Difference between revisions of "The Handmaid's Tale"
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| − | '''''The Handmaid's Tale''''' is a [[feminist]] [[science fiction]] novel by [[Margaret Atwood]] about women suffering under a fictional, oppressive, male-centered [[theocracy]] in the [[United States of America]], which was based on an extreme extrapolation of contemporary fundamentalism. It was first published in 1985, | + | '''''The Handmaid's Tale''''' is a [[feminist]] [[science fiction]] novel by [[Margaret Atwood]] about women suffering under a fictional, oppressive, male-centered [[theocracy]] in the [[United States of America]], which was based on an extreme extrapolation of contemporary fundamentalism. It was first published in 1985, made into a movie in 1990, and a TV series on Hulu in 2017. |
=="Freedom of" versus "Freedom from"== | =="Freedom of" versus "Freedom from"== | ||
| − | It could be argued that the main theme of the novel is "freedom of" (as in freedom to say whatever you want) and "freedom from" (as protection from other people's questionable form of communication). Such a theme is revealed early in memories of Offred (the main character) as she recollects her childhood when her mother brought her to a protest of women burning offensive | + | It could be argued that the main theme of the novel is "freedom of" (as in freedom to say whatever you want) and "freedom from" (as protection from other people's questionable form of communication). Such a theme is revealed early in memories of Offred (the main character) as she recollects her childhood when her mother brought her to a protest of women burning offensive magazines—including [[pornography]]. The successor to the US government, the Republic of Gilead, created a society based on a literal interpretation of the Old Testament to ensure superficially that no one could be offended, thus creating the ultimate "Do not yell fire in the theater" world. |
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/handmaid/summary.html Plot overview] by Spark Notes | *[http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/handmaid/summary.html Plot overview] by Spark Notes | ||
*[http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/science_fiction/handmaid.html Study guide] by Paul Brians, Department of English, Washington State University, Pullman | *[http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/science_fiction/handmaid.html Study guide] by Paul Brians, Department of English, Washington State University, Pullman | ||
| − | *[ | + | *[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099731/ The Handmaid's Tale] at the Internet Movie Database |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Handmaid's Tale, The}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Handmaid's Tale, The}} | ||
| − | [[ | + | [[Category:Novels]] |
| − | [[Category:Science | + | [[Category:Science Fiction]] |
| + | [[Category:Feminism]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Dystopian Fiction]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:44, September 26, 2018
The Handmaid's Tale is a feminist science fiction novel by Margaret Atwood about women suffering under a fictional, oppressive, male-centered theocracy in the United States of America, which was based on an extreme extrapolation of contemporary fundamentalism. It was first published in 1985, made into a movie in 1990, and a TV series on Hulu in 2017.
"Freedom of" versus "Freedom from"
It could be argued that the main theme of the novel is "freedom of" (as in freedom to say whatever you want) and "freedom from" (as protection from other people's questionable form of communication). Such a theme is revealed early in memories of Offred (the main character) as she recollects her childhood when her mother brought her to a protest of women burning offensive magazines—including pornography. The successor to the US government, the Republic of Gilead, created a society based on a literal interpretation of the Old Testament to ensure superficially that no one could be offended, thus creating the ultimate "Do not yell fire in the theater" world.
External links
- Plot overview by Spark Notes
- Study guide by Paul Brians, Department of English, Washington State University, Pullman
- The Handmaid's Tale at the Internet Movie Database