The Handmaid's Tale
Many fictitious novels written today mirror real life; this tactic can provide readers with a sense of formality. Yet in some cases, fictitious novels provide readers with the shocking realization of a society's self destruction. I believe , written by Margaret Atwood, falls in the second category. Issues raised in this novel such as manipulation, public punishment, ignorance, and pollution are problems we face in the world today. Atwood's conception of the future encompasses many of these problems, and her use of these extreme conditions force readers to recognize her book as a warning; against creating the realities of Gilead in our world today.
In the novel, men abuse their power in ...
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up. Just another crummy power trip."
- page 228
The Commander's Wife also takes advantage of the power she has over Offred's life. In return for performing the illegal act of having sex with a man other than the Commander, the Wife will produce a picture of Offred's long-lost child. This form of blackmail cruelly introduces hope to Offred, a notion which has been foreign to her for many years. She suddenly envisions hope of regaining her previous life, along with all of the rights she once took for granted. The day which began this horrible nightmare, is one she will never forget. In this one day, Offred lost her job, access to her life savings, and any say regarding her future. This is a frighteningly similar situation to an article written in the July '97 issue of Homemaker's Magazine.
A ragtag band of bandits called the Taliban ... thundered into the capital city of Kabul on September 27 of last year, and overnight the lives of women and girls were catapulted ...
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dead bodies hanging on the Wall are a common sight.
We stop, together as if on signal, and stand and look at the bodies. It doesn't matter if we look. We're supposed to look: this is what they are there for, hanging on the Wall. Sometimes they'll be there for days, until there's a new batch, so as many people as possible will have the chance to see them. - page 31
The Eyes who control Gilead choose to kill off all political dissenters, falsely accusing them of committing illegal acts, then punishing them in a public manner that is very disturbing. This fictitious scene is not far from the truth in India, where the lynching of a village girl and her two alleged lovers made ...
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"The Handmaid's Tale." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 14 Jun. 2005. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Handmaids-Tale/28449>
"The Handmaid's Tale." Essayworld.com. June 14, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Handmaids-Tale/28449.
"The Handmaid's Tale." Essayworld.com. June 14, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Handmaids-Tale/28449.
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