Assignment Paper on The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
Examine scenes in the novel that might clarify for a reader Offred's character as well as her situation. Focus on:
1. How and why has she become a Handmaid of Gilead?
2. What do you learn about her personality, her behavior, her motives?
Instructions: Focus on series of concrete examples in order to develop a generalization, to infer a pattern connecting the examples.
Adopt a public voice: address your readers as an audience that shares your knowledge of dystopian fiction and might be interested in reasoned conclusions that have some relevance to broader, more socially significant concerns beyond your own personal opinions. To what degree, in your view, does Atwood's novel warn about trends and attitudes in America today that might produce a more repressive society in the future? What does seem to express about human nature in general: About the exercise and effects of power? About the value and danger of human sexuality? About our experience of innocence and guilt? About male and female identity?
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Preview on ‘The Handmaid's Tale’
One of Margaret Atwood’s best composure is ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ The book examines the traditional identity of women, language, and the historical recalls. In the novel, Atwood exposes oppression of females in the totalitarian society, a civilization that reduced its women subjects to disenfranchised childbearing vessels. Centered on Offred, Atwood nurtures characters that invigorate the story. Besides, it is from Offred’s eyes that the story moves forward narrating her past, describing her pain, trauma, confusion, and loss. From her, learners can understand issues faced by women in the Gilead society. Thus, Offred plays a significant role in the novel. For instance, she bears much of the suffering that the females went through. Henceforth, the study uses Offred as a vehicle to explore ‘The Handmaid Tale’ especially on how the novel raises the feminist and humanitarian concerns.
The first person woman narrative perspective in the story is critical to the feminist concept of Atwood (Pettersson, 4). Offred’s life story in Gilead and before totalitarians era is enthralling; especially on how it illustrates the ‘place of women.’ In the Gilead society, women are perceived as objects. One of these subjects is Offred, the novel’s primary character, and narrator. She is the handmaid of Serena Joy and the Commander. She even disregards the Offred in the story, the reason why Shmoop referred to her as ‘the narrator.’ Because calling her Offred meant she belonged to her commander ((Nelson, 242). Besides, her position in the Gilead she comes out as handmaid narrating the story; hence, the Gilead world is experienced through her...