Theme of Language abused as a Instrument of Power
In Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead creates an official vocabulary that ignores and warps reality in order to serve the needs of the new society’s elite. The world of Gilead uses titles as more than a way to differentiate one person from another, it uses titles to distinguish the very worth of the person. By making this “vocabulary” an official language, the society at Gilead successfully locked the citizens into an unyielding system defining the female and male roles as completely separate and discriminatory. Having made it illegal for women to hold jobs, Gilead creates a system of titles. Whereas men are defined by their military rank, women are defined solely by their gender roles as Wives, Handmaids, or Marthas. Stripping them of permanent individual names strips them of their individuality, or tries to. Blacks and Jews are defined by biblical terms “Children of Ham” and “Sons of Jacob,” respectively that set them apart from the rest of society, making their persecution easier. The Handmaid’s Tale carries on the tradition of the dangers of a totalitarian society. Gilead maintains its control over women’s bodies by maintaining control over names.
"How I used to despise such talk. Now I long for it. At least it was talk. An exchange, of sorts" (Atwood 11).
Restricting the language of the people is restricting how much of their identity can be expressed because language is a key aspect in expressing your individuality. Yet, since it is regulated, it will be easier to control the people for without language, certain inhabitants of Gilead are left with little to no identity, and those without an identity are easier to control. Offred loses majority of identity when she sees her little girl happy without her. Towards the end, she begins to accept Gilead as her home whereas earlier she wanted to escape and find her family.
Favorite Quote
“Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia
This quotation is from the end of Chapter 6. Offred and Ofglen are standing by the Wall, looking at the bodies of people who have been hanged by Gilead . The sight horrifies Offred, but she strains to push aside her revulsion and substitute an emotional “blankness.” As she represses her natural disgust, she remembers Aunt Lydia ’s words about how life in Gilead will “become ordinary.” This is actually my least favorite quote, but I feel it sums the entire objective of the men in this society; conforming the women to their demands. Aunt Lydia ’s statement reflects the power of a totalitarian state like Gilead to transform a natural human response such as revulsion at an execution into “blankness,” to transform horror into normalcy. Aunt Lydia ’s words suggest that Gilead succeeds not by making people believe that its ways are right, but by making people forget what a different world could be like. Torture and tyranny become accepted because they are “what you are used to.”
My Thoughts
Surely the essential element of a cautionary tale is recognition. Surprised recognition, even, enough to administer a shock. We were warned, by seeing our present selves in a distorting mirror, of what we may be turning into if current trends are allowed to continue. That was the effect of The Handmaid’s Tale with its scary dating, not 40 years ahead. It’s a harrowing tale and no mistake. Atwood presents a future that had me shuddering with dread. Of course, one likes to think that it could never happen, but the plaintive tone of the narrator makes it all seem distressingly possible. This novel seems ever more vital in the present day, where women in many parts of the world live similar lives, dictated by biological misogyny. The ending was somewhat abrupt and ambiguous. I would have found it unsatisfying, but a well-crafted epilogue serves to soften the blow and answer some lingering questions. Overall I found this book incredibly inventive, moving and really quite frightening.
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