Margaret Atwood, a feminist writer produced her novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ during the 1980s, a time when women were struggling to gain independence and identity due to social and religious expectations. This dystopian fiction is set in the near future in the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States. Atwood has implemented many themes and motifs throughout her work on this novel which are all a part of building up the ‘bigger picture’ or message that she is trying to convey throughout this text about female struggle. Her style of language used and symbolism is evidence that this is a text written with ideas/opinions hidden behind it and the audience’s job is to slowly unwind the tale and look at the subliminal messages underneath which show the authorial intent behind this tale.
Atwood gives biblical precedent for the several …show more content…
Obvious religious references are made to Genesis 30:1-3 which shows that it was already thought that women were born to have conceived with the quote “Give me children or else I will die!” This is said by Rachel (Jacobs Wife) in the bible, Rachel then goes on to bring her maid and ask Jacob to impregnate her. Atwood uses powerful language to represent the desperation in this situation, the verb ‘die’ makes it seem as if it is crucial to bear children otherwise you will die which foreshadows the importance of motherhood in a woman’s life or more so in terms of religion and beliefs a woman is supposed to produce and bear children. This reference relates massively to the handmaid’s tale because the most important women were the ’Handmaid’s’ themselves as they were the group of fertile women whose sole purpose was to conceive for the elite. The writer is clever in using juxtaposition because of the way that she
Atwood gives biblical precedent for the several …show more content…
Obvious religious references are made to Genesis 30:1-3 which shows that it was already thought that women were born to have conceived with the quote “Give me children or else I will die!” This is said by Rachel (Jacobs Wife) in the bible, Rachel then goes on to bring her maid and ask Jacob to impregnate her. Atwood uses powerful language to represent the desperation in this situation, the verb ‘die’ makes it seem as if it is crucial to bear children otherwise you will die which foreshadows the importance of motherhood in a woman’s life or more so in terms of religion and beliefs a woman is supposed to produce and bear children. This reference relates massively to the handmaid’s tale because the most important women were the ’Handmaid’s’ themselves as they were the group of fertile women whose sole purpose was to conceive for the elite. The writer is clever in using juxtaposition because of the way that she