The Handmaids Tale Essay - 931 Words

The Handmaids Tale Serena Joy is the most powerful female presence in the hierarchy of Gileadean women; she is the central character in the dystopian novel, signifying the foundation for the Gileadean regime. Atwood uses Serena Joy as a symbol for the present dystopian society, justifying why the society of Gilead arose and how its oppression had infiltrated the lives of unsuspecting people. Atwood individualises the character of Serena Joy, as her high status in the society demands power and the domination over the inferior members of the Commander’s household, such as Offred – a handmaid. This shows that Serena Joy has a sense of control, using this privilege to become â€Å"a woman who might bend the rules†; this is similar to the†¦show more content†¦Atwood demonstrates a sense of hatred and jealousy within Serena Joy, which is directed towards Offred as she is unintentionally an intruder and is invading Serena Joy’s private life. Eventually, this jealousy enables Serena Joy to try to obliviate Offred by â€Å"fixing it up with Nick†. Also, Serena Joy indicates that she is willing to â€Å"help† Offred by showing her a â€Å"picture†, â€Å"something you want†. However, all these actions are a result of Serena Joy’s self-interest and her manipulative personality, â€Å"there’s a hint of h er former small-screen mannequin’s allure, flickering over her face like momentary static†. Consequently, Atwood highlights Serena Joy’s â€Å"roguish† actions caused by jealousy and a desire for revenge upon the very person who has been deprived her of possession of the Commander; she deliberately withheld the news of Offred’s lost daughter and the photograph that Offred has been longing for. Atwood’s creation of Serena Joy and the presentation of her character are interesting, as Serena Joy emerges with natural power and a high status from her previous life as a media personality. Serena Joy has an aura of charismatic characteristics, which she used to present speeches about the â€Å"sanctity of the home, about how women should stay at home†. Yet this is another contradiction of Serena Joy’s acceptance of Gileadean society, as â€Å"she doesn’t make speeches anymore. She has become speechless†, because â€Å"sheShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaids Tale715 Words   |  3 PagesImagine growing up in a society where all women are useful is to reproduce. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is an excellent novel of what could potentially be the fate of the future one day. The main character, Offred, moves into a new home where she is there to perform â€Å"rituals† with the Commander, head of the house, so she can hopefully reproduce herself. The Commander is a key character for he can get rid of Offred if he does not like her and he has all the power. The two end up havingRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesUpon reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, one notices the tragedy of women losing rights. Imagine the feelings of losing all rights and freedoms; h ow hard the transition would be from an American society, centered on freedoms, to the society where Offred lives in The Handmaid’s Tale. Thankfully for all Americans, Atwood’s prediction of what society would become in the future was inaccurate. But, not all countries enjoy the same freedoms and luxuries as America does; the treatment of womenRead MoreFeminism In The Handmaids Tale1709 Words   |  7 PagesThe Republic of Gilead, a dystopian world with a patriarchal society, is displayed in Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale. More specifically, the novel takes place in what used to be considered the United States but is now being called the Republic of Gilead where freedoms and rights have been excluded, especially for women. 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The deterioration of society is a concept often explored biologically in novels, but less common, is the effect on everyday social constructs such as the position of women as a item that can be distributed and traded-in for a ‘better’ product. The Handmaid’s Tale elaborates the conceptRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale Essay1732 Words   |  7 PagesBrenda Guillen Professor XXX Class November 8, 2017 Then vs. Now, the Realities of of Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ in Modern Day America The novel quot;The Handmaid#39;s Talequot; written by Margaret Atwood in 1985 is a fictional novel about Gilead, a place ruled by male religious fundamentalists who rape women labeled as handmaids to bear children for infertile wives. The society encourages the enslavement of women to control their reproductive rights. While Atwood’s novel depicts a fictionalRead MoreFeminism In The Handmaids Tale1422 Words   |  6 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is set in a future time period where the United States is under the control of the Gileadean regime. A terrorist attack leads to the collapse of Congress, the suspension of the Constitution, and the establishment of a theocratic totalitarian government. Men and women are given roles within society; they are Commanders, Eyes, Handmaids, and Marthas. In this novel, Atwood explores a prominent social issue, feminism. The suppression and power of women are examined