Nothing could prepare me for the hard-hitting, raw and brutal power of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood. This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time!
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood plot synopsis
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is set in the dystopian world of the Republic of Gilead. The book follows Offred, a handmaid whose sole purpose is to breed.
Handmaids are given to male members of society or, in Offred’s case, elite ruling families who cannot have their own children. The Republic of Gilead has strict rules and customs, and those who break the rules are killed.
This is a place where men dominate. When the Republic first comes to power (killing the president and Congress, and halting the US Constitution), the new government puts in measures to repress women and make them completely reliant on their husbands in every way.
Margaret Atwood describes the new rules in terrifying detail. I was reading fiction, and yet it seemed all too close to reality.
“They’ve frozen them [the bank accounts], she said. Mine too. The collective’s too. Any account with an F on it instead of an M. All they needed to do is push a few buttons. We’re cut off.
But I’ve got over two thousand dollars in the bank, I said, as if my own account was the only one that mattered.
Women can’t hold property any more, she said. It’s a new law.”
The rules of the Republic of Gilead aim to create a ‘better’, more moral world. Sexual desire is prohibited, and the handmaids are used solely to increase the population, which has supposedly reached an all-time low due to the amount of contraception readily available to young women.
Everyone has a specific function. The Marthas do the cooking and cleaning, and the Aunts keep the women in check. Handmaids are renamed after the man they work for (hence Of-Fred), and they’re not allowed any freedoms.
Abortions in Gilead are strictly prohibited, with doctors who used to administer them in the pre-Gilead world being treated as war criminals, often killed, along with any dissenters.
“These men, we’ve been told, are like war criminals. It’s no excuse that what they did was legal at the time: their crimes are retroactive. They have committed atrocities, and must be made into examples, for the rest. Though this is hardly needed. No woman in her right mind, these days, would seek to prevent a birth, should she be so lucky as to conceive.”
Female oppression in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Although men are also repressed in this new system, Atwood makes the oppression of women the main focus of her novel.
She paints a bleak world where women are dominated by men, and given no choice over their decisions, bodies or thoughts. They’re not allowed to read or write – and knowledge is restricted.
This is a world in which women are punished for aborting children who have been forced on them through rape. A world where women are blamed when they are the victims of violent crimes, due to the clothes they were wearing or the way they acted….Wait, hold on?
As much as I didn’t want to see it, the Republic of Gilead certainly has some similarities with the modern world. It’s hard not to draw comparisons between the handmaids in the book and the fate of many women across the world now.
“It’s Janine, telling about how she was gang-raped at fourteen and had an abortion… But whose fault was it? Aunt Helena says, holding up one plump finger.
Her fault, her fault, we chant in unison.
Who led them on? Aunt Helena beams, pleased with us.
She did. She did. She did.
Why did God allow such a terrible thing to happen?
Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson.“
Atwood wrote this book in 1985, and so, if we go by her novel, we are probably living in the Republic of Gilead right now. A scary thought – and one that made this a realistic and terrifying book. I can see now why women dressed up as handmaids to protest against illegal abortion.
Men are not blamed for anything in Gilead. If a woman cannot have a child, it is her fault, and to suggest a man is sterile is treason. In fact, to speak out of turn at all is treason, especially as a woman.
“I almost gasp: he’s said a forbidden word. Sterile. 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.”
Religion in Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Atwood also presents a very negative view of religion in her novel. It is used to control the population and incite fear, all in the name of creating a ‘pure’ and ‘moral’ world.
The new religion kills all those who disagree with its principles, and it’s clear that Atwood has based this book on historical examples of religious fervour gone wrong.
In fact, in an interview, Atwood stated that the examples of punishment and death in the novel were based on actual cases from religious groups in the past.
My thoughts on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood
I absolutely loved this book. Although it was horrifying, it was written in such a hard-hitting, straightforward way – and the prose wasn’t too descriptive or over-embellished.
I really liked the character of Offred. The book was told from her perspective, and I could really relate to her thoughts and feelings throughout the book. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to go from having freedom as a modern woman to being placed under constant supervision.
Atwood cleverly drew similarities between the anti-feminist attitudes today and the society of Gilead. This really is a tale of male domination. It was too close for comfort as a female reader.
Although ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ made me angry and terrified about the path society could take, it also really made me think. Atwood is a fantastic writer.
When I finished this book, I was physically shaking. Through anger, anxiety, shock? Who knows. All I know is that this book reiterated the importance of not taking anything for granted.
The Republic of Gilead happened so gradually that no one even noticed the changes until women were devoid of power, and their husbands (or male next of kin) controlled everything.
“I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it’s shameful or immodest, but because I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely.”
I don’t like to say that a book is a ‘must-read’, because I don’t think anyone should ever be forced to read a certain book.
However, I think this book should be required reading in schools. Because as much as those in power are to blame for how society turns out, the “ordinary” men in the book don’t exactly do much to fight against it, either. It’s a story of what can happen if we don’t fight for our rights.
Even Luke, Offred’s husband, doesn’t seem to really understand how bad it is for Offred when she loses her job and her money. He is blasé about the whole thing – until it’s too late. I never want to find myself in the Republic of Gilead, that’s for sure.
If you’ve read ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, make sure to check out my review of the sequel – ‘The Testaments’. It’s certainly a more uplifting read!
Have you read ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood? What do you think of the book or TV show? Would you consider reading ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’?
Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂
Happy reading x
Picture credits here
Not-So-Modern Girl 
I agree with you that this is a book that stays with you. I read it a while ago – before I watched the TV show – and it is definitely… haunting.
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So haunting, I agree. I still need to watch the show. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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I read THT decades ago and enjoyed it, though it was a bit preachy. I liked Cat’s Eye a lot and loved The Heart Goes Last.
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I get what you mean, I’m glad you liked it though! I’ve not read those ones actually, but thanks for the recommendation 🙂
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I’ve been watching the show since it aired, and it scares me more than I’ll admit. I’ve been meaning to read. It have put it off, but your review is tempting me to change my mind.
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I agree, such a scary premise, I can imagine the TV show is very haunting. I hope you enjoy it if you try it, thank you 🙂
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I definitely need to psych myself up to read it. Some of the episodes are horrific.
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I can imagine, sometimes an adaptation on screen can be even more horrifying
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great review!
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Thank you ❤
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This is the first book I’ve read from Margaret Atwood and it’s definitely left a lasting impression on me. Awesome review!
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Thank you ❤
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I’ve revisited this book recently after watching the mini-series, I’m a huge Atwood fan and it’s one of her best novels. Mini-series works in its own way, but I love how the novel restricts its perspective to its main character.
Though personally I don’t find it as scarily relevant as many seem to. Yeah, a drastic change in how the human race operates could potentially bring out a totalitarian new world and science fiction is great for exploring this sort of scenario. But the whole premise of women’s drastic decline in fertility (which is the catalyst for the whole thing) doesn’t seem like something we’ll be worried about soon, if anything it’s population growth that’s the pressing issue.
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The narration of the novel certainly makes it a good read! Hmm, that makes sense, I suppose we definitely aren’t headed to that crisis, but I suppose the relevance comes when you consider the treatment of women in certain passages. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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I have the book in my cue and your touching & deeply felt review has made me even more anxious to get going with this tale. A very nice job of reviewing this well-known book and making it personal. I watched the first season on Hulu as a judge for the SAG awards and nominated Elisabeth Moss for lead actor in a TV series, although all of the actors do outstanding work. A scary story right out of today’s headlines #metoo.
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Thank you so much for your kind words, that really means a lot, I appreciate it ❤ I would really like to watch it some time… And I completely agree, something straight out of the headlines, for sure. Thank you so much for dropping by 🙂
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Great review! There tends to be a consensus that adaptations are rarely as good as the source material but I honestly find Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale to be one of the very few adaptations that was just as good, albeit in a very different way, and will always be thankful to the TV show for introducing me to Atwood’s book. When I read it I had to take a lot of breaks and couldn’t go through it in long sittings. The material was so hard hitting and depressing, that even though we live in a much better world I was unable to keep myself in it for long.
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Ah, I really need to check it out, I’m hearing a lot of good things about it! I can understand that. I really ‘enjoyed’ the book, but not because it was easy to read (although the writing style was) but because it was so hard-hitting and important- I’ve never read anything like it before.
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I’ve read it twice… I don’t think I will read it again, too traumatising! But I agree it’s a really important book which everyone should read if they can. I couldn’t watch the TV series, it was too scary.
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I know, it’s a very traumatising read, and I can imagine the images on screen are even more so. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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I’ve been meaning to read this and/or watch the series, but somehow I always end up putting it off. You’re really making me want to get to it soon, though.
Great review! 🙂
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Thank you so much- I hope you enjoy it if you end up reading it 🙂
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I love the Handmaid’s tale, and your review. The Hulu adaptation is quite good too.
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Thank you! I may have to check it out at some point 🙂
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Thank you so much, I agree, obviously it’s meant to be that brutal, but it really was difficult to read!
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Great review. I’ve always heard amazing things about it, but was always intimidated by it and I’m just afraid of not liking a modern classic that everyone adores. But from your review, and the snippets of the book that shows the amazing writing by Margaret Atwood, I’m definitely interested to pick it up soon!
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Ah, I hope you enjoy it if you try it! Plenty of people don’t like this book, so don’t be afraid to go against the crowd 😉
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Ah, thank you, hope you enjoy it!
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First, I think you are one of the best book reviewers on WordPress and I’m learning so much from you.
While I didn’t enjoy the book as much I wanted to because it was restricted to Offred’s perspective, I think this is probably one of the best discussion books there is and not only should be mandatory for decision-makers, but for schools too. I don’t know how much men will understand though if even Luke struggled to understand and sadly that really does seem to be the case with most men. I am now thinking that perhaps if the script was reversed and we were to see men undergo the same oppressive measures women face in literature, it would help them understand better. Such is life, people only understand when it happens to them. And I also think that it helps that Offred’s perspective feels restrictive because that IS the point after all, it helps us to feel restricted. This really hit home. I don’t think it is entirely down to religion though, but rather its distorted interpretation which ultimately became cultural norms instead.
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Wow, thank you, that means so much ❤️I completely get what you mean- the fact that Luke is even confused is so worrying about mankind and their ability to realise the problems women face. Yes, imagine a book where men lose all their rights, and women are the decision makers- it would make for some hard hitting stuff, and would suddenly be considered of importance! It’s just like with mentalities to rape and abuse- men don’t understand it, even if they care or are loved ones… it’s so hard to understand anything until you go through it. Yes, the restriction to Offred’s point of view can be limiting at times, but I guess that’s the point like you say! Thank you so much for dropping by, and for your kind comments. This definitely is a book which warrants discussion.
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Wonderful review! I haven’t yet read this book, but your review is making me feel like getting the book right now and reading it.
You have a lovely blog and I love the fact that you review TV series as well. 🙂
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Ah, thank you so much ❤️❤️I really hope you love it as much as I did!
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I love this review! It is way more in depth and informative than many that I read, and the ones I write. It was really refreshing. Also, I loved The Handmaid’s Tale as well! I still have yet to watch the series though
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Ah, thank you, when a book has really touched me I like to put a lot into it haha, sometimes a bit too much! Yes, I agree such a good book! Me too, but I’ve had a lot of recommendations for it
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Such a great review! I’ve watched the first season of the TV series but the book is on my TBR. It’s scary how many similarities you can see compared to life today, I didn’t realise it was written so long ago tbh!
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Thank you! I know, I had to check half way through to see when t was published, it scares me that we’re living in the time Atwood was talking about! Thanks for dropping by, I hope you enjoy the book 🙂
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Ooh, thank you so much for the recommendation! Hope you enjoy the series, people definitely rave about it!
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