I have always been attracted to dystopias: they offer a lesson for us to learn, a future to prevent. These negative versions of society challenge us to rise up and act in areas where we are tempted to sit idly by thinking, "Surely that won't happen to me." Each dystopian author presents readers with a lesson to learn. In Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 mankind must take care how government can use technology to limit intelligence. The Giver challenges us to remember the past in order to build a more vibrant future.
The Handmaid's Tale gives voice to the silent, demanding we fight for our future in the midst of a troubling present by remembering the blessings of the past.
Atwood presents a society where women are servile to men. Nuclear war has scarred the earth: harming reproduction of vegetation, livestock . . . and humans. Due to the low reproductive rate of humanity, the Republic of Gilead gains control and forces women into servile positions reminiscent of Biblical times. Poor women or those who have had "indiscretions" in the past are given four options: forced sterility and service as whores; Marthas who function as household servants; Handmaidens, whose sole purpose is to become impregnated by whatever Commander has interred their service; or choose banishment to serve a short life in the radioactive wasteland. Sterile women or those outside of childbearing years only have three options, while those healthy and under the age of thirty-five may choose to be handmaidens.
The later is the choice of the nameless protagonist of The Handmaid's Tale.
"We yearned for the future" (3).The novel is a splintered tale of the handmaiden's present with abrupt glimpses into her past and "the time before" the Republic of Gilead seized power. Throughout the novel, the handmaiden shares her struggle in accepting the role society needs her to play and her desire for the freedoms of her past.
I was unexpectedly drawn into Atwood's tale. While the pace of flashbacks took some time to get used to, I appreciated the style of the novel: as if the handmaid were telling me the tale in person, with asides to the memories of her past. I also appreciated that, while sexual interactions were necessary to the plot, Atwood did not give more detail than needed. The base descriptions of the interaction between Commander, Wife, and Handmaiden added to the struggle the handmaiden was having within herself.
There were two items of the story that seemed unnecessary or took up too much space: the handmaiden's search for a friend she met at the beginning of her capture and a club scene between her and the Commander. Truly, I felt these could have been left out entirely, although the latter scene was somewhat justified in the epilogue.
Oh, the epilogue. Whatever you do, don't skip over the epilogue of this book. A brilliant addition to the story---which I won't ruin. Just make sure you read this one from cover (author introduction) to cover (epilogue).
Rating: 4/5 stars
As I said, it took some time for me to get into the style and pace of Atwood's writing and there were a few scenes that seemed unnecessary. Besides that, The Handmaid's Tale is a truly wonderful dystopia, creating a believable alternate future and presenting the reader with a powerful lesson.
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