religion n theocracy

point 1: purpose of religious rhetoric in Gilead

Theocracy as a Tool of Social Control: The Illusion of Divine Legitimacy

point 1 quotation - Gilead’s ultimate infiltration

“Gilead is within you” (Ch5, pg29)

point 1 quotation - “Biblical” gender role impartation

“From each, say the slogan, according to her ability; to each according to his needs. We recited that, three times, after dessert. It was from the Bible, or so they said” (Ch20, pg123)

point 1 quotation - Gilead rule tiers

“For every rule there is always an exception: this too can be depended upon” (Ch22, pg135)

point 1 AO3 - Gilead structural palimpsest

Atwood draws upon real historical theocracies, including 17th-century Puritan New England, where strict religious governance suppressed women’s rights. The reference to “the term ‘Particicution,’ which he lifted from an exercise programme popular sometime in the last third of the century” (HN, pg315) also suggests how regimes use existing cultural norms for control

point 1 AO4 - compare to 1984: ideological state control

Orwell’s 1984 also explores state control through ideology, where Big Brother replaces God

point 1 AO5 - feminist criticism: religious extremism justification for patriarchal oppression

Some feminist critics argue that Gilead exposes how religious extremism disproportionately subjugates women

point 2: perversion of faith

Gendered Power Structures in Religious Patriarchy

point 2 quotation - men ‘free’ from infertility

“There is no such thing as a sterile man any more, not officially. There are only women who are fruitful and women who are barren, that’s the law” (Ch8, pg67)

point 2 quotation - male pleasure prioritised

“The problem wasn’t only with the women, he says. The main problem was with the men. There was nothing for them anymore” (Ch32, pg217)

point 2 quotation - selectiveness of an authoritarian regime

“Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some” (Ch32, pg218)

point 2 AO3 - Gilead’s policies are realist, non-fictional

Theocratic oppression of women echoes real-world precedents, such as the Salem witch trials and modern religious fundamentalist states. The historical notes reference Gilead’s “racist policies… firmly rooted in the pre-Gilead period” (HN, pg313), paralleling how patriarchal oppression has often intersected with other systemic inequalitiesp[

point 2 AO4 - compare to The Yellow Wallpaper » patriarchal control critique

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper critiques patriarchal control over women’s bodies and minds, much like Gilead

point 2 AO5 - feminist criticism » dystopian exaggeration or real life?

Some critics argue that The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian exaggeration, while others assert that its themes closely parallel contemporary struggles for women’s rights

point 3 - distortion of individuality

indoctrination n the loss of individual identity

point 3 quotation - submission = new status quo

“Already we were losing the taste for freedom, already we were finding these walls secure” (Ch22, pg139)

point 3 quotation - temporal scale of Gilead regime

“This isn’t a jail sentence; there’s no time here that can be done and finished with” (Ch31, pg205)

point 3 quotation - humans settle

“Truly amazing, what people can get used to, as long as there are a few compensations” (Ch41, pg279)

point 3 AO3 - psychological control reality

Atwood’s exploration of psychological control aligns with real-world historical examples, such as totalitarian regimes that relied on ideological indoctrination (e.g., Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia). The Historical Notes reinforce how “scapegoats have been notoriously useful throughout history” (HN, pg316), showing how controlling belief systems ensures compliance

point 3 AO4 - compare to Brave New World: subtle radicalisation/indoctrination

Huxley’s Brave New World similarly explores societal control through conditioning, removing the need for overt force

point 3 AO5 - feminist criticism: does Offred defy or comply with patriarchal structures?

Feminist critics might debate whether Offred’s passive resistance (such as storytelling and small acts of defiance) constitutes empowerment or whether her compliance demonstrates the overwhelming control of patriarchal structures