The Role Of Totalitarian Government In The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale
In the novel, The Handmaid 's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, a totalitarian government in the Republic of Gilead conducts an important role throughout the novel. The government attempts to completely isolate women. Women in the society are completely separated from reality, having little touch with the outside world, and are then segregated further under their gender. Offred, a main character throughout the novel, is an example of how badly Gilead considered women. Women are under severe control with many limitations such as the need of a headscarf and the incapability to wear makeup. The severe control and limitations also need women to have the children of the society by having sex with their commanders. Due to the totalitarian government in the

The handmaids are separated from the rest of the society and have many further limitations on their situations. Some examples of this are that they must have to wear a headscarf and are also confined from their use of makeup. The handmaids also have to have sex with commanders and provide babies for the commander and his wife. Their responsibility in Gilead is more essential than people draw it to be. The cause why Gilead is needed the handmaids to do this is because they were interfacing the problem of the population shortages. In order for the totalitarian government to be victorious this action had to be taken. The handmaids are also confined from the talking and the outside world. The only technique for women to get news is by watching the television or through threatening underground system. It is acknowledged that the news accessible through the media is extremely censored. As Offred says: "They only show us victories, never defeats. . . . [The male newscaster] tells us what we long to believe. He 's very convincing" The media presents the information in such way that the government is shown as