The City of "The Handmaid's Tale"

Paper Summary:

The writer explores this created city, giving examples from the text as to the ways in which it was created and how it is governed. The paper compares this nightmarish world with a communist society, one in which there was perhaps a positive beginning but which has blossomed into something dangerous and stifling. The writer brings in feminist commentary to discuss the role of women within this society.

From the Paper:

"Gilead's rigid hierarchy with its clear delineation of rules, roles and functions allows the leaders to exert complete control over the lives of their subjects. Most human societies are organized with hierarchies, usually by age and sex. Older people dominate over younger people while men dominate over women (Van den Berghe, 1974, p. 782). Therefore, in most societies, there is a constant struggle within the communities, in the forms of class conflicts, generational and sex tensions, along with military coups (Van den Berghe, 1974, p. 785)."

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