In The Handmaid’S Tale, Margaret Atwood Shows How Society

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood shows how society could be someday, if we continue down the current road we are on. One of the main issues Atwood shows in this novel is fertility and how important it is in the town of Gilead. If a woman is no longer fertile, she is then characterized as an â€Å"Unwoman.† In The Handmaid’s Tale, we quickly learn that men have most of the power in Gilead and women are only wanted for their ability to reproduce. This is evident with the different titles given to every person, putting the women in the gender stereotyped â€Å"women† roles. Atwood is showing us that these issues can directly relate to our society today. Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood shows how fertility is a main issue in the town of†¦show more content†¦Another example of this in the book is when Offred was taking a bath. She described herself as a â€Å"prize pig.† (Atwood 69) She is saying that she is a prize to be won and she is only wanted for one thing. Through this, Atwood is showing us how Offred feels about her own body. Offred doesn t like to look down at her body because now, in this society, she only sees it having one purpose. Time and time again, Atwood brings up how Offred feels about her body to show how the ability to reproduce can be taken to extremes and it can ruin the way women feel about themselves. Atwood continually shows us the importance of fertility in Gilead throughout The Handmaid’s Tale. She does this to show us how important reproducing is for the Handmaids, and how the power the government has, to make these women and men think this is their meaning in life now. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood introduces the new term, Unwoman. This is what the town of Gilead calls a woman if she is not able to get pregnant within a certain time period or if she is infertile. They are no longer considered a woman and are sent away to pretty much die. One example of this wa s is when Serena Joy is talking with Offred about trying to have a baby with Nick, instead of the commander, because she thinks Offred would have a better chance of getting pregnant with Nick. â€Å"‘Your time’s running out,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ she says. Not a question, a matter of fact.† (Atwood 204) Offred and Serena know if Offred cannot have a childShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaid s Warning By Margaret Atwood1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe Handmaid’s Warning What will the future bring? What will happen as feminists speak out, women work out of home, pornography spreads and is battled, and the desire for children dwindles? Perhaps life on Earth will improve. Maybe women will have the rights they demand, porn will be defeated, and people will respect women’s bodies. Maybe mothers will miraculously have the perfect number of children: just the right amount to keep the population within its limits. 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