The genius work of art written by the talented Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, tells the tale of the character Offred who lives in the harsh world of Gilead. The story is set in a dystopian future, where the United States is overthrown by religious fundamentalists. These extremists separate mothers from their families and friends and force them to have children for governing commanders. From the unreliable narration to the heavy themes of power and control, The Handmaid’s Tale is still relevant today.
When beginning to read the book, you might be easily confused. The narrator Offred describes her day in a world that is unfamiliar to us. There is dialogue—sometimes with quotation marks, sometimes without—and there are characters with unusual names. But as you keep on reading the novel, you realize that every one of these small details has such a deeper meaning to the world and characters. The quotation marks, or lack thereof, distinguish Offred’s memories and reflections from her present dialogue. Names for the women in the book such as Offred and Ofglen are the names assigned to the women after they marry their commanders because they are now “of Glen” and “of Fred”—signifying ownership. By the end of the book, when all of the pieces of this puzzle come together, it brings a huge moment of realization that I would give anything to relive.
Atwood’s choice of an unreliable narrator immerses us in Offred’s struggle between obedience and rebellion, a duality that keeps us questioning the boundaries between resistance and survival. The themes of power and control are emphasized by Gilead’s brutal social order, where women’s identities are reduced to their functions. Throughout the novel,readers learn that a woman’s usefulness is reduced to whether or not they can fill their womb with a baby. Atwood masterfully illustrates these tragedies which causes the women to dehumanize themselves and others in the process. As we witness Offred’s memories of her lost freedoms and the bleak reality she now endures, the story serves as a powerful warning against the perils of extremism and authoritarianism.
Moreover, when Atwood published this novel almost 40 years ago in 1985, she described Gilead as a totalitarian regime. Everywhere Offred was, she was constantly watched, always watching over her shoulder, and always escorted everywhere by guards. One of the beauties of dystopian fiction is that decades could pass and slowly the story, which at the time seemed like an absurd scenario, comes nearer to existence. That happens to be the case with The Handmaid’s Tale, with multiple sources like The Washington Post claiming that former presidents want an authoritarian society.With the addition of 13 states having a total abortion ban, according to The New York Times, suddenly the possibility of living in a society like Gilead doesn’t seem so insane.
Yet, The Handmaid’s Tale also speaks to resilience. Despite the bleakness of her situation, Offred finds ways to rebel, however quietly. Small acts of defiance, like recalling memories from her past or forming connections with other women, are deeply human responses that show how power can never be fully absolute. This aspect of the novel reminds readers that resistance can take many forms, and even in the darkest moments, hope can persist. Atwood’s novel urges us to consider the costs of silence and asks readers to imagine what they would risk to preserve their own freedoms.
Ultimately, The Handmaid’s Tale is more than just a dystopian story; it’s a powerful reminder of the necessity of protecting human rights and the resilience required to fight for them. Through her meticulously crafted narrative and vivid characters, Atwood has given us a story that continues to provoke thought and spark discussions about the world we live in, and the one we may wish to avoid. I highly recommend anyone to read this meticulous book, regardless of if you are a big reader or not.
