Texts are, by nature, cultural artifacts, intrinsically influenced by the societies from which they emerge. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (1985) offers a “present-day society twist”: the phallocentric dictatorship of Gilead, seen through the eyes of the narrator Offred. Set in a totalitarian and repressive theocracy, Atwood warns of the danger of fundamentalist religious ideology, likely influenced by the global resurgence of totalitarianism in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It offers a warning, particularly to female readers, about the need for feminism – due to the subversive nature of patriarchy (written in the shadow of the anti-feminist backlash of the 1980s), as well as the need for women to work together rather than working together. against each other. With the founding of the United Nations Environment Program in 1972, as well as the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in 1962, global concern over environmental degradation was evident during the 1980s, influencing Atwood's dystopian warning about the need to preserve our environment. From here Atwood's contextual concerns emerge in the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The 1980s were characterized by environmental concerns, influencing The Handmaid's Tale's dystopian depiction of a devastated environment and its suggestion of the need to preserve our environment 'earlier it's too late'. The environmental concerns of the 1980s 80 were evident from the 1983 United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Report), the founding of the United Nations Environment Program, and the Union Carbide gas leak disaster in Bhopal, India, which sparked immense protests and anger throughout the world. Offred describes “an Unbaby, with a pinhead, or two bodies, or a snout… or webbed feet.” This disturbing dystopian image evokes the Greek concept of half-man, half-beast creatures. which implies the need to avoid this scenario of environmental destruction. On numerous occasions, Offred observes Serena Joy's character in the garden "positioning her shears" "like a kamikaze intent on the pods". Pods are the reproductive organs of plants, so figuratively they could be read as humankind, "suicide bombers" destroying the future of the planet and killing ourselves in the process. Writing from the vanguard of the 1980s environmental movement, Atwood emphasizes the importance of environmental preservation. Atwood presents an indictment of fundamentalist religion, likely influenced by his fears regarding the resurgence of the American New Right such as the 1979 Moral Majority, figures such as Pat Robertson, as well as the rise of the 1979 Iranian theocracy and the law of Sharia under Ayatollah Khomeini. The Gilead regime forces its "Handmaids" to pray daily. Offred states that “what we prayed for was emptiness, that we might be worthy of being filled: with grace, with self-sacrifice, with seed, and with children.” This highly sardonic, yet humorous statement highlights the hollowness and hypocrisy of the regime, perverting what should be a significant religious act. Offred also ironically states that "the Bible is kept under lock and key, the way people once kept tea under lock and key." To a modern reader, the concept of locking up tea seems absurd, and through the juxtaposition of these two actions Atwood highlights the absurd extent to which the regime has perverted religious worship. This can also be seen in the slogan ofGalaade that “God is a national resource” as well as in the purchase of “prayers” – highlighting the commercialization of the regime and the bastardization of the cult, and consequently discouraging fundamentalist religion. Atwood criticizes a world in which women are complicit in their own subjugation, underlining the need for feminism. Serena Joy's character serves as the regime's spokesperson for anti-feminism: "her speeches were about... how women should stay at home," drawing parallels with 1980s Christian televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. Similar speeches. However, Offred's extremely unpleasant portrayal of Serena perhaps indicates Atwood's disapproval of the actions of anti-feminist women. For example, Offred presents Serena with a ring on her finger “like a wry smile” “like something mocking her,” describing her actions as hypocritical. "Her lips were thin", her chin was "closed like a fist" and "her eyes were a flat, hostile blue" - evocative of Serena's unhappiness and 'fury' at being "taken at her word ". The growing popularity during the 1980s of televangelists, particularly the “Praise the Lord Club” with 13 million viewers, likely influenced Atwood's concern about women playing a role in oppressing other women. After the second wave of feminism of the 1960s-1980s, ushered in by figures such as Germaine Greer, a conservative reaction was evident in America – for example, the failure of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982 (granting equal rights to women) in Congressional approval – likely influencing Atwood's portrayal of the inevitability of patriarchal ideology seeping into society and the necessity of feminism. The society that follows Gilead in the 'historical footnotes' appears to have made progress regarding gender equality – with a woman, “Professor Maryann Crescent Moon”, presiding over a historic conference. However, Professor Pieixoto then states that they are 'enjoying' the female chair "in two distinct senses, excluding, of course, the obsolete third" (sexual enjoyment). This is met with “laughter” from the audience, showing their acceptance of his belittling the chair. He considers her in terms of sexuality, not intellectual capacity, drawing sharp parallels with the antecedent, overtly patriarchal society of Gileadea, and warning the reader of underlying patriarchal ideologies. As readers, we are isolated from Pieixoto's thought process, immediately positioning ourselves against him. . However, his sexual puns, which act in stark contrast to Offred's first person and deeply personal narrative, distance us even further from him, condemning the patriarchal values ​​he embodies. Pieixoto refers to the “Underground Femaleroad” – a resistance organization that rescues women – as “the Underground Frailroad” – espousing the patriarchal notion that this organization, and the women, were weak and ineffective. This too is met with “laughter” and implicit approval from the audience. He refers to the commanders as “gentlemen” – a subtle indication of the esteem in which he holds them, despite their creation of a phallocentric system of institutionalized rape, conformity and terror. In light of the anti-abortion riots (following the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion) and the anti-feminist backlash that could be said to have characterized the 1980s, Atwood's concern with the pervasiveness of patriarchal ideas , and thus the need for feminism is made clear. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay The lyrics.