The Treatment of Sexuality in The Handmaid’s Tale The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, presents the story of Offred, a handmaid in the oppressive Gilead, a heavily theocratic nation that emerged from the downfall of the United States. This society that Atwood creates, built simultaneously on religious fanaticism and desperation to reproduce due to rapidly declining fertility rates, paints a chilling picture where women are completely at the mercy of men, as well as the identity forced upon them by their own biology. While the main idea explored throughout the book is undoubtedly the oppression of women, as well as the suppression of their individual identity in a totalitarian state, The Handmaid’s Tale examines
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The existence of homosexual couples, especially lesbians, therefore, completely upsets the carefully structured society and is treated as a crime deserving of capital punishment. Offred refers to the two Guardians with “purple placards hung around their necks: [for] Gender Treachery” (Atwood, 43). The TV series uses the same plot point, but draws a historical connection by replacing the purple placards with hoods bearing pink triangles. These triangles were directly linked with Nazi Germany: during the era of concentration camps, homosexuals, particularly men, if they were not immediately killed, were sent to harsh labour camps marked with a pink triangle. According to the Nazis, “homosexuality weakened the Aryan race, in part because gay men did not contribute to the effort to increase the Aryan birthrate” (Ziv, 2015). In the novel, apart from the justification of fanatic religion, the primary reason for the rampant persecution of homosexuals is their inability to aid with the dying birthrate: a sentiment that resoundingly resembles the Nazi statement. Evidently, Atwood creates a clear parallel between the horror faced in Gilead with historical oppression, serving to emphasize the closing distance …show more content…
The recurring idea in the novel arises from the constant exaggeration and manipulation of the Bible and Christianity in order to justify hateful crimes against humanity. While the need for more children is part of the justification that the government provides for its dictatorial actions, the extremist perspective on religion undoubtedly plays a large part in the rampant systemic discrimination of minorities, including women and homosexuals. For instance, carefully selected parts of the Bible are indoctrinated into the women in order to manipulate them into complacency. The Handmaids are told, “the woman [Eve] being deceived was in the transgresion. Notwithstanding she shall be saved by childbearing” (221). Essentially, the messages in the Bible are used against these women, justifying the exploitation of their bodies by claiming that the original sin was committed by a woman. Although seemingly exaggerated, these sentiments are still present in our society today: the Westboro Baptist Church, for instance, is a striking example of the religious extremism in reality, that would not be out of place in the events of the novel. A small independent church, the notorious far right group is known for their extreme anti-gay stance and frequent protests and demonstrations, oftentimes at funerals. Though it is the most infamous, the church is not a singular example, nor does it stand alone:
The existence of homosexual couples, especially lesbians, therefore, completely upsets the carefully structured society and is treated as a crime deserving of capital punishment. Offred refers to the two Guardians with “purple placards hung around their necks: [for] Gender Treachery” (Atwood, 43). The TV series uses the same plot point, but draws a historical connection by replacing the purple placards with hoods bearing pink triangles. These triangles were directly linked with Nazi Germany: during the era of concentration camps, homosexuals, particularly men, if they were not immediately killed, were sent to harsh labour camps marked with a pink triangle. According to the Nazis, “homosexuality weakened the Aryan race, in part because gay men did not contribute to the effort to increase the Aryan birthrate” (Ziv, 2015). In the novel, apart from the justification of fanatic religion, the primary reason for the rampant persecution of homosexuals is their inability to aid with the dying birthrate: a sentiment that resoundingly resembles the Nazi statement. Evidently, Atwood creates a clear parallel between the horror faced in Gilead with historical oppression, serving to emphasize the closing distance …show more content…
The recurring idea in the novel arises from the constant exaggeration and manipulation of the Bible and Christianity in order to justify hateful crimes against humanity. While the need for more children is part of the justification that the government provides for its dictatorial actions, the extremist perspective on religion undoubtedly plays a large part in the rampant systemic discrimination of minorities, including women and homosexuals. For instance, carefully selected parts of the Bible are indoctrinated into the women in order to manipulate them into complacency. The Handmaids are told, “the woman [Eve] being deceived was in the transgresion. Notwithstanding she shall be saved by childbearing” (221). Essentially, the messages in the Bible are used against these women, justifying the exploitation of their bodies by claiming that the original sin was committed by a woman. Although seemingly exaggerated, these sentiments are still present in our society today: the Westboro Baptist Church, for instance, is a striking example of the religious extremism in reality, that would not be out of place in the events of the novel. A small independent church, the notorious far right group is known for their extreme anti-gay stance and frequent protests and demonstrations, oftentimes at funerals. Though it is the most infamous, the church is not a singular example, nor does it stand alone: