25 November 2003

Escape and Variety

Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale tells of a futuristic, dystopian society named Gilead in which women are no longer allowed to live normal lives, but instead must become Handmaids. In Gilead, the Handmaids' sole purpose is to bear the children of a designated Commander. The Handmaids must live in a house with their Commander, his wife, and his servants, and are allowed few liberties besides shopping for food and attending events organized for them. They are not allowed to read, smoke, talk to other Handmaids, or own any form of money or property. They are required to wear heavy red dresses and white wings on their heads, and must eat bland food, talk in code, and have sex with their Commander once a month. The justification for such a society is that all women are provided with relief...