Gilead

language is the most important means of communication in the novel. Margaret Atwood creates a world (Gilead) that is all about stripping women 's freedom. It talks about a feminist issue where the identity of a woman has been tore down. She uses language as a form of power. The book is mainly about a society where women are not free. The book is written from a woman 's point of view who was living in Gilead experiencing restrictions in the society. Their freedom has been taken from them. They…

of the Republic of Gilead. Some of the elements used throughout the novel are imagery, foreshadowing, and allusions. One of the literary elements used in the novel is allusion. An allusion is an indirect reference. A large amount of the story has brought back the allusion of the Hitler era. Hitler, of all other Nazi’s, was a dictator who used all the power he had to abuse and detach the power of trust, belief, and free will. This goes for Gilead as well. The Republic of Gilead was once the U.S.…

behind every single thing people do. In the Handmaid’s Tale, one of the most prominent motivators is fear. Fear of being caught by the eyes, sent to the colonies, or being punished by commanders and their wives is shared by nearly every citizen of Gilead. There are also individual concerns specific to separate characters. Overall, fear is the driving force behind the conformity and rebellion of characters throughout the Handmaid’s Tale. All throughout the novel, the themes of conformity and…

worst-case scenario of a patriarchal theocracy. Atwood’s Republic of Gilead, so named after a geographic region mentioned in the Scripture that is divided among the tribes of Israel, is what she imagines the future of the United States to look like if the political influence of the religious right continues. Atwood portrays a not-so-distant future in which women are divided into distinct social classes based on their relative…

around Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead - a dystopian America ruled by extreme religious values. Offred’s forced to breed for couples in Gilead, and if she refuses to do so, she will be either killed or sent out to slowly die of radiation poisoning. The book ends where after breaking numerous rules, men are to take her away in a van. The reader doesn’t know if the men are there to arrest her for treason or are to take her to safety, away from Gilead. In “The Handmaid’s Tale”, the…

than voiceless, childbearing objects. The use of satire is evident when describing the use of women in the gilead regime, a prediction that the author makes when assuming that a futuristic society such as the one she has created would be of patriarchal control. Certain parallels can be seen between the way women are treated in society today and in the past as to their portrayal in the gilead regime. For example, Atwood is clearly questioning the way women’s bodies are portrayed in our society.…

language established in Gilead promotes conformity. This language utilizes biblical and neologism appeals to get their citizens to conform and follow the new regulations. To begin with, the novel is littered with biblical names and phrases: “Jezebel”, “Martha”, “Milk and Honey”, “All Flesh”, “Lilies” and many more. All of these appellations come from the bible and are used to name the shops that the handmaid’s daily shop at, the housemaids, and the nightclub. This affirms that Gilead is…

We use language everyday, without reflection. The dystopia portrayed in The Handmaid’s Tale, is a perfect example of what can happen when language is restricted. In Gilead, this freedom of language that we take advantage of today, has been stripped from its people, and has become greatly regulated and monitored. Roles in Gilead are restricted in how they converse with each other. The Handmaids are the most restricted in this society. They have accepted greetings and responses that are…

the women in Gilead appear to have diminished rights and a limited amount of freedom. These women have lives that resemble a lifestyle similar to the women who lived prior to women’s suffrage, even though this novel takes place in a futuristic time. Some of these women, like Offred, remember the past and long for a time when they can be free again. However, for many of the women, they will never understand what it is like to obtain freedom in their lifetime. The women in Gilead are ultimately…

individuals in Gilead are oppressed to a certain extent. Even the commanders who are the highest ranking members of Gileadean society are being constantly watched by the Eyes: the Republic of Gilead’s secret police force responsible for maintaining law and order. Under the continuous gaze of the eyes one has to keep up an appearance of obedience, as anyone around them could be an eye; the fear of being caught breaking the law by the eyes creates pressure over the people of Gilead, this…