The Handmaid’s Tale, Book Review Example

Authored in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian fiction that has often been compared to Orwell’s 1984. The book was written in response to the rise of religious rights in the United States during the early 1980s. The story is set in the near future in the Republic of Gilead, a theocratic military dictatorship that has overthrown the United States government. In this new society, women are divided into classes based on their reproductive status and treated as the state’s property. The handmaids, the fertile women, are assigned to the homes of the elite to bear children for them. The book follows the story of a handmaid struggling to survive in this oppressive society. While the piece is a work of fiction, numerous elements of the story are rooted in reality. The rise of the religious right in the United States and the increasing attacks on women’s reproductive rights make it seem like the events in the book could one day become a reality. In addition, the book highlights the dangers of giving too much power to the government. The Handmaid’s Tale is a warning to society about what could happen if it is not careful about the decisions it makes. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a fictitious world where devout insurgents have taken over a significant part of America and transformed Gilead. Atwood creates a dystopian society in which she addresses the potential reality of the loss of reproductive rights for women. The book has been praised for its realism, and many have speculated about the possibility of the events within it coming to pass. While it is true that the book is a work of fiction, certain elements make the possibility of Atwood’s vision becoming a reality not as far-fetched as one might think.

The first reason The Handmaid’s Tale could become a reality is that it is based on a true story. The book is based on the true story of individuals forced to flee their homes in Massachusetts due to religious persecution. This story provides a basis for the events in the book and shows that the idea of a dystopian society in which women are stripped of their reproductive rights is not as far-fetched as it may seem. Another reason why the tale could become a reality is the current political climate. In the United States, there is a strong push by religious conservatives to control women’s reproductive rights. It has led to the passage of laws restricting access to abortion and contraception and has also resulted in the defunding of Planned Parenthood. If these trends continue, it is not difficult to imagine a future where women are stripped of their reproductive rights altogether. Finally, the story could become a reality because of the way that technology is currently being used to control women’s bodies. In the book, the government uses technology to track women’s menstrual cycles and monitor their fertility. It is not unlike how many companies currently use technology to track women’s health data. If this trend continues, it is not difficult to imagine a future in which the government uses technology to control women’s reproductive rights.

In as much as the narrative in the Handmaid’s Tale is based on an imaginary future, the author centered on applying a concept of not including events in the book that had not already happened in the past or a technology that is not yet already available. The aspect that makes the book a precise and accurate prediction of the future is that the author does not use imaginary gizmos, atrocities, and laws to shape the narrative; however, she uses actual events. In the book, Gilead rises to command after a severe failure in fertility because of the contaminated surroundings that make people barren. “In today’s real world, studies show a sharp fertility decline in Chinese men,” Atwood wrote (Atwood 2). As a result, the rulers develop a strategy to have handmaids be surrogates for barren spouses. According to Atwood:

Under totalitarianism — or indeed in any sharply hierarchical society — the ruling class monopolizes valuable things, so the regime’s elite arrange to have fertile females assigned to them as Handmaids. The biblical precedent is the story of Jacob, his two wives, Rachel and Leah, and their two handmaids. One man, four women, 12 sons — but the handmaids could not claim the sons. They belonged to the respective wives. (Atwood 2)

Handmaids in the narrative are women who have sinned in some way. However, they can bear children. Using fertile women as surrogates illustrates a prediction of the future, as this premise is also based on historical accounts.

More so, the book predicts a future where people will lose control, whereas the government will gain control of their biological bodies. In the narrative, African Americans are sent to ‘National Homeland One’ to practice farming against their will, which predicts the return of racial prejudices in the future (Atwood 17). Besides, religious massacres are also projected to occur as Jews are deported to Israel, and if they are apprehended in Gilead while practicing their religion, they are subjected to hanging. These proceedings predict the oncoming of a facet of biopower in the future. States are thus expected to make decisions and conclusions they deem suitable for society. In as much majority of the choices might be considered beneficial, the fact that the government is the only stakeholder that decides everything illustrates the prediction that people will not have democracy in the future (Atwood 9). Thus, the forecast from the book gives the mentality that in the future, people who will listen and adhere to governmental regulations will be safe; however, those who will not be regarded as a threat to society must be dealt with accordingly. For instance, homosexuals in the book are punished by being deported to radioactive colonies. Hence, in the future, it is likely to come true that the government will have the authority to order and shape people to its own will.

Lastly, the book predicts of revolt that will take place in the future due to the subjugation of the populace. As much as the threat of death is practical to gain control over people, people will eventually become desperate enough to revolt against the government (Atwood 12). Implications are that it will come true that women will lose their biological identities and be increasingly pliant to the control of the state if governments will heavily control all aspects of sex and sexuality. The narrative illustrates how it will come to be true that feminists will be attacked for creating mentalities that lead to a reduction in birth rates, effectively unhinged the ongoing movement. Also, it is factual that it will come to be true that the government, in this context, the Gilead government, will anticipate the coming of new generations, as the ages would not know that the world they reside in is subjugating. The author predicts the progression of Gilead’s politics in the future, as the coming generations will lead their lives without realizing that they live in complete suppression. The author implies that the only way to recognize oppression that is prospected in the future would be through having memories to compare it to, which the coming new generations would not have.

Conclusion

In summary, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is a cautionary narrative of what will happen to civilization when citizens cede too much authority to the government. The government manipulates citizens’ fears to support policies that increase government power over the people. These projections are likely to come true in the future as currently, people highly value security, which will ironically lead them to be subjugated and end up with nothing to secure in the future.

Works Cited

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. Vol. 301. Everyman’s Library, 2006.