Essay on The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood - Reviewed by Mary McCarthy and Dan Geddes - Second Version

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Essay on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Reviews
'The Handmaid’s Tale' is one of Margaret Atwood’s best composures. It is such a powerful novel that leaves the reader with memorable images and forecasts. The story gives a vivid description of life in the Gilead Republic, initially the United States, a nation that has retorted to societal conflicts and decreasing birthrate by surpassing the severe intolerance of the novel puritans (Nelson, p.12). The story is ground on Offred’s eyes, a protagonist, henceforth, accounting for the world of the second class women. It precedes narrating Offred’s past, describing her pain, trauma, confusion, and loss. Thereafter, the story goes along addressing issues that women face in the Gilead society. The novel also debates about classism and females’ place in the community (Wisker, p. 27). Through Offred, readers can view the challenges faced by women in the past. Thus, the Handmaid’s Tale is one of the books that explored the challenges women faced in the past. Besides, the same could be happening now, who knows. The study focus on two previews on the Handmaid’s tale, one is by Mary McCarthy and the other by Dan Geddes.
As per McCarthy preview, a standoff will be attained regarding Russia, and religious fundamentalists and traditionalists will head America (McCarthy, nytimes.com). These potentates will restore the tradition, for instance, men will be reinstated to warriors, their custom practice, while women to their ‘place.’ A renewed feminist approach will be reestablished. However, McCarthy proceeds with her argument, debating that the story does not delineate women’s outline values in the society that she as a female she will watch out. It is in the Republic of Gilead where females’ mores are sketched out. Besides, she cites some traits that undermine a present day woman like, abortion, liberty towards pornography and backlash fear in politics, principles that are similar to the Republic of Gilead (McCarthy, nytimes.com). In one way or the other she is right, for instance, women are behind in politics, but to a large extent she is incorrect on how she brings these cases out. For example, the majority of the politicians are elected not nominated. Hence, women should contend and use political power to convince citizens to elect them.
Other problems that she raised include liberty to pornography and abortion (McCarthy, nytimes.com). Abortion in the U.S. is permitted in critical situations to save a life. Thus, it is not all that immoral as she presents it. In her views, she sees feminist activity to be symptomatic. McCarthy believes that any power structure will...