Critical views and reviews The Handmaid’s Tale Critical views and reviews

Feminism and Utopianism by Alessa Johns

Education in Feminist Utopias Fostered through conversation, which trains girls in current affairs, language and critical thinking Judith Drake’s: Essay in Defence of the Female Sex (1696) – suggests that girls were in fact more adept (skillfully) socially than boys because they participated in discussions of books rather than pursuing a classical education, which emphasised Latin and Greek Despite women’s increasing access to education and libraries through the twentieth century, feminists have not left off insisting on the continued relevance of reading, though the ways the issue is framed have changed in a world shaped by new media. In a dystopian work such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1986) the dangers of digitisation are depicted in the fundamentalist Republic of Gilead, where people’s identities are stolen electronically and books outlawed and burned. The female narrator Offred, desperately greedy for the intellectual stimulation of words, devours even a shabby, antiquated issue of Vogue magazine illicitly acquired through her Commander. Together they play a furtive game of Scrabble.

Dystopian Work Dangers of digitisation are depicted in the fundamentalist Republic of Gilead where: People’s identities = stolen electronically Books = outlawed & burned  Female narrator Offred, is desperately greedy for the intellectual stimulation of words, devours even a shabby, antiquated issue of Vogue magazine illicitly acquired through her Commander

Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid’s Tale by Faye Hammill Science fiction is a way of looking at things, and it’s a way of looking at things that is very hard to do in any other kind of fiction. It’s a creation of a different kind of metaphor. Margaret Atwood (Tidmarsh 1992: 24) The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) remains the outstanding success of Margaret Atwood’s career, and is the novel that made her an international celebrity. In all three books (‘The Blind Assassin’ 2000 & ‘Oryx and Crake’ 2003), Atwood creates “a different kind of metaphor” by constructing temporally distant societies whose apparent unfamiliarity only barely disguises their direct relevance to the novelist’s present as well as to various earlier periods of human history  The Handmaid’s Tale describes a near-future USA society, the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian theocracy governed by white, male supremacists. Atwood herself, while acknowledging the influence of writers such as Orwell and Huxley on her own work, notes that: “The majority of dystopias . . . have been written by men, and the point of view has been male” (Atwood 2003c). Endings: Winston  still seems doomed (Nineteen Eighty-Four). Whereas Atwood permits a greater measure of optimism by leaving open the possibility that “Offred” will escape. Her narrative ends when a van comes for her = ambiguous. Apparently a police van, taking her to be executed as a subversive, but it may in fact belong to the underground rescue operation. The very existence of the underground movement in Gilead, together with the Handmaid’s success in recording her story, offer hope that the ideology of the regime can be challenged, and transforms the novel itself into a site of resistance against patriarchy and totalitarianism Atwood’s conception of time travel, then, does not involve a tardis but an imagi- native reconstruction of an unfamiliar society, which may exist in the past or future, or – as in The Handmaid’s Tale – both at once Barbara Rigney, commenting on the Handmaids’ red gowns, argues that these women are “personifications of a religious sacrifice, temple prostitutes” (Rigney 1987: 117). The ideas voiced by the Aunts, the female control agency in The Handmaid’s Tale, read at times like a grotesque parody of the 1870s social purity movement, whose primary aims were the elimination of prostitution and of the sexual harassment and abuse of girls and women. The movement demonstrated “an interesting fusion of fem- inist impulses within an old fashioned purity agenda” (Jeffreys 1997: 195).

Andrew Tidmarsh 1992: 24 Science fiction is a way of looking at things, and it’s a way of looking at things that is very hard to do in any other kind of fiction. It’s a creation of a different kind of metaphor. Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid’s Tale by Faye Hammill Science fiction is a way of looking at things, and it’s a way of looking at things that is very hard to do in any other kind of fiction. It’s a creation of a different kind of metaphor. Margaret Atwood (Tidmarsh 1992: 24)

Hammill’s Views  The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) remains the outstanding success of Atwood’s career, and is the novel that made her an international celebrity The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) remains the outstanding success of Margaret Atwood’s career, and is the novel that made her an international celebrity. In all three books (‘The Blind Assassin’ 2000 & ‘Oryx and Crake’ 2003), Atwood creates “a different kind of metaphor” by constructing temporally distant societies whose apparent unfamiliarity only barely disguises their direct relevance to the novelist’s present as well as to various earlier periods of human history  The Handmaid’s Tale describes a near-future USA society, the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian theocracy governed by white, male supremacists. Atwood herself, while acknowledging the influence of writers such as Orwell and Huxley on her own work, notes that: “The majority of dystopias . . . have been written by men, and the point of view has been male” (Atwood 2003c). Endings: Winston  still seems doomed (Nineteen Eighty-Four). Whereas Atwood permits a greater measure of optimism by leaving open the possibility that “Offred” will escape. Her narrative ends when a van comes for her = ambiguous. Apparently a police van, taking her to be executed as a subversive, but it may in fact belong to the underground rescue operation. The very existence of the underground movement in Gilead, together with the Handmaid’s success in recording her story, offer hope that the ideology of the regime can be challenged, and transforms the novel itself into a site of resistance against patriarchy and totalitarianism Atwood’s conception of time travel, then, does not involve a tardis but an imagi- native reconstruction of an unfamiliar society, which may exist in the past or future, or – as in The Handmaid’s Tale – both at once Barbara Rigney, commenting on the Handmaids’ red gowns, argues that these women are “personifications of a religious sacrifice, temple prostitutes” (Rigney 1987: 117). The ideas voiced by the Aunts, the female control agency in The Handmaid’s Tale, read at times like a grotesque parody of the 1870s social purity movement, whose primary aims were the elimination of prostitution and of the sexual harassment and abuse of girls and women. The movement demonstrated “an interesting fusion of fem- inist impulses within an old fashioned purity agenda” (Jeffreys 1997: 195).

Atwood’s Novels In all 3 books (‘The Blind Assassin’ 2000, ‘Oryx and Crake’ 2003’ & ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ 1985) – Atwood creates “a different kind of metaphor” by constructing temporally distant societies whose apparent unfamiliarity only barley disguises their direct relevance to the novelist’s present and to various earlier periods of human history The Handmaid’s Tale – describes a near-future USA society, the Republic of Gilead = a totalitarian theocracy governed by white, male supremacists Atwood herself, while acknowledging the influence of writers such as Orwell and Huxley on her own work, notes that: “The majority of dystopias . . . have been written by men, and the point of view has been male” (Atwood 2003c). Endings: Winston  still seems doomed (Nineteen Eighty-Four). Whereas Atwood permits a greater measure of optimism by leaving open the possibility that “Offred” will escape. Her narrative ends when a van comes for her = ambiguous. Apparently a police van, taking her to be executed as a subversive, but it may in fact belong to the underground rescue operation. The very existence of the underground movement in Gilead, together with the Handmaid’s success in recording her story, offer hope that the ideology of the regime can be challenged, and transforms the novel itself into a site of resistance against patriarchy and totalitarianism Atwood’s conception of time travel, then, does not involve a tardis but an imagi- native reconstruction of an unfamiliar society, which may exist in the past or future, or – as in The Handmaid’s Tale – both at once Barbara Rigney, commenting on the Handmaids’ red gowns, argues that these women are “personifications of a religious sacrifice, temple prostitutes” (Rigney 1987: 117). The ideas voiced by the Aunts, the female control agency in The Handmaid’s Tale, read at times like a grotesque parody of the 1870s social purity movement, whose primary aims were the elimination of prostitution and of the sexual harassment and abuse of girls and women. The movement demonstrated “an interesting fusion of fem- inist impulses within an old fashioned purity agenda” (Jeffreys 1997: 195).

Atwood’s influences  While acknowledging the influence of writers such as Orwell and Huxley on her own work, she notes that: “The majority of dystopias… have been written by men, and the point of view has been male” (Atwood 2003c) Endings: Winston  still seems doomed (Nineteen Eighty-Four). Whereas Atwood permits a greater measure of optimism by leaving open the possibility that “Offred” will escape. Her narrative ends when a van comes for her = ambiguous. Apparently a police van, taking her to be executed as a subversive, but it may in fact belong to the underground rescue operation. The very existence of the underground movement in Gilead, together with the Handmaid’s success in recording her story, offer hope that the ideology of the regime can be challenged, and transforms the novel itself into a site of resistance against patriarchy and totalitarianism Atwood’s conception of time travel, then, does not involve a tardis but an imagi- native reconstruction of an unfamiliar society, which may exist in the past or future, or – as in The Handmaid’s Tale – both at once Barbara Rigney, commenting on the Handmaids’ red gowns, argues that these women are “personifications of a religious sacrifice, temple prostitutes” (Rigney 1987: 117). The ideas voiced by the Aunts, the female control agency in The Handmaid’s Tale, read at times like a grotesque parody of the 1870s social purity movement, whose primary aims were the elimination of prostitution and of the sexual harassment and abuse of girls and women. The movement demonstrated “an interesting fusion of fem- inist impulses within an old fashioned purity agenda” (Jeffreys 1997: 195).

Endings: Nineteen Eighty-Four and The Handmaid’s Tale Winston Smith – still seems doomed Atwood – permits a greater measure of optimism by leaving open the possibility that ‘Offred’ will escape. Her narrative ends when a van comes for her = ambiguous: Supposedly a police van, taking her to be executed as a subversive BUT… could belong to the underground rescue operation - The very existence of the underground movement in Gilead, together with the Handmaid’s success in recording her story, offer hope that the ideology of the regime can be challenged, and transforms the novel itself into a site of resistance against patriarchy and totalitarianism Atwood’s conception of time travel, then, does not involve a tardis but an imagi- native reconstruction of an unfamiliar society, which may exist in the past or future, or – as in The Handmaid’s Tale – both at once Barbara Rigney, commenting on the Handmaids’ red gowns, argues that these women are “personifications of a religious sacrifice, temple prostitutes” (Rigney 1987: 117). The ideas voiced by the Aunts, the female control agency in The Handmaid’s Tale, read at times like a grotesque parody of the 1870s social purity movement, whose primary aims were the elimination of prostitution and of the sexual harassment and abuse of girls and women. The movement demonstrated “an interesting fusion of fem- inist impulses within an old fashioned purity agenda” (Jeffreys 1997: 195).

Time  Atwood’s conception of time travel, then, does not involve a tardis but an imaginative reconstruction of an unfamiliar society, which may exist in the past or future, or.. both Barbara Rigney, commenting on the Handmaids’ red gowns, argues that these women are “personifications of a religious sacrifice, temple prostitutes” (Rigney 1987: 117). The ideas voiced by the Aunts, the female control agency in The Handmaid’s Tale, read at times like a grotesque parody of the 1870s social purity movement, whose primary aims were the elimination of prostitution and of the sexual harassment and abuse of girls and women. The movement demonstrated “an interesting fusion of fem- inist impulses within an old fashioned purity agenda” (Jeffreys 1997: 195).

Barbara Rigney, argues that these women are ‘personifications of a religious sacrifice, temple prostities’ (Rigney 1987: 117) due to their red gowns worn The ideas voiced by the Aunts, the female control agency, read at times like a grotesque parody of the 1870s social purity movement, whose primary aims were the elimination of prostitution and of the sexual harassment and abuse of girls and women. The movement demonstrated ‘an interesting fusion of feminist impulses within an old fashioned purity agenda’ (Jeffreys 1997: 195)

Robert Kidd – Dystopia- A Overview

Dystopian Text Usually involves a world where a ruling ideology imposes its vision of social order on the masses as in Nineteen Eighty-Four or The Handmaid’s Tale Often those in power insist that their vision of society is a ‘perfect’ one – a utopian world. What becomes clear in each re-working of the genre is that one individual’s utopian idyll is a dystopian reality imposed on those who do not share his or her perfect vision dystopian text usually involves a world where a ruling ideology imposes its vision of social order on the masses as in Nineteen Eighty-Four or The Handmaid's Tale. Often those in power insist that their vision of society is a 'perfect' one - a utopian world. What becomes clear in each re-working of the genre is that one individual's utopian idyll is a dystopian reality imposed on those who do not share his or her perfect vision.

Gabriela Reigh – Writing Women’s Voices

Covert Resistance Set in a dystopian regime which reduces women to their biological function. By being cast as a Handmaid, Offred’s identity = reduced to her physical body, as her ability to bear children is exploited by the government By naming her Offred (Of-Fred), the government attempts to wipe away her individuality and emphasise the fact that she is the property of the Commander, the man whose children she is required to conceive The Handmaid's Tale is set in a dystopian regime which reduces women to their biological function. By being cast as a Handmaid, Offred's identity is reduced to her physical body, as her ability to bear children is exploited by the government. By naming her Offred (Of- Fred), the government attempts to wipe away her individuality and emphasise the fact that she is the property of the Commander, the man whose children she is required to conceive

Telling their own stories An important step in all the women’s journey of self-discovery is the ability to tell their own stories Atwood uses the first person narrative to show the importance of women using language as a means of taking control of their lives – it is the patriarchal society that ‘owns’ language and therefore defines women Offred’s desperation is portrayed during an illicit game of Scrabble with the Commander, where the pleasure she takes in controlling language again takes on an almost physical intensity …. ‘The feeling is voluptuous. This is freedom, an eyeblink of it’ An important step in all the women's journey of self-discovery is the ability to tell their own stories. All three novels use their first person narrators to show the importance of women using language as a means of taking control of their lives. In all three texts, it is the patriarchal society that 'owns' language and therefore defines these women. Her desperation is portrayed during an illicit game of Scrabble with the Commander, where the pleasure she takes in controlling language again takes on an almost physical intensity:

Independent: Lesley McDowell

McDowell’s Review ‘Atwood’s feminist dystopia has now reached the status of classic, and may well prove to be the book she is remembered for’ ‘Its freshness, its anger and its disciplined, taut prose have only grown more admirable in the intervening years’ ‘Atwood’s novel was an ingenious enterprise that showed, without hysteria, the real dangers to women of closing their eyes to patriarchal oppression’ Margaret Atwood's feminist dystopia has now reached the status of a classic, and may well prove to be the book she is remembered for.

The Guardian: Charlotte Newman

Newman’s Review ‘Atwood’s chilling tale of a concubine in an oppressive future America is more vital than ever’ ‘Fiercely political and bleak, yet witty and wise… but Atwood has always maintained that the novel is not classifiable science fiction. Nothing practiced in the Republic of Gilead is genuinely futuristic. She is right, and this novel seems ever more vital in the present day, where women in many parts of the world live similar lives, dictated by biological determinism and misogyny’ Fiercely political and bleak, yet witty and wise, the novel won the inaugural Arthur C Clarke award in 1987, but Atwood has always maintained that the novel is not classifiable science fiction. Nothing practised in the Republic of Gilead is genuinely futuristic. She is right, and this novel seems ever more vital in the present day, where women in many parts of the world live similar lives, dictated by biological determinism and misogyny. Atwood's chilling tale of a concubine in an oppressive future America is more vital than ever