The Handmaids Tale As A Dystopian Society - 1207 Words

In The Handmaid’s Tale, the author, Margaret Atwood, creates a dystopian society that is under theocratic rule. From this theocracy, each individual’s freedom is, for the most part, taken away. The Handmaid’s Tale creates a dystopia by placing restrictions on the individual’s freedom, using propaganda to control its citizens, and by having citizens of Gilead live in dehumanized ways. Furthermore, the creation of a hierarchal system in Gilead caused its citizens to lose the ability to feel empathy towards one another. In the search to create a perfect society, Gilead caused more harm and problems than expected which created a dystopia rather than a utopia. The Republic of Gilead is considered a dystopian society for multiple reasons.†¦show more content†¦With these changes to society, members often felt bounded by Gilead and the ability to control one’s thoughts appears impossible, as Aunt Lydia tells Offred, â€Å"The Republic of Gilead, s aid Aunt Lydia, knows no bounds. Gilead is within you† (Atwood 23). It appears that Aunt Lydia believes that Gilead is an internal part of each individual and therefore, it is always helping to ‘shape’ one’s thoughts and actions. Gilead’s justification of why women don’t need an education is that since a woman’s purpose in society is to bear children and raise them, they no longer require an education to perform such duties. The male population of Gilead did not lose the same rights that the women lost, however, males still have restricted freedom and restricted access to materials (books, magazines, etc). The restrictions placed on women’s and men’s lives in Gilead appear to match a characteristic of a dystopia. Since men and women don’t receive the same education in Gilead due to the restrictions on freedom, it would be improper to consider Gilead a utopia. The restrictions placed on television and media by the Re public of Gilead greatly affected the amount of knowledge (information) that individuals of society possess. Gilead places strict restrictions on television, only broadcasting specific media and newscast events. For example, the news would broadcast updates on the war that Gilead is ‘fighting’,Show MoreRelatedHow Is The Handmaids Tale As A Dystopian Society1419 Words   |  6 Pagesfor every human being. Year, after year, through the hands of authority, these features are ridden away; for children, women, workers and immigrants, in order to create capital for a prosperous few. The novel, The Handmaid s Tale, by Marget Atwood, envisioned a dystopian society; in which women, have a controlling hegemony dangling above their every action. 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