Margaret Atwood has once again satisfied her readers with “The Handmaid's Tale”. The book sheds a new light on the freedom that society so often takes for granted, and readers will find themselves gaining a whole new perspective on life for women under oppression.
The novel is narrated by a young Handmaid named Offred living in the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States of America. Offred's sole duty in this new world is to become pregnant with her Commander's child, and because of this she is despised by the Commander's wife. Women are no longer permitted to read, and pictures have replaced any written signs. Offred frequently recalls a time when she was free to work, love, and read, and through her flashbacks the reader begins to see how quickly and unexpectedly her world was snatched away from her.
It is difficult for western society to sympathize with countries where women are oppressed and freedom is only a dream, simply because it is something they have never experienced. This novel forces the readers to consider how much freedom they actually do possess, and how completely shocking it would be to have all of that change in an instant. Readers find themselves easily relating to Offred and her situation because she was once an American woman, living her life just as they do today.
Overall, Margaret Atwood has succeeded in creating a somewhat horrifying reality that is not easy for readers to shake. Readers will find themselves letting out a sigh of relief that they have not yet lived to see such a society realized.
