Social Control and Oppression in The Handmaid's Tale

Introduction: Atwood's Dystopian Vision

Margaret Atwood set out to depict a society of the future, one that in her eyes embodied characteristics that needed to be addressed in the present. The Handmaid's Tale is dystopian in nature, presenting a dysfunctional future society as seen through the author's eyes. It is important to note, however, that most works of fiction set in the future are actually meant to help correct current vices or to offer a cautionary warning to society. In the novel, the Republic of Gilead fictitiously represents regions where women suffer under male dominance — places analogous to parts of Africa, Iran, India, Guatemala, and Germany (Danita Dodson).

The novel is set in Gilead, an imaginary society of the future, with a woman called Offred as its protagonist. It narrates a dystopia in which the freedom of women is restricted by a male-dominated society, with the primary instrument of that restriction being a newly introduced, rigidly interpreted form of Christianity. The novel centers on the freedoms of women, their lives, procreation, and their rights over their own bodies (Wisker G.).

Offred's Narrative and the World of Gilead

In the novel, the Gilead society — a new republic — is described through the perspective and narration of a woman called Offred, one of the so-called Handmaids, who are treated as breeding tools for the Republic. The tenets of this Christian republic are conveyed through Offred's first-person narrative, interspersed with flashbacks to the society that existed before Gilead. In some instances, Offred becomes critical of the society through interior monologue and subtle undertones. She also describes the world before the revolution that created Gilead, which is essential for understanding the nature of that society and the injustices within it. This first-person narrative lends authenticity to the details presented and wins the reader's empathy.

Oppression and Gender Inequality in Gilead

Oppression is a central issue that Offred highlights throughout the novel. The way she draws attention to gender inequalities and the power structures that exclude women is a vivid demonstration of male oppression. This oppression is further underscored by the contrast she draws between the previous society and the ostensibly ordered but deeply unjust Gilead republic — a contrast evident in the very language she uses to describe each world.

The Gilead society is depicted as Byzantine in the extreme: any transgression is met with cruelty from the regime, and punishment may come from undeclared enemies of the state. Men in Gilead could refuse to take up the responsibilities of fatherhood — typical of the Republic's values — relocating those parental responsibilities entirely onto the mothers.

Mechanisms of Social Control

The following were the principal means by which the ritualized, totalitarian regime asserted social control over the highly stratified republic.

Punishment: Forms of punishment were cruel and designed to suppress all rebellion. The Aunts at the Red Center carried cattle prods, and the Angels carried guns — both intended to prevent dissent and to punish those who resisted. There were also the Salvagings (a portmanteau of savage and salvation), the Particutions (combining participate and execution), as well as exile to the Colonies or to Jezebel's, and the ever-present threat of torture and disappearance. All of these served as instruments of fear and social control.

Rules and regulations: The rules governing life in Gilead, particularly the lives of the Handmaids, were extensive and rigidly enforced. Other citizens were similarly expected to adhere to prescribed standards of living. Wives were required to attend Prayvaganzas and Birth days; Commanders were expected to attend the monthly assembly. Despite these regulations, they were frequently broken — ironically, often by those responsible for enforcing them.

Uniforms: The novel uses uniform dress as a means of eliminating individuality and enforcing group identity. Atwood provides a detailed description of the clothing Handmaids are required to wear, and each item serves a specific purpose within the system. For instance, the headdress was designed to prevent women's hair from being seen and to restrict the wearer's own field of vision — limiting both self-expression and awareness of others (Margaret Atwood, 75).

Hierarchy: The governance hierarchy of Gilead was designed expressly to assert the top leadership's control over the broader population. The social ranks — Marthas, Commanders, Wives, Daughters, Unwomen, Handmaids, Guards, Angels, and Aunts — constituted distinct social strata, each with prescribed behaviors appropriate to its position.

Communication control: Communication was tightly controlled in Gilead, and the use of propaganda was pervasive. Women were not permitted to use the written word, and any communication beyond basic greetings was closely monitored. It is important, however, not to overlook Offred's powerful desire to survive — a desire that marks her as an unmitigated heroine. As one scholar observes, "Her desire to survive and to know comes with a necessary degree of complicity and a tendency to relapse" (Shirley Neuman).

Conclusion: Survival, Complicity, and Resistance

Social control is central and stands out in the entire novel; it forms part of what Offred is opposed to and informs the rebellions that arise within Gilead. Nevertheless, the male chauvinists of the regime cling to their mechanisms of social control with the fervor of a religion. The Handmaid's Tale ultimately endures as a warning about the ease with which authoritarian systems co-opt religion, gender norms, and fear to silence resistance — and about the stubborn, quietly heroic will to survive that persists even under the most oppressive conditions.