Throughout literature and media, the creators tend to change the reality of that time to make it more entertaining and acceptable to modern audiences. Likewise, in the fiction novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, relates to the values of the Puritans who settled in New England Massachusetts while also relating to modern audiences with TV’s, cars, and planes, which can be seen as more towards the present day than relating to the 16th century America. It can be seen that The Handmaid’s Tale resembles the time from when the puritans lived in New England, but in reality the theocratic government took many aspects to the extremes such as social class and religion and because of that it makes the people of Gilead more radical than the Puritans. The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in Boston Massachusetts which
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In the novel, the Handmaids wear red dresses and this is shown when Offred says “it’s the red dress she disapproves of, and what it stands for. She thinks I may be catching, like a disease or any form of bad luck” (Atwood, 7). Therefore her dress symbolizes her sin of Adultery that she commits when she has sex with the commanders. Offred says “bad luck” because usually when someone faces bad luck there is little the person can do to counter it. This is very similar to Puritan treatment to the sin of adultery. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character Hester Prynne is accused of committing the sin of Adultery and Hawthorne says:
“In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours. On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A”
In the novel, the Handmaids wear red dresses and this is shown when Offred says “it’s the red dress she disapproves of, and what it stands for. She thinks I may be catching, like a disease or any form of bad luck” (Atwood, 7). Therefore her dress symbolizes her sin of Adultery that she commits when she has sex with the commanders. Offred says “bad luck” because usually when someone faces bad luck there is little the person can do to counter it. This is very similar to Puritan treatment to the sin of adultery. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character Hester Prynne is accused of committing the sin of Adultery and Hawthorne says:
“In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours. On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A”