The Handmaids Tale

john smith

Ms. yourmom

IB English 11

12/8/12

Margret Atwood used the motif of Biblical influences. She effectively creates a government, within her book The Handmaids Tale, in which women are tortured and killed for things as basic as wearing makeup, in an attempt to create an ideal community in which everyone has a specific role the contribute. She places religious terms all throughout the book in order to reinforce the government’s religious basis.

The government of Gilead is a theocratic government, meaning a government with no separation of church and state. Even in the name its self, Gilead, there is a religious references. Gilead can be found referencing to a region east of the Jordan River in the Bible. The specific quote from the Bible referencing to Gilead is “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Gilead was meant to be the solution to some of the problems found in America. The founders of Gilead used the basis that they were acting on the authority of the Bible to create such a government.

The theocratic government of Gilead also imposes many restrictions on women, reverting back to a more traditional, religious view of society. “Martha” is one of two sisters from the Bible who devoted herself to housework. This goes perfectly with the infertile Marthas found in The Handmaids Tale who are infertile women, which preform the household duties in the upper class homes of Gilead. The handmaids, and all women of Gilead, are oppressed in what they can wear, in order to prevent any lust from happening, and to prevent the man of Gilead from being tempted by them. Any violation of the dress code law can end up with severe punishment. They are also restricted in who they choose to have a relationship with, any flirting between men and women in Gilead is forbidden, “And I see his, and he blushes…. It’s an event, a small defiance of rule.” The handmaid’s role in the...