Handmaid's tale through feminist critical lens Literature Essay

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Feminism on the “Handmaid’s Tale”
In our contemporary society, women are often regarded as weak and fragile creatures, making them inferior to their opposite gender. Because of this, women are given fewer opportunities to explore the world and themselves. This confines them inside a shell where there are only a few things to be accomplished. This form of stereotyping has been carried out throughout centuries. In fact, prejudice against women still exists today. Because of this, many philosophers, especially the females, advocated for their rights in the society and this action initiated the concept of feminism which the philosophers illustrated both in reality and through fictional characters, like in novels. One of the fictional stories that portray feminism is the 1985 novel entitled, Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood. This paper analyzes this novel through the concept of feminism.
Atwood plotted the story in the 1980s where a totalitarian government replaced the government of the United States of America. Since the birth rate is low during this period, the government passed a law that allows couples who have difficulty in conceiving a child to hire a servant who will act as a sex slave for the husband while the wife is watching. All the women were denounced of their right to work, stating that their loyalty must only be directed to procreation (Atwood).
In the story, Offred, the sex slave of the Commander and Serena Joy, narrated her everyday life. According to Offred, her life became more restricted, as compared to an ordinary or an elite woman. All of her trips and attempts to go outside are scheduled and her menstrual period is frequently tracked so that the Commander may have sex with her during her fertility window. And whenever Offred goes a secret police officer watches her every move (Atwood).
Prostitution, an act promulgated by the present government, is an act of violence and oppression against women. The plot of the story recreates a patriarchal society that disallows equality between men and women. This is seen as the newly formed Gilead Government forces poor women as reproductive toys. Moreover, having someone to follow a sex slave throughout her life makes the person restricted, as if her only role in society is to procreate and to become a prisoner of her pre-determined destiny. Atwood demonstrated how servants would carry on the will of their masters by engaging with adultery and permitting infertile women like Serena Joy to create a family.
Religion was also seen as a tool to justify the oppression against women. This is evident when the commander recited Bible verses every day to rationalize his corruption to other women just to procreate. The Bible verses in the story were also tainted with violence against women to suit the theocracy of the state that is thought to be as unbendable.
Some scenes in the story show that religion justifies the exploitation of women by rhetorically doing the same thing. The issue where women are prohibited to gain a professional work nor participate in any political or social activities using the ploy that the government and the church are protecting them from harm is...