The Handmaid’s Tale and Rappaccini’s Daughter are both have a messages regarding sexuality. While the message may be presented differently in each story, it still plays a major role. The key difference how this message about sexuality is represented by the characters. Both The Handmaid’s Tale and Rappaccini’s daughter present men as though they are unable to control their sexual urges and desires, while women are portrayed to either have similar sexual urges as men, or have no sexuality at all, respectively. This can be evidenced through the desires and actions of characters in each story. These two factors present a clear image of the sexuality of both genders. The sexual desires of men are demonstrated multiple times in similar ways in both
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In The Handmaid’s Tale, the men in Gilead are so not trusted with their own sexuality, that a large part of the laws and customs revolve around protecting women from them. The laws in Gilead keep men entirely away from women, unless they are specifically assigned to have them as a wife or handmaid. Most men “have no outlets now except themselves,” which is an example of how far this society goes to protect women from the hypersexuality of men (20). This idea of male sexuality is also shown in the government sanctioning of Jezebels. This “pure society” holds such a strong belief in the uncontrollability of male sexuality that they not only allow, but run a brothel to help rein in the men …show more content…
The added depth and nuance to Offred’s character makes her a much better contrast to the purity of Beatrice. When Offred first discusses sex, she seems to have lost touch with her ability to enjoy and desire sexual pleasure. She states that “Arousal and orgasm are no longer thought necessary” in Gilead, and seems to agree with this sentiment by saying that these basic tenants of sex are “so obviously recreational.” While the acknowledgment that female arousal and orgasm exist seems to be a step up from the feminine side of sex that is shown in Rappaccini’s daughter, Offred further differentiates herself from Beatrice later in the story when it is shown that she doesn’t truly believe that sex is a “frivolity”
In The Handmaid’s Tale, the men in Gilead are so not trusted with their own sexuality, that a large part of the laws and customs revolve around protecting women from them. The laws in Gilead keep men entirely away from women, unless they are specifically assigned to have them as a wife or handmaid. Most men “have no outlets now except themselves,” which is an example of how far this society goes to protect women from the hypersexuality of men (20). This idea of male sexuality is also shown in the government sanctioning of Jezebels. This “pure society” holds such a strong belief in the uncontrollability of male sexuality that they not only allow, but run a brothel to help rein in the men …show more content…
The added depth and nuance to Offred’s character makes her a much better contrast to the purity of Beatrice. When Offred first discusses sex, she seems to have lost touch with her ability to enjoy and desire sexual pleasure. She states that “Arousal and orgasm are no longer thought necessary” in Gilead, and seems to agree with this sentiment by saying that these basic tenants of sex are “so obviously recreational.” While the acknowledgment that female arousal and orgasm exist seems to be a step up from the feminine side of sex that is shown in Rappaccini’s daughter, Offred further differentiates herself from Beatrice later in the story when it is shown that she doesn’t truly believe that sex is a “frivolity”