Summary:
Reistance and control are key themes in Margaret Atwood's feminist novel, "The Handmaid's Tale." The society of Gilead is a dystopia where recreation, sex and family life are all oppressively controlled.
The words control and Gilead, the setting for the novel "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, are interchangeable. Not only is control a pivotal feature of the novel and its plot, it consequently creates the subplots, the characters and the whole world because of its enormity in the Republic of Gilead. Resistance also features heavily, as does its results, mainly represented in the salvagings, particicution and the threat of the colonies.
Control dominates all aspects of Gileadian society, from minor, seemingly petty normalities such as the clothes allowed, all the way up to how and who to have sexual relations with. Unimaginable in this day, Atwood represents modern society gone sour, something which is chillingly close enough to reality to get worried about.
As just mentioned, Uniform is a necessity of Gileadian society, for all layers of the hierarchy, even the top. Commanders wear black, wives blue, whilst the Marthas sport green overalls and the econowives symbolically flaunting their use throughout the home, rather than for one specific task, wearing striped clothing. The Handmaid's themselves wear blood red, a sign of fertility. Each item worn has some significance readying to this fertility even their "flat heeled shoes to save the spine."
"Everything except the wings around my face is red... I never looked good in red, it's not my colour."
The wings worn on the head prevent others from seeing their face and vice versa, prevents them from looking anywhere except the direction in which they are facing, limiting their options to stray. All garments cover every inch of skin; Ankle length skirt, full sleeves and red gloves all worn by the Handmaid's prevent temptation for others and themselves. They also wear a flat yoke over their breasts for the same reason, deindividualising them down to every last measurement, making them easier, to treat as commodities rather than personalities.
The most blatent form of control would of course be the punishments given for resistance and the retribution given out for disobeying the state. These, in Gilead, are really rather harsh and such things as homosexuality can resut in death, under the term "Gender treachery." This is positively appalling to any civilised person believing in equal rights and death is almost absurd for such a non-crime. It seems that the society has medieval tendencies, which can be expected seeing that it's main doctrine is taken from the most ancient book, the Bible. Still obviously this is no excuse for such barbaric acts in a modern society.
Salvagings are also a horrible concept used by Atwood. All Handmaid's and other women in the society are forced to attend the hangings of fellow women, often arranged on the nooses by their colours so they look "pretty." A harsh warning not to step out of line. Also occasionally during the salvagings a rapist or murderer is thrown to the handmaid's who rip him apart with their own hands, or feet, or teeth. The unthinkable is thought of for punishments in the Handmaid's tale.
There is also the "threat of the colonies" which always has to be contended with by all mischievous people in Gilead. The colonies are contaminated areas containing nuclear waste from numerable nuclear disasters and oil spills during the eighties. Contextualising the novel, Atwood wrote around the time of the nuclear strife during the eighties and this is probably where she dreamed up the idea for such a disastrous place. Traitors are given a matter of only months, perhaps a couple of years at the colonies before certain death from the radiation sickness.
Resistance is something which cannot be even thought of during "The Ceremony," A grievous task for all involved. "The Ceremony" is the performing of intercourse which happens between the commander of the household and the Handmaid. One Handmaid is assigned to each commander to produce healthy children as the radiation has made many infertile. Wives are made to watch theis so called "ceremony" to oversee that there is basically no affection or feeling between the two people involved.
" This is not recreation, even for the Commander. This is serious business."
This grotesque imagery is a twisted version of the Rachel, Jacob and Leah story in the bible in which Leah, a maid, bears Jacob a child because Rachel cannot conceive. A manipulated version of the story becomes a party image and a must for all under Gileadian law. Ironically many of the commanders are indeed themselves infertile, although to speak of that is against the law also.
This leads me onto my next point concerning words, writing and reading in Gilead, all naturally, under control. Only the commander's can conceal archaic magazines and relics of times gone by such as an old copy of "Vogue" or "Esquire" and even they arent really allowed to keep them. Offred is shocked to find out the Commander has a private collection.
"But these were supposed to have been burned, I said. There were house to house searches, bonfires."
Commander Fred let's Offred see the magazines and she is allowed to read it as a reward for her entertaining him by playing an illegal game of scrabble. He also feels that this gesture makes her life a little easier, in such an oppressive state anythying will relieve her, and she states that indeed she is glad to be reminded of a better time. She see's the irony herself that this petty piece of paper is a luxury juxtaposed with her situation of a few years ago where she would have happily discarded it into the bin or read it briefly at the dentist or some other menial every day situation. Everything fashion, vanity or indeed non party related propaganda is strictly banned or at least highly censored. Books and writing are forbidden, again, diminishing any sort of individuality within the Handmaid's. The government is basically "dumbing down" all women, giving them less to do, thus less to talk about and again therefore less to even think about.
Not only have old magazines and such items of the press been banned, Gileadian television is also strictly monitored and censored. Atwood seems to source her ideas in this field from the George Orwell classic "1984." The "telescreens" of 1984 contain highly biased, perhaps staged news interviews which only show victories and good news, positive rises in employment or production of some commodity. A similar tactic is used by the government in "The Handmaid's Tale" whereby smooth looking news reporters report smooth, positive news. Offred even says herself,
"They show us only victories, never defeats...Possible he's an actor."
This sort of control allows Gilead to feed the public whatever they want so as to indoctrinate and thus assimilate a functioning society without need to rebel.
Resistance is rife throughout the Handmaid's tale, both physically and mentally, blatent and subtle. The most obvious is Offred's relationship with Nick, something which is highly illegal as the Handmaid's are for the "use" of the commander only. In the historical notes it suggests that Nick was a part of the "Mayday" resistance group, as was Oflgen, Offred's walking partner. The notes state that Nick, having been a chauffeur to Fred Waterford, a high executive in the government, would have been an "Eye" thus creating a "double-coup," having the resistance high up in the hierarchy of the society, allowing Offred and many others like her to remain safe and perhaps escape. This relationship brings Offred a little respite from the nothingness that fills her day. Finally she has something to live for.
"We make love each time as if we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there will never be any more."
This relationship, to both of them, is something special although they never mention the word love to eachother. They live on a knife edge and each time could be their last, making them live for the moment. Offred is actually willing to take "stupid chances" in order to be with Nick, showing that her life as a Handmaid is less important and she doesn't seem to mind losing it later in order to gain something now, something she can call her own perhaps.
This is a recurring strand throughout the novel, the idea of stealing in order to put up resistance against the government. At the Rachel and Leah centre when Moira is beaten on her hands and feet by the Aunts for trying to escape, the girls steal extra sugar packets for Moira in her bed.
"Probably she didn't need the sugar but it was the only thing we could find to steal. To give."
Offred is never blind or oblivious to the fact that what she is doing is pointless. Although she knows this, she still joins in with the stealing simply as a release, a protest against Gilead. Other such examples of this are when Offred rubs butter into her skin to keep herself in good condition and avoid dryness. Interestingly, the beating that Moira receives is on her hands and feet alone. As Offred says,
"For our purposes your feet and hands are not essential."
A true but fairly frank statement. There are clear undertones of the crucifixion in this type of punishment and control. Jesus was nailed to the cross by his hands and feet and this is one of many Biblical links used within the book. Often, as previously mentioned, the Bible is mutated, thus the reason no one can read it instead of the Commanders, to create the society the Gileadian government wants.
Ironically, the head of the household, the Commander, who is supposed to be the most upstanding party member and Gileadian, breaks many many rules in order to give Offred an easier time. This resistance includes the previously mentioned illegal scrabble game, the obtaining of hand lotion, the looking at old magazines and most importantly, Offred's trip to Jezebels.
Jezebels is a place where the men of Gilead come to relax. Strictly it's illegal but the government let is pass because, as the commander says, "Everyone's human after all." Women, prostitutes, smokers, drinkers, a piece of the underground past jumps into Offred's life and she is astounded. Thanks to the commander she also meets Moira, her long time friend from before Gilead. This act of resistance from the commander brings Offred a lot and if he were caught, would face serious charges.
Both men and women are severely controlled throughout everyday life in "The Handmaid's Tale." Recreation is minimal, sexual intercourse is purely for creation and the nuclear family is a thing of the past. Elizabeth Atwood provides a dystopian world full of wrong doing, manipulation and emotional numbness stemming from a government in Gilead that controls all aspects of life for it's people. Resistance is rife throughout which is appealing to the reader, implying that even under the severity of such reality, the human spirit will fight for equality or at least fairness.
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