Feminism in The Handmaid’s Tale
Introduction
The Handmaid’s Tale presents several feminist issues. It portrays a patriarchal society where men rule, and women submit to them. By presenting a dystopian society, Margaret Atwood addresses feminism through the lives of her characters. She uses several literary devices to convey her message. Her characters and their experiences reveal the issues that currently affect society in a magnified manner. They provoke the reader’s thought process as they extraordinarily present feminist ideas. This paper will address several questions on feminism that arise from the book. Firstly, it will discuss Offred’s opinion of her body, and the portrayal of male and female relationships. It will also analyze the masculine and feminine traits that were accepted and valued in Gilead. Lastly, it will explore the meaning of the book’s ending.
Offred’s View of Her Body
Offred initially viewed her body as something that she owned and could use to benefit herself. In Chapter 13, Offred reflects on how her opinion on her body ahs changed. Before Gilead, she thought of her body as an instrument that she controlled and could use for her pleasure. She saw it as a means for accomplishing what she wanted. However, after becoming a handmaid, she saw it as a cloud that surrounded her womb (Atwood 91). The womb was a central object that was the only important part of her body. It was only valuable since it was to be used by men to bear children. Therefore, her body was, firstly, not her instrument anymore, but an object to be used by men for childbearing. Secondly, her body was not important apart from her uterus. This was taught by Aunt Lydia, who told the handmaids that their hands and feet were not important for their mission. Only their wombs were. She also views her body as a container with only the inside parts being valuable.
Relationships Between Men and Women in Gilead
- Male Dominance
The relationship between men and women in Gilead was patriarchal. It was characterized by male dominance. The men controlled everything and considered women to be objects with their primary role as bearing children for the men. Women did not have any independence or autonomy. They went along with what men said. The general nature of the relationships between men and women is evident in the way men were leaders in society and had submissive wives. The relationship between the Commander and Offred is an example of such a relationship. The Commander dominated, and Offred did what he asked. Women existed purely for reproduction purposes. Offred refers to women as “two-legged wombs”.
- Language and Power
The Handmaid’s Tale brings out the concept of language and how it facilitates power. It shows how patriarchal societies can use language as a tool of dominance. Men control language by dictating what can and cannot be said. The book shows the oppressive language that was used in Gilead to emphasize male domination. Offred often reflects on words and what they mean, in the process revealing to readers how language was a tool for power. An example is the word ‘household’. She expresses her thoughts about it. The women and servants in the house make up the household, with the Commander being its head. He held the house till death. This shows that even the words used were designed to express male dominance. She also remembers her husband Luke, who explained that fraternizing meant behaving like a brother, but there was no equivalent word for sisters. The language used excluded women in most cases. This is a form of dominance.
Another perspective of language was established through censorship. Women were not allowed to speak their minds or deviate from the customized language. They exchanged pleasantries, in the same manner, every time and used phrases like “peace be” and “blessed be the fruit” every day. The men who ruled society expressly set out the permissible language. They scripted conversations, and one could not deviate from the script. This was a limitation to the freedom of speech. In this way, women could not express their thoughts or speak against men. Language was, therefore, a tool of oppression. Atwood went a step further to show how men used language to wield power. When the Commander asked Offred to play scrabble, she was excited because she could use words that she was not allowed to. The Commander went a step further and started giving her magazines, which were forbidden along with every other literary work. By doing this, he wielded some power over her and started exploiting her.
Masculinity and Femininity
There were specific traits that the Gileadean society categorized as either masculine or feminine. The ideal man was strong, logical, protective of his family, powerful, wise, rich and potent. Men were the heads of their families and therefore had control. Potency was important since it defined a man’s status in society. When Offred witnessed another commander getting a child, she thought to herself that he would probably get a promotion. There was a general presumption that men were potent, and if they did not get children, the woman was the problem. Commander exemplified the ideal man in Gilead. He was strong and tough, exercising authority over his household. He was also rich, having a good home and guardians to take care of his garden.
Women were supposed to be modest, quiet, submissive, calm and obedient. Women wore costumes that signified modesty. They were not supposed to be seen by men. Aunt Lydia emphasized on the importance of modesty and equated it to being invisible, protected from the male gaze. Women walked silently and stared at the ground, since raising their heads was not permitted. They listened to men obediently and submitted to their directions. Offred expressed femininity outwardly, even when she did not feel like it. This shows that the women in Gilead had to comply with socially constructed ideas of femininity. In my opinion, the masculine and feminine characteristics were fluid. This is because the Aunts had masculine traits: exercising control over the handmaids and wielding some form of power over them. Nick was also a male who did not embody ideal masculinity. Traits were influenced by social status.
The Ending
The book ends in two ways. Firstly, Offred is arrested and taken away by the Eyes. She does not know her fate as she enters into a black van. Secondly, in the historical notes section, we find out that the Offred’s fate is not known, but the Eyes were members of Mayday. Therefore, it is not clear whether Offred was saved and taken to a safe place, or she was tortured and killed by the Eyes. In my opinion, the point of the uncertain ending is to allow readers to reflect on it and create their perceptions of the end. I take a pessimistic approach: I believe Offred was rescued and Mayday finally subdued the Gileadean leadership.
Conclusion
The Handmaid’s Tale reveals several issues that affect a patriarchal society. It is evident that in most male-dominated societies, women are viewed as objects for reproduction. They are also expected to be submissive and controlled by men. Further, men are seen to be rulers and powerful people who rule and make decisions that affect women. Attwood clearly reveals the idea that language can be used as a tool of dominance. The book is fascinating and thought-provoking.
References
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1986.