The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian fiction novel written in 1984. This totalitarian society was created by the government in order to gain control and oppress the citizens in Gilead. This novel follows the journey of the main character, Offred, before and after Gilead was created. Before Gilead was created June, whose name was changed to Offred after becoming a handmaid, had a husband, child, and job. Once the government took control everything was taken away. She was then forced to become a handmaid. After being forced to become a handmaid Offred was sent to the Red Center. At the Red Center, she met many women, including Moira, who became her best friend in the center. The main purpose for women in Gilead was to bear children
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In Gilead, the government wants women to be labeled and seen as sexless objects. “Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us,” (8) The government uses clothes to label each group in the social hierarchy. For example, the Wives wear blue, the Marthas wear green, and the Handmaids wear red. Handmaids must be fully clothed from head to toe and wear wings that cover their faces completely. The government forces handmaids to wear these clothes to prevent sexual thoughts and misconduct between the handmaids and men. The government also wants women to be shamed and degraded. The handmaids being forced to wear unflattering clothing also demonstrates the lack of freedom women …show more content…
The government objectifies women by forcing them to wear specific clothing, minimizing their freedom and their reproductive abilities. Forcing handmaids to wear specific clothing allows the government to label them and diminish their freedom. Along with these rules put into place by the government that degrades women, the government also uses a women’s reproductive qualities to objectify them. The government chose to objectify women to create an inequality between men and women. This inequality shows how a theocracy does not benefit every
In Gilead, the government wants women to be labeled and seen as sexless objects. “Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us,” (8) The government uses clothes to label each group in the social hierarchy. For example, the Wives wear blue, the Marthas wear green, and the Handmaids wear red. Handmaids must be fully clothed from head to toe and wear wings that cover their faces completely. The government forces handmaids to wear these clothes to prevent sexual thoughts and misconduct between the handmaids and men. The government also wants women to be shamed and degraded. The handmaids being forced to wear unflattering clothing also demonstrates the lack of freedom women …show more content…
The government objectifies women by forcing them to wear specific clothing, minimizing their freedom and their reproductive abilities. Forcing handmaids to wear specific clothing allows the government to label them and diminish their freedom. Along with these rules put into place by the government that degrades women, the government also uses a women’s reproductive qualities to objectify them. The government chose to objectify women to create an inequality between men and women. This inequality shows how a theocracy does not benefit every