side of jealousy and revenge that is more or less due to his debt to Serena. Rash shows us that with life people can be jealous and revengeful due to others whether by debt or bias. Serena is the one character that rash uses as the main focal and at parts mysteries focal point of all the distrust and vengeance. With the use of Pemberton as the husband and starts to fall into these qualities of Serena. Rash though does use Rachel as the pure soul to the camp. Showing that as in life there is always the one that no matter how others act around them they are pure inside.
With feminism on the rise in today’s society, people often feel rather uncomfortable when a strong female role is involved in any given situation. Jane Austen confronts this contentious topic in her novel Emma by strategically placing charismatic women throughout the book. In the critical edition of Emma, Claudia L. Johnson, a very well-known Jane Austen critic, writes “Emma: ‘Woman, lovely woman reigns alone.’” In her criticism, Johnson discusses the main components of what makes Emma so different from other novels in this time period by describing the self-sufficient, lead female character. Her works are very influential and well-respected. Emma contains the exact essence of an authoritative female.
As a young girl from the country Emma is placed into a convent in the city. Here Emma develops and receives nourishment for her already sentimental soul. She looks upon "copper crosses," the "sick lamb" and the "mystic ...altar" with the vigor of a scholar on a quest for knowledge. She listens intently "to the sonorous lamentation of romantic melancholy" which "awakened unexpected joys within her." Emma, being isolated from the outside world, is left alone to develop her capricious dreams that she reads about in novels, gaining the hope of someday fulfilling these romantic and passionate desires. Emma devours books that involve "romantic woes, oaths, sobs, tears and kisses...gentlemen brave as lions, gentle as lambs" and always "impossibly virtuous."