Handmaid's Suicides

959 Words4 Pages
"The crimes of others are a secret language among us. Through them we show ourselves what we might be capable of, after all. This is not a popular announcement." Violence is the regime’s most powerful weapon, particularly sexual violence against women. In the novel the Ceremony where Handmaid’s are compelled to have sex with their Commanders in hope of becoming pregnant, vividly demonstrates the loss of sexual power these women have. They have no choice but to follow the orders of the regime and sexual pleasure is strictly denied in all circumstances. The government of Gilead claims that this new system is protecting women; keeping them safe from violence and the prevalence of pornography/rape that the pre-Gilead society contained. Although…show more content…
Is this how men see women in today’s generation? We, as individuals are so much more than that. The continual issue of sexual violence towards women is also portrayed to the reader through a club called Jezebels. Women either have the choice to get sent away to the Colonies or become a prostitute, existing purely for men’s pleasure and desire. Atwood vividly demonstrates to the reader the physical consequences that the women of Gilead are subjected to. The regime can carry out as many punishments as it wants, such as forcing women to watch others get hung, abused and tortured. By doing this, Atwood cleverly mirrors the realities of society that unfortunately still exist today. In 2001, a militant group enforced the rule that Muslim women located in Kashmir must cover up their bodies completely and if they refuse they put themselves at risk of getting attacked. An incident that occurred in the region strongly accentuated the violence against women when two men threw acid in the faces of two female Muslims because they weren’t covered up in their assigned garments. In “The Handmaids Tale” any crime can ultimately result in a public execution and a hanging on “The…show more content…
After reading this compelling novel readers are left with many unanswered questions and concerns about the world we live in today. Well respected authors aspire to leave readers thinking long after they have put it down. Atwood is a fine example of this; by asking in the final sentence “Are there any questions?” she encourages them to form their own opinions of the text about what they believe is wrong or right. This creates curiosity, forcing the reader to think about how they as individuals would react in a patriarchal society. Can Gilead be blamed for its actions or were these actions necessary due to the situation? By personally connecting the reader to the story, they are more likely to take the lessons that they learned and execute them in their day to day lives. This successfully shows that Atwood is capable of change and wants to help prevent a dystopia like Gilead from originating. The themes and ideas throughout highlight inequality making it virtually impossible to not question these issues. “Question everything before you find that your ability to question everything is taken away”. This emphasizes how much freedom we have in today’s society compared to the women in Gilead, however it makes me personally envision the future and contemplate the possibility of a regime such as Gilead being established. The examination of the ideas and themes evident
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