The Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood - 1591 Words

Written by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel set in the near future where the United States is overthrown and a military dictatorship forms called the Republic of Gilead. Gilead is a society that reconsolidates power and creates a new hierarchical regime that limits women entirely of their rights. The rulers of this dystopia are centrally concerned with dominating their subjects through the control of their experiences, time, memory, and history. A woman called Offred narrates the story and works as a Handmaid for reproductive purposes only. In her storytelling, Offred describes flashbacks consisting of portions of her life before the revolution. These flashbacks are the only thing that keeps her going in this†¦show more content†¦The Aunts even subject Offred’s body to routine exercises where they ask her to â€Å"breathe in to the count of five, hold expel† (70). Offred’s time is void, and her existence in Gilead is an em pty vessel, a body to breed. She compares Gilead is a blurry white noise, where memories are the only thing that keeps Offred going. Not only does Gilead control day-to-day time, but also attempts to erase traces of historical time. The creators of Gilead seek to abolish as many traces of the past as possible. Gilead does well in its attempt to erase history, for when Offred goes out on shopping expeditions she is haunted by vague memories of vanished buildings. Offred constantly remembers what used to be, an ice cream store, or a movie theater, but things from Offred’s old life change and disappear so quickly, that she can’t remember â€Å"the way they used to be† (164). Gilead has changed so much that they’ve even manipulated a once concrete system of exchange to fade away. Money that was once used in these stores has become a relic of the past. Money is now an artifact that is saved, Offred’s mother â€Å"kept some saved, pasted into her scrap book along with the early photos† (173). People hold on to these keepsakes and hold on to their past as a way to resist Gilead and live in memories. Yet another instance of the totalitarian manipulation, by making paper money obsolete the Gileadean forces are destroying women’s savings and making escape even more impossible. This totalitarian