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The Handmaid's Tale (Atwood (1985) (Entire society of Gilead is based…
The Handmaid's Tale
Iraq context
Right wing rebelled and over threw the monarchy as of the extreme Western changes to the country.
Repressed into a theocratic dictatorship which has removed women's rights
Women are not allowed to:
file for divorce
Wear clothes which show any indication of their body shape
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Atwood (1985)
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Biblical references are used to justify women's submissive place, but the Bible is not allowed to be read by women - forbidden knowledge
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Historical notes by professor Pieixto show academic study of the Tale - Telling and Retelling - the need to witness
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Fertility issues - men could not be barren and women are responsible if there is an issue with conception.
Distortion of human relationships "he was fucking the lower half of my body" she is a vessel to have children with, defined by her womb
Women's roles are defined by their identical uniforms Handmaid = red, Wife = blue, ecowife = multicolored. They are not seen as individuals but instead a collective.
Salvagings = women communally kill a "rapist" who is really a member of the resistance - states exploitation of fear and hatred.
Offred remains sane through her use of language and telling her tale which she often reconstructs to make it more bearable. Scene with nick.
Sexual context
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Romania - communist dictator banned all birth control and abortions in 1967, mentioned by Pieixto in notes.
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Regulated sexual relationships - North Korea - same sex relationships are not accepted by state.
Goverment regulation = Distortion of human relationships
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Political context
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Religious right in America was the backlash to the left wing progress of feminism and Free love movements.
Donald Trump - Radical movements are taken when people are satisfied, give up freedom temporary for more in the future. "freedom from and freedom to" Passed laws changing women's health when signed the Anti-abortion laws which change family planning for thousands of women
1970's Jerry Falwell and Christian leaders urged republican party to bring prayer back to schools, diminish abortion rights and defeat the Equal Rights movement.
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DystopianTropes
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Governance, political power and its exploitation.
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Bible plays the superficial role in the naming of places and people in Gilead. Provides justification for the regime to give these roles to people.
Men are called according to their role, "commanders of the Faithful" and "guardians of Faith"
"Angels" are soldiers, "Angels of light" - suggesting innocence or holy nature they fight in war. Suggesting they fight for religion?
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In the Bible Gilead is a very fertile and desirable. Ironically Atwoods Gillead is barren and devastated by pollution
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"Blessed are the silent. I knew they made that up, I knew it was wrong" "There was no way of checking"
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"We can be read from it by him, but we cannot read"
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Handmaids submit to patriarchal regime , objected and reduced down to their procreative function. LANG
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