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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Feminism In The Handmaids Tale Essay - 1588 Words

Feminism In The Handmaids Tale Feminism as we know it began in the mid 1960s as the Womens Liberation Movement. Among its chief tenants is the idea of womens empowerment, the idea that women are capable of doing and should be allowed to do anything men can do. Feminists believe that neither sex is naturally superior. They stand behind the idea that women are inherently just as strong and intelligent as the so-called stronger sex. Many writers have taken up the cause of feminism in their work. One of the most well known writers to deal with feminist themes is Margaret Atwood. Her work is clearly influenced by the movement and many literary critics, as well as Atwood herself, have identified her as a feminist writer.†¦show more content†¦The aunts constantly quote the Bible and encourage to women to be genteel and unmasculine. These women are in many ways the antithesis of the feminist. In other ways though, they fall right in line with feminist dogma. Their constant derailment of men and their bitter, hate-filled demeanors make them almost caricatures of hard-line feminists. In fact, they fit quite nicely into the stereotypical way that that anti-feminist men often portray feminists, as bitchy, man-hating lesbians. Another function of the aunts in the book is to undermine the sense of female camaraderie shown other places in the book. While claiming to hate men, the aunts side with the men, pushing their agenda on the handmaids and treating them as much like objects as the men in the story do. Another group who seems to do this is the wives, most notably, Serena Joy. Instead of siding with the handmaids in their battle against a male-dominated society, the wives treat them with little to no respect and continuously show petty jealousy towards them. In fact, most or all of the women in The Handmaids Tale are portrayed in this manner. While the handmaids themselves show solidarity on some occasions, they too exhibit petty jealousy and backbiting in other scenes in the book. They also take part in the most shocking scene in the book. The handmaids rip and tear a young manShow MoreRelatedFeminism In The Handmaids Tale1709 Words   |  7 PagesThe Republic of Gilead, a dystopian world wi th a patriarchal society, is displayed in Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale. More specifically, the novel takes place in what used to be considered the United States but is now being called the Republic of Gilead where freedoms and rights have been excluded, especially for women. The society nurtures a â€Å"theocratic, patriarchal, nightmare world created by men, with the complicity of women† (â€Å"Margaret (Eleanor) Atwood†). The separation of the freedoms betweenRead MoreFeminism in The Handmaids Tale626 Words   |  3 PagesChoice Novel Paper: Feminism in The Handmaid’s Tale In today’s news we see many disruptions and inconsistencies in society, and, according to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, humankind might be headed in that direction. The deterioration of society is a concept often explored biologically in novels, but less common, is the effect on everyday social constructs such as the position of women as a item that can be distributed and traded-in for a ‘better’ product. The Handmaid’s Tale elaborates theRead MoreFeminism In The Handmaids Tale1422 Words   |  6 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is set in a future time period where the United States is under the control of the Gileadean regime. A terrorist attack leads to the collapse of Congress, the suspension of the Constitution, and the establishment of a theocratic totalitarian government. Men and women are given roles within society; they are Commanders, Eyes, Handmaids, and Marthas. In this novel, Atwood explores a promine nt social issue, feminism. The suppression and power of women are examinedRead MoreSummary Of Feminism In The Handmaids Tale724 Words   |  3 PagesMerriam Webster defines feminism is defined as â€Å"the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes† (Merriam-Webster). Still, today in America, the thought of gender equality idealistic because the system is internally misogynistic. Margaret Atwood tackles internalized misogyny because of hierarchal patriarchy in her dystopia, Gilead. She creates a world where on the surface women are equal while underlying criticizing religious conservative politics. Writer, Fiona Tolan analyzesRead MoreThe Significance Of Feminism In The Handmaids Tale991 Words   |  4 Pagesgranted. This is evident through Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, a work of speculative fiction that depicts a dystopian future world called Gilead. In this novel, Atwood does a great job of highlighting the significance of feminism or specifically the lack thereof and warns the reader of the consequences that comes along with not recognising the effects on women in a patriarchal society. During the 1980’s, when The Handmaid’s Tale was written, women in North America had the right to voteRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale Feminism Essay1465 Words   |  6 PagesMargaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is undoubtedly a staple piece when considering feminism in literature. While most works might take a firm stand on one side or the other when considering feminism, The Handmaid’s Tale approaches the subject differently; instead of establishing an ironclad position either supporting or condemning feminist ideals, Atwood’s novel showcases both ends of a spectrum concerning the advantages and disadvantages of such a movement in a democratic-turned-totalitarianRead MoreThoughts on Feminism and Dystopia in the Handmaid’s Tale Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX ENGL 252-01 28 November 2012 Thoughts on Feminism and Dystopia in The Handmaid’s Tale The Annotated Bibliography Dopp, Jamie. Subject-Position as Victim-Position in The Handmaids Tale. Studies in Canadian Literature / Études en littà ©rature canadienne [Online], 19.1 (1994): n. page. Web. 27 Nov. 2012 Dopp believes that Dopp believes that the goal of The Handmaid’s Tale is to work against the oppression of women, While he feels that is actually does theRead MoreFeminism in Top Girls and The Handmaids Tale Essay1635 Words   |  7 PagesBoth Top Girls and The Handmaid’s Tale relate to contemporary political issues and feminism. Top Girls was written by Caryl Churchill, a political feminist playwright, as a response to Thatcher’s election as a first female British Prime Minister. Churchill was a British social feminist in opposition to Thatcherism. Top Girls was regarded as a unique play about the challenges working women face in the contemporary business world and society at large. Churchill once wrote: ‘Playwrights don’t give answersRead MoreEssay on Feminism in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale1096 Words   |  5 PagesFeminism in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale In The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood explores the role that women play in society and the consequences of a countryà ­s value system. She reveals that values held in the United States are a threat to the livelihood and status of women. As one critic writes, â€Å"the author has concluded that present social trends are dangerous to individual welfare† (Prescott 151).   The novel is set in the near future in Gilead, formerly the U.S., at a time whenRead MoreFeminism Lost in Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale Essay1527 Words   |  7 PagesIn Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale, the human spirit has evolved to such a point that it cannot be subdued by complacency. Atwood shows Gilead as an extremist state with strong religious connotations. We see the outcome of the reversal of women’s rights and a totalitarian government which is based on reproduction. Not only is the government oppressive, but we see the female roles support and enable the oppression of other female characters. â€Å"This is an open ended text,†¦conscious of the possibilities

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