Women in the Handmaids Tale Objectification and Value in...

Margaret Atwoods novel The Handmaids Tale is a work of speculative fiction. The Republic of Gilead is a dystopic society, especially for the women. Women in the novel are stripped of their freedom, while men are entitled to a portion of their freedom. This novel is one that illustrates inequality towards women. A focus for the Republic of Gilead is to increase the declining birth rate. Within the phallocentric society of the Republic of Gilead, re-population results in women being objectified and valued for their reproductive qualities. The division of women in the Republic of Gilead is based on their reproductive qualities and status. Anatomy is destiny in the society of the Republic of Gilead. Wives are classified as elite†¦show more content†¦Womens uniforms in the Republic of Gilead represent their functions within society. The varying colors of uniforms denote the status of the women wearing them. Uniforms can not ultimately be changed: some people call them habits, a good word for them. Habits are hard to break (p. 31). Uniforms consist of a dress and a veil. The function of the veil is to conceal and hide women as well as to prevent women from seeing. Wives wear powder blue uniforms, which are representative of the Virgin Mary and melancholy. Daughters of Wives wear white, which is symbolic of virginit y. Aunts wear an army khaki color, which is representative of their partial military role. Marthas wear dull green, which is representative of the service industry: dull green, like a surgeons gown of the time before (p. 30). Widows are typically seen in black, the color of mourning. Handmaids wear red which is representative of blood, menses, and birth: red: the color of blood, which defines us (p. 9). Unwomen wear gray, which is the color of ashes. Women that work at Jezebels as prostitutes are not restricted to uniforms like the rest of the women in the Republic of Gilead. They wear outdated costumes from the time before that are highly eroticized. For women in the Republic of Gilead, there is no freedom of choice in attire. Women in the Republic of Gilead are objectified, viewed as property, controlled and lack freedom. The mobility of womenShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale1825 Words   |  8 PagesIn Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, we meet Offred, or so they call her, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a futuristic dystopian society. Gilead tarnished traditional values and replaced them with shear corruption after the rebels killed the President as well as most of Congress, took over the government, and decided to throw out the constitution. Instead the society relies on the bible to justify its barbaric rules, limitations and practices. In a totalitarian society of decreasing birth