In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the female protagonist, Offred, is shaped by her society into a tool used solely for reproduction in order to serve the patriarchy. Comparably, the female protagonist, Furiosa, from the film Mad Max: Fury Road is shaped by her society into a tool used by the patriarchy to keep inhumane control over the people. Even so, both protagonists react to their objectification in contrasting ways.
In the Gilead Age, women do not have as much independence or freedom as they did before the Gilead Age. The narrator of The Handmaid’s Tale grew up before the new age began. Thus, the narrator is forced to undergo a massive change in order to live under the new patriarchy. First and foremost, the narrator …show more content…
Basically, she is given the option to reproduce or to clean and take care of the house. These are the two stereotypical and traditional roles of women in society. This extreme limitation on the role of a woman begins the deprivation of Offred’s life as a free woman. After deciding to be a handmaid, Offred’s sole purpose is to have a healthy child. To the patriarchy, Offred’s only viable contribution to society is childbirth. Thus, she is less of a human being capable of almost anything and more of a tool specific for pregnancy. She even says, “We are for breeding purposes [...] We are two-legged wombs, that’s all” (Atwood 136). Offred is oppressed and conditioned into her new role. Her family is taken away from her, society--mainly through the aunts--drill into her the idea that the actions of men are the woman’s fault, she--being a woman--is not allowed to read, and she even loses control of her body. Unfortunately, Offred practically accepts all of it. She has moments of defiance, but she never does anything to significantly go against the system. Her moments of defiance are driven by a want for freedom. She wants the the option of choice. To her, “such moments are possibilities, tiny peepholes” (Atwood 21). The moments allow her to see more of what’s actually going on while giving her more choice. She steals little things like butter and sugar, she hides a match underneath her mattress, she even meets with Nick to have sex, all of which are her choices, but she never stands up for herself. She does not speak up when Janine is blamed for her gang-rape, she does not speak out when the commander penetrates her, and she does not stand out ever. The patriarchy forces her into submission just as many other oppressive societies have done before. Thus, Offred has practically no effect on her society. She is simply another nameless victim who changes
In the Gilead Age, women do not have as much independence or freedom as they did before the Gilead Age. The narrator of The Handmaid’s Tale grew up before the new age began. Thus, the narrator is forced to undergo a massive change in order to live under the new patriarchy. First and foremost, the narrator …show more content…
Basically, she is given the option to reproduce or to clean and take care of the house. These are the two stereotypical and traditional roles of women in society. This extreme limitation on the role of a woman begins the deprivation of Offred’s life as a free woman. After deciding to be a handmaid, Offred’s sole purpose is to have a healthy child. To the patriarchy, Offred’s only viable contribution to society is childbirth. Thus, she is less of a human being capable of almost anything and more of a tool specific for pregnancy. She even says, “We are for breeding purposes [...] We are two-legged wombs, that’s all” (Atwood 136). Offred is oppressed and conditioned into her new role. Her family is taken away from her, society--mainly through the aunts--drill into her the idea that the actions of men are the woman’s fault, she--being a woman--is not allowed to read, and she even loses control of her body. Unfortunately, Offred practically accepts all of it. She has moments of defiance, but she never does anything to significantly go against the system. Her moments of defiance are driven by a want for freedom. She wants the the option of choice. To her, “such moments are possibilities, tiny peepholes” (Atwood 21). The moments allow her to see more of what’s actually going on while giving her more choice. She steals little things like butter and sugar, she hides a match underneath her mattress, she even meets with Nick to have sex, all of which are her choices, but she never stands up for herself. She does not speak up when Janine is blamed for her gang-rape, she does not speak out when the commander penetrates her, and she does not stand out ever. The patriarchy forces her into submission just as many other oppressive societies have done before. Thus, Offred has practically no effect on her society. She is simply another nameless victim who changes