Read The Handmaid's Tale Novel by Margaret Atwood

Table of Contents

A Dystopian Nightmare: Oppression and Resistance in The Handmaid’s Tale

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale paints a chilling portrait of a totalitarian regime called Gilead, where environmental disasters and plummeting birth rates have led to a theocratic dystopia. Offred, our protagonist, is a Handmaid – a fertile woman forced into sexual servitude in hopes of repopulating the society.

A Life of Subjugation: The Handmaids are stripped of their identities, clad in red uniforms, and assigned to Commanders – the ruling elite. Offred’s life is a constant reminder of her oppression. She’s subjected to ritualistic ceremonies, forbidden from reading, and denied any autonomy over her own body.