handmaid's tale context

When did Atwood write the Handmaid's Tale?

the mid-80s.

Where did Atwood write the novel?

Berlin and Alabama

In what year was HT published?

1986

What kind of dystopia does Atwood present in the novel?

Novels in this genre present imagined worlds + societies that aren’t ideas - instead terrifying/restrictive. Atwood's novel offers strongly feminist vision of dystopia.

What was going on in politics around the time Atwood wrote HT?

HT written shortly after elections of Ronald Reagan in US + Margaret Thatcher in UK, during period of conservative revival in West - partly fueled by strong, well-organised movement of religious conservatives who criticised what they saw as excesses of 1960/70s "sexual revolution". Growing power of "religious right" heightened feminist fears that gains women made in previous decades would be reversed.

How does Atwood explore women's rights in the novel?

HT explores consequences of reversal of women's rights. In Gilead, group of conservative religious extremists taken power + turned sexual revolution on its head. Feminists argued for liberation from traditional gender roles, but Gilead is society founded on "return to traditional values" + gender roles + on subjugation of women by men. What feminists considered great triumphs of 1970s (widespread access to contraception, legalisation of abortion, increasing political influence of female voters) been undone. Women in Gilead forbidden to vote + read/write.

What environmental dangers does Atwood explore in HT?

HT paints picture of world undone by pollution + infertility, reflecting 1980s fears abt declining birthrates, dangers of nuclear power + environmental degradation.

Although Atwood wrote HT as a work of fiction, what does she say of its real-life significance?

"There's nothing in the book that hasn't already happened."

What is the medical catastrophe that became known in the early 1980s which Atwood could have drawn on for the novel?

One of the real catastrophes is epidemic (now pandemic) of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) - disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Millions of people contracted AIDS + millions died from it. Most frequently spread by sexual activity. In USA was first recognised + HIV identified in early 80s, shortly before Atwood wrote HT

What large nuclear plant accident occurred just before Atwood wrote the novel?

Pieixoto also refers to nuclear-plant accidents. Probably the most serious of these in America prior to Atwood's writing of The Handmaid's Tale was the Three Mile Island plant incident in 1979. Although no-one in the vicinity was killed or injured, many doubts have been raised about adverse effects on the environment and on human and animal health.

How does the idea of polygamy link to ideas in the novel?

Pieixoto later refers to use of Handmaids as form of 'simultaneous polygamy' like practised in 'state of Utah'. Atwood refers to real + flourishing group - Mormons/ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Movement began in 19th century - Joseph Smith claimed angel revealed to him Book of Mormon. Mormon Church has worldwide membership but HQ in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Some Mormons encouraged polygamy, especially after 2nd president Brigham Young endorsed it (1852) - now practised much more rarely

In what 7 ways was Hitler's rise to power similar to Gilead?

1. promised followers a new Germany w/ stress on family values BUT rapidly turned into oppression of those not sharing vision + slaughter of non- 'pure' Aryan race he demanded

2. Encouraged fanatical adulation of young through Hitler Youth movement - echoed in Gilead when she writes (chapter 4: Guardians of the Faith that: 'The young ones are often the most dangerous, the most fanatical')

3. The Nazis burned books considered to have any seditious/undesirable content. Gilead too has severe restrictions on literature + indeed on literacy

4. Hitler's 'Third Reich' people encouraged to betray any perceived lapses in others, even close family members - chapter 41 Offred realises Nick might betray her + 'foolhardy' to trust him

5. To brainwash his countrymen into accepting genocide of Jews + gypsies, Hitler described groups as 'Untermenschen' - less than human. Chapter 30 Offred realises, 'This is what you have to do before you kill... You have to create an it'. also ‘Unwomen’

6. Even before Hitler set up death-camps in which millions slaughtered, Jews required to wear distinguishing yellow star badge. same badge affixed to body of a hanged Jew in Gilead (according to Offred: Chapter 31)

7. Children of 'undesirables' in Hitler's Germany forcibly removed from parents - adopted by loyal Nazis (Offred's lost daughter)

How does Gilead compare to the Taliban?

• Some of Atwood's ideas about repressive laws in Gilead may be influenced by observation of some Islamic societies + fundamentalist groups. Such groups wish to see strict Islamic attitudes imposed universally, inc. segregation of sexes, modest dress for women + ban on dancing. More notorious in Western world: Taliban, extreme Islamic fundamentalist group, powerful in Afghanistan decade afte publication of HT.

Taliban views:

• Refusal to allow girls to be educated

• Insistence on women being fully covered, inc. face, by head-to-toe veil/burqa

• imposition of brutal sentences, amputation + public stoning to death, for what’s perceived as breaches of Sharia Law.

• echoes of attitudes + methods of such fundamentalist groups, seen in strict dress codes imposed in Gilead + public punishments/executions (Chapter 42: reading punished by 'only a hand cut off')

• punishments (ex. flogging, amputation) still inflicted under Sharia law in Sudan + Saudi Arabia - currently women not supposed to drive/travel when not escorted by male relative

• Atwood's feminism = particularly hostile to such attitudes, had observed first hand in Afghanistan during world tour, 1978

How does the escape of black slaves from the USA to Canada relate to HT?

plight of slaves led sympathisers in North USA to help those fleeing + get to escape route → Canada (Underground Railroad was created). Attempts to escape + help given fleeing slaves by Quakers, vividly depicted in Uncle Tom's Cabin, novel published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

HT; Underground Railroad becomes Underground Femaleroad, feminist version of slaves' escape route - mocked in Historical Notes section by Pieixoto as 'Underground Frailroad'. Chapter 38: Moira describes how w/ help of Quakers working w/ Underground Femaleroad - nearly reached Canadian border.

Also being a Handmaid/Martha is form of slavery. Handmaids are technically owned by Commanders. Like slaves, they are separated from birth families + escaped Handmaids are severely physically punished.

Cultural aspect of slavery shown in relocation of 'Children of Ham' + declining Caucasian birth rate.

How do pre-20th century ideas about women link to the ideas conveyed in HT?

majority of pop. couldn’t read (but in HT, most books were banned + women weren’t allowed to read).
In eyes of law, women considered men's property.
Procreation vital to survival bc high infant mortality rates + low life expectancy.
Society had more strict values which were agreed on.
Racism much more blatant.

Which Puritan ideas where used in Gilead?

Puritanism is historical religious influence in Gilead + rise of fundamentalism is contemporary religious influence in US.

Fundamentalists promote traditional family values + are adamantly against abortion + homosexuality.
Some fundamentalists have formed para-military militias. Rise of political right in US is reflected in capitalist nature of Commanders.