Ultimately, in times of crisis, language can be used to repress a society as a whole, more specifically the lower class. To begin, in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale language repression is used to maintain control over the women in the fictional Republic of Gilead. Gilead is a fundamentalist Christian regime governed by men that often cites the Bible. However, the scriptures are subtly altered or perverted to control and repress women. The Aunts are a class of women assigned to indoctrinate the Handmaids into this patriarchal society. Aunt Lydia tells the Handmaids that, “there is more than one kind of freedom…freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now [they] are being given freedom from." The Handmaids
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She references the past world as the: “days of anarchy,” when women were not protected because everyone had the "freedom to" do whatever they wished. However, in the Republic of Gilead, "freedom from" has rules and restrictions to “protect” the Handmaids as opposed to freedom to, which would allow the Handmaids to have choices. Ultimately, the Aunts use this twisted form of “freedom” to repress the Handmaids and indoctrinate them to believe Gilead is a society which protects them from circumstances such as abuse and sex objectification. Gilead uses the power of language to give its state control over the thoughts and actions of the Handmaids. Another incident in which language is used to repress women is seen when the Handmaids' do the household shopping. They go in partners, and this trip is their only interaction outside of their commands at home. Upon arriving at the market, Offred and Ofglen, “hand over the tokens, and …show more content…
Others studying the same subject have noted that, “Atwood demonstrates that the manipulation of language is a vital prerequisite for the achievement of power, both public and private, and that once this power has been achieved, virtually every important characteristic of the human condition--memory, self-expression, self-identity, community, and freedom--faces the possibility of irreparable damage” (Gulick, 103). Gulick explains that the Republic of Gilead uses language to manipulate their citizens and attempt to gain more power over its society. Once the power is achieved the regime can ultimately maintain control of all members’ thoughts, decisions, and identity. Gulick explains that language is a necessary tool in obtaining control over people. Oppressors use language to attack every element of a person until their will is broken. The persons in power are then able to control a person’s life. In Gulick’s essay, she discusses why the members of Gilead follow the rules and regulations. Gulick states that, “the lack of language and freedom of expression have enabled the Republic of Gilead to [control the society]. People are terrified to communicate openly or even communicate honestly with themselves…Gilead has distorted language to achieve its dehumanizing goals” (Gulick, 110). Although no character is completely devoted to the
She references the past world as the: “days of anarchy,” when women were not protected because everyone had the "freedom to" do whatever they wished. However, in the Republic of Gilead, "freedom from" has rules and restrictions to “protect” the Handmaids as opposed to freedom to, which would allow the Handmaids to have choices. Ultimately, the Aunts use this twisted form of “freedom” to repress the Handmaids and indoctrinate them to believe Gilead is a society which protects them from circumstances such as abuse and sex objectification. Gilead uses the power of language to give its state control over the thoughts and actions of the Handmaids. Another incident in which language is used to repress women is seen when the Handmaids' do the household shopping. They go in partners, and this trip is their only interaction outside of their commands at home. Upon arriving at the market, Offred and Ofglen, “hand over the tokens, and …show more content…
Others studying the same subject have noted that, “Atwood demonstrates that the manipulation of language is a vital prerequisite for the achievement of power, both public and private, and that once this power has been achieved, virtually every important characteristic of the human condition--memory, self-expression, self-identity, community, and freedom--faces the possibility of irreparable damage” (Gulick, 103). Gulick explains that the Republic of Gilead uses language to manipulate their citizens and attempt to gain more power over its society. Once the power is achieved the regime can ultimately maintain control of all members’ thoughts, decisions, and identity. Gulick explains that language is a necessary tool in obtaining control over people. Oppressors use language to attack every element of a person until their will is broken. The persons in power are then able to control a person’s life. In Gulick’s essay, she discusses why the members of Gilead follow the rules and regulations. Gulick states that, “the lack of language and freedom of expression have enabled the Republic of Gilead to [control the society]. People are terrified to communicate openly or even communicate honestly with themselves…Gilead has distorted language to achieve its dehumanizing goals” (Gulick, 110). Although no character is completely devoted to the