Handmaid's Tale Analysis

The Handmaid’s tale is a feminist science fiction novel by a Canadian, and feminist writer Margaret Atwood. The story depicts psychological and physical struggle of a woman named Offred due to suppression of women by men in her society. Thus, the title Handmaid’s tale is representative of the life of Offred, the Handmaid or a female servant. This novel vividly portrays the cruelty of biological and social categorization. Handmaid’s tale takes place in a futuristic fictional society where revolutionists have wiped out the United States of America and a new totalitarian society called Republic of Gilead is established. In this new society, new orders exist where women are inferior to men and women are only used as a tool for reproduction or “Ceremony”, …show more content…
Women are not allowed to socialize with men, earn proper education, own any properties, and have careers. Every woman’s lives are bounded within the scope of a household. In addition, women are each designated to specific commander in Gilead to reproduce and every time women are assigned they are given new identities or names. Here the main character’s name is Offred. If you look at the name it just reads “of Fred”, the commander’s name is Fred, meaning she belongs to the commander she was assigned to.
In this society of Gilead women are categorized into six main categories that are considered to be “legitimate” and other who are “illegitimate.” Those who are “legitimate” are divided into six categories. The first category is called the “Wives,” they are at the top social level for women. They are wives of top officials; they wear blue dresses, which represent Virgin Mary. The second kind is called “Daughters”; they are natural born or adopted child of the commanders. They have to wear white clothes, which represent …show more content…
“Unwomen” are usually educated, feminists, lesbians, nun, and politically rebellious women. They are exiled to “colonies” and banned from the society. “Jezebels” are like prostitutes and celebrities combined together in today’s society. These women are those that couldn’t adjust to her life as a handmaid. They are suggested as beautiful and educated women. These women are forced to be sterilized and operate to entertain Commanders and guests. They dress in clothing from the “time before” or when the United States was still existent. Jezebels wear sexual clothing like Playboy bunnies, cheerleaders and so on. When they age, they are eventually sent to the Colonies. Men in this society define women’s hierarchy and due to those hierarchy women resent each other. In this society people are differentiated by what they wear as it represents gender and people’s social status. Offred is afraid and sad that the women in her society has lost the ability to sympathize with each other, they are disunited due to the suppression of the class system enforced upon them. For example, Wives deem that Handmaids are promiscuous and looks down on