The Handmaids Tale

 

“That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put your finger on.”

- Margret Atwood, The Handmaids Tale

    The Handmaids Tale is a book that speaks on women's oppression in the context of the bible. As all books speaking on such topics go, it isn't quite happy. I'll try to be as non-spoilery as possible, but it's somewhat hard.

    The story is about Offred. It isn't her real name, but names are used for handmaids. 

“I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I am not; I want to be more than valuable. I repeat my former name; remind myself of what I once could do, how others saw me. I want to steal something.” 

There are four-plus-one classes of women: The Wives, in blue, who are married to the commanders; the Marthas, usually used as maids or cooks; the Aunts, the women who teach the name of God in re-education centers; and Handmaids, the women who are meant to go out and get groceries, as well as help repopulate Gilead (previously America) during a war. There are also unwomen, infertile or otherwise compromised women (including but not limited to secular women, women in menopause, and rebel women).

    These women are surveyed by the eyes at all times, and the handmaids must wear wings after leaving their reeducation center. The wings keep them from straying from their duties outside, as well as to keep others from seeing their face. They walk in twos, and no women at all are allowed to read. The bible is read to them by their commander once  month. Scrabble is considered illegal goods for them.

“Knowing was a temptation. What you don't know won't tempt you.”

    Reeducation centers are set up by Aunts and Commanders to help Handmaids learn how to do what they are meant in their new world, while Angels guard them. You are not given much context on Angels.

“There is more than one kind of freedom," said Aunt Lydia. "Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it.”

I won't say much more, as any more would lead to spoilers. I cannot recommend this book enough, it's incredible and harrowing. I could give so much analysis of what it could mean, but it would ruin the book. Truly, read it. The only analysis I give will be this:

The Constitution has been removed from the White House website. The only way to access it from the site is the wayback machine.

-Elanor