An essay written as extra work, graded A+, on the theme of Freedom in The Handmaid's Tale.
Note: the essay was a practice essay submitted to a teacher prior to studying quotes and hence, it focuses predominantly on the theme and not the quotes.
Freedom
The theme of freedom is at the center of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. The novel
takes place in a dystopian society where a totalitarian governance known as Gilead has seized
power and legislated strict regulations that circumscribe individual liberty. The novel's
protagonists, the biddies, are particularly affected by this power dynamic because their lives are
tightly controlled and they're confined in their freedom.
Through the perpetration of strict regulations that circumscribe individual liberty, the Gilead
governance maintains its grip on the crowd. The" Commanders," or members of the ruling
nobility, make use of their authority to put their will on the population and exclude any dissent or
opposition. Because they're impelled to bear children for the ruling nobility, who are unfit to
conceive on their own, and because their lives are rigorously controlled and regulated by the
governance, the biddies are particularly affected by this restriction on freedom.
The novel also looks at how people's internal and emotional countries are affected by freedom
restrictions. The biddies are stripped of their independence and individuality and forced to
conform to the governance's prospects. Any deviance from this is met with severe discipline,
and they're subordinated to constant surveillance and indoctrination in the testament of the
governance. insulation, despair, and a diminished sense of tone- worth result from this pressure
to conform.
The power of individualities to repel the government's control and reclaim their freedom is also
explored in the novel. Offred, the main character, struggles with the oppression she goes
through and how it affects her internal and emotional state. Offred is suitable to maintain her
sense of tone and humanity in the face of the government's attempts to control her. Through her
inner studies and recollections, as well as her connections with other characters who give her a
sense of stopgap and community, she resists the government's control.
The Handmaid's Tale is, in conclusion, a potent disquisition of freedom. The novel
demonstrates how a totalitarian government can circumscribe individual freedom by
administering strict regulations. Also, it investigates the means by which individualities can
reclaim their freedom and repel this control. The story serves as an exemplary tale about the
troubles of confining freedom and the significance of securing individual autonomy and rights.
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