Survival through the Love of Language
The Handmaid’s Tale is a speculative fiction novel set in a futuristic dystopian society where the manipulation of language, and the erasing of personal identity are the main weapons of control. Through Offred, the narrator of this story, the reader is witness to the struggles of maintaining a sense of self identity, and a connection with others within the constraints of this patriarchal society. Although all citizens of The Republic of Gilead are subject to the strict laws and rules of the Republic (based on a warped version of the Old Testament) women are completely objectified and erased of all individuality. Atwood uses Offred’s character to represent the ways, as a means of survival, one attempts to …show more content…
For instance, both Hitler in Nazi Germany and Mai Tse-tung in China used the manipulation of language, information, and education as a means to control their citizens. This type of manipulation was coined by George Orwell as Doublespeak; the use of language to distort reality and corrupt thought (servinghousejournal.com). This type of manipulation of language to control women is reflected when Offred recalls her time spent at the Red Center. The Aunts in charge of the Center use misrepresentations of the Bible to paint a distorted portrait of reality. For instance, “For each, says the slogan, according to her ability; to each according to his needs…It was from the Bible, or so they said. St. Paul again, in Acts” (117), this is actually a misquoted Karl Marx slogan which the Aunts misrepresent as being from the Bible in order to justify the place of the Handmaids within the Republic. Another example is when Aunt Lydia states “All flesh is weak” (45), Offred is aware of the original version of this biblical quote, and she makes this distinction within her own mind, “All flesh is grass” (45). This is an example of how Offred uses her own understanding and memories of language to retain a sense of power under the brainwashing tactics of the
The Handmaid’s Tale is a speculative fiction novel set in a futuristic dystopian society where the manipulation of language, and the erasing of personal identity are the main weapons of control. Through Offred, the narrator of this story, the reader is witness to the struggles of maintaining a sense of self identity, and a connection with others within the constraints of this patriarchal society. Although all citizens of The Republic of Gilead are subject to the strict laws and rules of the Republic (based on a warped version of the Old Testament) women are completely objectified and erased of all individuality. Atwood uses Offred’s character to represent the ways, as a means of survival, one attempts to …show more content…
For instance, both Hitler in Nazi Germany and Mai Tse-tung in China used the manipulation of language, information, and education as a means to control their citizens. This type of manipulation was coined by George Orwell as Doublespeak; the use of language to distort reality and corrupt thought (servinghousejournal.com). This type of manipulation of language to control women is reflected when Offred recalls her time spent at the Red Center. The Aunts in charge of the Center use misrepresentations of the Bible to paint a distorted portrait of reality. For instance, “For each, says the slogan, according to her ability; to each according to his needs…It was from the Bible, or so they said. St. Paul again, in Acts” (117), this is actually a misquoted Karl Marx slogan which the Aunts misrepresent as being from the Bible in order to justify the place of the Handmaids within the Republic. Another example is when Aunt Lydia states “All flesh is weak” (45), Offred is aware of the original version of this biblical quote, and she makes this distinction within her own mind, “All flesh is grass” (45). This is an example of how Offred uses her own understanding and memories of language to retain a sense of power under the brainwashing tactics of the