The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a novel about a dystopian society that occurs when a conservative party takes control of a nation. Offred is the main character who is subject to this government. It changes her life in a way that completely displaces her from her old life in a negative way. Offred is shaped by her cultural surroundings. Specifically, the religious components of the world around her and the harsh government guides her thoughts and views. She is psychologically and morally affected as outcomes of her surroundings through her internal resistance and desire to steal.
First, the government that controlled Offred’s situation was established on conservative principles.The nation of Gilead was very new to what once was the …show more content…
One of the first acts that Gilead enforced was the loss of women’s rights. Females could not own property, nor have a job, and they were considered the property of male authority. Moira tells Offred the day of the new laws, “Any account with an F on it instead of an M. All they needed to do is push a few buttons. We’re cut off.” (Atwood, 178) Being subject to a patriarchal society was the most common state of women in the Old Testament, but it did not stop with the suppression of women for Offred. When her marriage was voided due to her husband’s previous divorce (an act not allowed with the new nation), Offred became a handmaid. The use of handmaids came from the Bible, where infertile women used their maids as a surrogate. Specifically the story of Jacob’s wife Rachel was applied; Rachel told Jacob to sleep with her maid and that “she shall bear upon my knees, and even I may have children through her” (Genesis 30:3), it meant that Rachel would recognize the child as her own, but the Gileadean government took it literally. During the Ceremony, the handmaid would lie between the wife’s legs giving over complete control. In addition to the literal Biblical reference in the Ceremony, the place that trained Offred and other handmaids was named “Rachel and Leah Re-education Center” for Jacob’s wives. Handmaids also had to dress and live similar to nuns: their bodies were covered, they occupied small rooms, and they were not allowed to be alone outside the household. Offred’s life was directly influenced with the religious jurisdiction of
First, the government that controlled Offred’s situation was established on conservative principles.The nation of Gilead was very new to what once was the …show more content…
One of the first acts that Gilead enforced was the loss of women’s rights. Females could not own property, nor have a job, and they were considered the property of male authority. Moira tells Offred the day of the new laws, “Any account with an F on it instead of an M. All they needed to do is push a few buttons. We’re cut off.” (Atwood, 178) Being subject to a patriarchal society was the most common state of women in the Old Testament, but it did not stop with the suppression of women for Offred. When her marriage was voided due to her husband’s previous divorce (an act not allowed with the new nation), Offred became a handmaid. The use of handmaids came from the Bible, where infertile women used their maids as a surrogate. Specifically the story of Jacob’s wife Rachel was applied; Rachel told Jacob to sleep with her maid and that “she shall bear upon my knees, and even I may have children through her” (Genesis 30:3), it meant that Rachel would recognize the child as her own, but the Gileadean government took it literally. During the Ceremony, the handmaid would lie between the wife’s legs giving over complete control. In addition to the literal Biblical reference in the Ceremony, the place that trained Offred and other handmaids was named “Rachel and Leah Re-education Center” for Jacob’s wives. Handmaids also had to dress and live similar to nuns: their bodies were covered, they occupied small rooms, and they were not allowed to be alone outside the household. Offred’s life was directly influenced with the religious jurisdiction of