by award-winning Canadian author was first published in 1985, and has been haunting readers and listeners ever since. This chilling work of fiction depicts a future totalitarian state in which women are completely subjugated, while offering incisive commentary on patriarchy, reproductive justice, misogyny, religious fanaticism, and fascism. The Handmaid's Tale was adapted for television in 2017, and the Hulu series has sparked a renewed interest in the now classic dystopian novel. But is the popular TV show true to Atwood's original vision?
Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale.
Where is The Handmaid’s Tale set?
The Handmaid's Tale is set in New England in the not-too-distant future, within a patriarchal, fundamentalist, totalitarian state known as the Republic of Gilead. The United States government has collapsed, and Gilead has risen up in its place. Under the new regime, women are not allowed to have careers, own property, or handle money. And they have no reproductive rights. Because pollution has made so many women barren, young fertile women are classified as "Handmaids" and forced to bear children for the wealthy ruling class of men.
What is The Handmaid’s Tale about?
The novel is narrated in the first person by Offred, a Handmaid who is assigned to a man known only as the Commander. Offred recounts the events of her life in Gilead, beginning with her assignment to the Commander. In flashbacks, she also shares the details of her life before Gilead and in the early days of its oppressive rule, recalling how she attempted to flee to Canada with her husband and child, the time she spent being "trained" as a Handmaid, and her best friend's escape from the training facility. The novel explores the many challenges Offred faces in her role as a Handmaid and details the various horrors that make up everyday life in Gilead. She eventually learns of a secret resistance movement working to bring down the government, but it's left unclear whether she is able to make contact with them at the end of the book. The novel closes with Offred being taken away from the Commander's house by men in government cars, leaving listeners to wonder whether her captors are secret police or members of the resistance.
