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"The Handmaid's Tale" - Theme: Power & Identity. …

- - - - The hanging man on the wall and Salvaging ceremonies with armed Angles are optimal example of how physical fear are formed. The women are shown with an object of fear and their result if they don't fear them. Trying to restrict the women's free will of resisting the current system.
      - “I don’t want to see it anymore. I look at the grass instead. I describe the rope." (Atwood, 274 )
    - - The testimony during the handmaid's time at the red center is an example of creating Emotional fear. It brings back memory of individuals and humiliates them, creating mental fear for others. Example being Janine's experience having her gang-raped past being brought up and blame on.
      - '“But who’s fault is it?” women (including Offred) chanted “Her fault”, then the aunt blamed her for leading the men on, which ended with God doing this to teach her a lesson. After this, Janine started crying, while the rest of the crowd chanted “crybaby, crybaby” (Atwood, 85) (Paraphrased, original is too painful)
- - - - Even under the authorities rules and fear, we can still see the information networks of low status women at any occasion possible, through the free will of the group, and the group identity of Marthas and handmaids. An example is like how Offred heard about Moira's story after fourth hand information exchange at the Red Center. This showcases no matter what sinatioal the freewill and group as well as individual identity won't fade.
    - - Free will also lead to resistance in the Republic, there's many different groups that formed even under the fear regime of the Gileadean government. They are factions such as the Liberios, baptists, and the underground femaleroad. All showcasing how one's free will and group identity are still unique heavy pressure regime like this.
- - - - The Angels and Guardian system is a reflect of the authoritarian power. They are the tool used by the government to perform their oppression and fear on the women. But physical threats doesn't change the will of escaping this system, and the exsitiance of the underground femaleroad.
    - - The laws for women in the Gilead republic are also an example of the authoritarian power. As the law only see the higher status women (Wives and daughter) as human, while the rest of the women are belonging of their male family member. But even under this strict laws, resistance group like Ofglen's could still be established, showing how one's free will can't be stopped by authoritarian power.
- - - - The oppression to Handmaid and Marthas are near extreme. Handmaids and Marthas both have their right as human taken away. Handmaids are used as reproduction machines, while the Marthas are force labour slaves of the house. They are all treated as if they are machines, but they are oppression individuals, whom identity and free will are still clear. Even after oppressions like sexual exploitation and force pregnancy of the Handmaid, as we could see through Offred.