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the handmaid's tale context - Coggle Diagram
the handmaid's tale context
Atwood
wrote the novel mis 80s
"there's nothing in the book that hasn't already happened"
speculative fiction - imagines a future that could conceivably happen
dystopia
novel presents an imagined world where societies have diminished and become terrifying and restrictive
women rights have been fully decreased and reproduction is no longer belonging to nature but resides within government control
a warning for the dangers of nuclear advancements and destruction and the consequences that occur due to misogynistic control
authoritarianism - enforcement of a regime through totalitarian leadership and requires complete subservience to the state
political state
written shortly after Reagan and Thatcher had bee elected
conservative revival in the west
fuelled by strong, movement of religious conservatives who criticised the 'excessive sexual revolution' in 60s and 70s
growing power of 'religious right' tightened feminist fears that the gains women had achieved would be reversed
rise of conservatism
political view which supports the maintaining go traditional institution
encouraged the idea if family values and restrictions on homosexuality - founders of gilead too wanted to bring values of religion back to the centre of peoples lives
feminist movement
great triumphs In the 70s over legalisation of abortion and widespread access to contraception
in the novel these have been undone and now women are forbidden to vote, read or write
offers mother was a feminist - gives birth late in life, attends rallies and fights for women rights (all the aspects that Gilead oppresses
women against feminism eg serene joy based on Phyllis schlafy - anti feminist right wing who believed women place was at home
novel is created from a women perspective
environmental dangers
warns of danger of nuclear power as it would result in environmental degradation
widespread fear of pollution and the declining birth rates
pieixoto refers to nuclear plant accidents eg 3 mile island plant incident 1979 whihc had adverse effects on the environment and human and animal life
control of women
banning of birth control in Romania as a precedent for Gilead - pieixoto mentions
birth control banned to increase population 1966
many children abandoned and unwanted
real life disaster used to represent the ridiculousness of gilead laws
white rose group
underground resistance formed against nazis in ww2
links to mayday parade and underground female road in gilead
gilead is similar to the nazi movement
books are burned in ww2 similar to gileads strong restrictions on literature
Third reich encouraged to betray others- gilead relationships are hard to form trust
jew labelled less than human to justify their genocide - offered chart 30 states "before you kill, you have to create an it" showing the dehumanising process gilead complies with to justify genocide
MODERN DAY
Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy directly challenges Roe v Wade case
make abortions a decision for individual states
if the state agrees with Mississippi there will be an overturn of law and the constitutional protection of legal safe abortion rights will be diminished
'we hold that roe and Casey must be overruled' justice Samuel Alito - leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion
Roe v Wade
1973 precedent that established a constitutional right to an abortion