The Handmaid's Tale Language Analysis

Throughout all of human history language has been a powerful tool used by all in some shape or form. Language varies in forms, even encompassing the primitive cave paintings from ancient times or the verbal speech used by people today. Despite its many forms, language is always able to empower the wielder. Humans have used it against each other for centuries to gain power over others. Language is liberating and language is oppressive. Some have freed thousands of people with an outstanding speech, while others have destroyed lies and created fear with a few words. Both The Handmaid’s Tale written by Margret Atwood and Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson, explore this and how language is used as a tool of power within in societies. In The Handmaid’s …show more content…
This time she uses the availability of written text to keep the women uneducated, and the ones who are willing to learn unable to do so. The government takes extreme measures to keep literature away from the female citizens, going as far as to “[Play biblical recitation] from a tape, so not even Aunt would be guilty of the sin of reading. The voice was a man’s. Blessed be the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed be the meek. Blessed are the silent. I knew they made that up, I knew it was wrong, and they left things out, too, but there was no way of checking.” (Atwood, 110-111). Outlawing reading and not only making it a felony, the government of Gilead even marks it as a sin for women to read. This prohibits women from learning and expanding their horizons for knowledge and intellect. By leaving the women ignorant, the main source of reproduction and ultimate back bone of Gilead, they are left unable to do anything against the government. Without literature being able to let Gileadean women escape from their twisted society, women with vague memories and the new generation are unable to even fantasize about anything better than