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The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood

The handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood illustrates the role of women in society
today. After failing to fly to Canada, Margaret explores Offred's responsibility; she was
forced to remain and seek other opportunities that enhanced her living. Offred lost her
property, work, and status as any other woman but decided to forge ahead by focussing on
her strengths as a woman. Despite facing challenges, she worked as a handmaid and wore
uniform sets during work duties. She wore a red dress and headset that blocked her sight. She
became responsible for the development of the military general whose wife could not
reproduce. Margaret Atwood used her characters to express women's dissatisfaction in
society today. The book reflects the challenges that women face and strives to criticize acts
that hinder the success of women.
The role of women is explored in the Handmaid's Tale as assets of the world. Women
were forced to reproduce, lose their physical appearance and be subjects of men. However,
Offred and her friend tried to protest and seek justice and fairness in women. The Handmaids
Tale reflects the prejudices women face today and how the state solves such issues. There is a
slight improvement in the status of women today as the majority are educated, well –
informed, and empowered. In some rare cases, women face abuses such as sexual and assault
(Margaret 18). In the 21 st century, women are prospective, and nothing should stop them from
forging ahead. The liberal minds in economics, the market, and job opportunities should
guide all women regardless of their social statuses. In the novel The Handmaid's Tale, by

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Margaret Atwood, although women have no fundamental human rights, they have much more
power than one would think. If given the opportunity, they can develop it by improving their
living standards (Keishin 68). For instance, women of Gilead are severely deprived but still
find ways to control people and possess power through representation in political positions.
Some women are ripped from their previous lives by the Eyes, members of the government
watch group but still thrive to excel; the Handmaids Tales also have fertile women assigned
to the households of the elite "Wives and Commanders." Their only duty is to carry children
for these families. The novel depicts the dominant characteristics of men and how society
justifies their actions as they encourage them to continue practicing inequality, unequal
distribution of resources and opportunities, and injustices.
In conclusion, the Handmaid's Tale criticizes the ideology of taking women as tools
of service but being viewed as great pillars in society. A society that appreciates and
embraces women is bound to grow and develop. Women and men should be equal
opportunities to access information and materials that enhance development. The Handmaid
Tale presented women as submissive, intelligent, ignorant, and powerful. Women, therefore,
should utilize these attributes to develop and improve themselves. Women can grow and
develop; thus, their roles in society should be given an upper hand as they are in control of
the family as social that is vital in the early development stages of an individual.

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Reference

Armstrong, Jennifer Keishin. "Why The Handmaid's Tale is so relevant today." BBC Culture
25 (2018). P.46- 108