One of the most relatable subjects for any person, whether they be scholarly, politically active, socially deprived, or anything between and beyond, is the comparison between the sexes. Labels of many shapes and sizes formulate to denominate those with various stances regarding feelings towards the sexes; chauvinist, feminist, sexist, etc. Gender significance is a theme with high attribute in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, as it is the basis of all interactions between the sexes and the social echelons in the given society, focusing mainly around diminishing feminine roles in society.
All women in the presented society hold some form of lesser status, when compared to the men in the society. The handmaids, specifically, seemed to be the lowest of the groups of women on the social totem pole. Offred, the handmaid of which the novel is centered around, describes women in her society by saying that, “There is supposed to be nothing entertaining about us, no room is to be permitted for the flowering of secret lusts; no special favors are to be wheedled, by them or us, there are to be no toeholds for love. We are two-legged wombs, that’s all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices” (Atwood 136). This society has turned women, specifically the handmaids, into tools for various purposes. The handmaids, as described in the excerpt, are simply used as tools of reproduction, not allowed to feel emotion; enjoyment, lust, love, fulfillment. Similar feelings towards women are conveyed when Offred describes the handmaids’ hoarding of butter, and how essential it is for their skin. Offred says, regarding that the handmaids, that they, “…are containers, it’s only the insides of our bodies that are important. The outside can become hard and wrinkled, for all they care, like the shell of a nut. This was a decree of the Wives, this absence of hand lotion. They don’t want us to look attractive. For them, things are bad enough as it is” (96). It is now apparent that the handmaids are not the only class of women who face unjust treatment. The Wives do as well, and it can be inferred that all other classes of women also face this unrighteous treatment. It is evident that echelons are made in the society of Gilead based on sex, as the men are superior to the women in every aspect. Inferiority of women gives the plotline a chauvinistic tone, but gives the meaning of the story a feministic tone, and therefore makes the point easier to understand and more relatable.
The most appealing line in the novel to me would be during one of the first, if not the first, descriptions of the Wall made by Offred. She says, “…there are six more bodies hanging, by the necks, their hands tied in front of them, their heads in quite bags tipped sideqays onto their shoulders. There must have been a Men’s Salvaging early this morning. I didn’t hear the bells. Perhaps I’ve become used to them” (32). It is learned later in the novel that a Salvaging means, ironically, a killing of numerous people. By Offred saying that she must be used to the bells tolling the Salvaging of people, it offers little hope for humanity as the mass taking of lives is now a routine ritual, unnoticed by many. Nobody seems to care about humanity anymore, based on Offred’s reaction. This line seemed, to me, to be an early indicator of the lack of emotion that would be a central motif of the novel.
Overall, I would say I relatively liked the novel. At first it seemed to me to simply be another novel revolving around feminism, like the other hundreds of thousands of books I’ve read in academia. More feminism seemed to be simply dull and boring, and therefore I thought I’d greatly dislike it from the start. However, there was something different about The Handmaid’s Tale. It was its uniqueness, as it was, in fact, unlike anything I’ve ever read in the past. It gripped me as its own novel, not a simple imitation of a past work, and didn’t lead to the typical utter disgust I feel when reading yet another feminism-centered novel. I understand that the novel is about more than just feminism, but, since that seems to be the focal point of this post, I’ll stick with feminism in my closing statements. For Atwood’s presentation of feminist ideals in a different way than typically presented, I approve of the novel, and will even venture to say that I enjoyed it.
