The Handmaid's Tale

As we await season 4, which is scheduled to premiere some time in 2021, I have found myself revisiting past seasons of the critically acclaimed series The Handmaid’s Tale. Although production began in 2016 before the election of Donald Trump, it nonetheless became quite clear this was more than an adaptation of a 1985 book by Margaret Atwood, but a relevant commentary on modern society. From the costume choice, the acting, the plotline which extends beyond the book, the series is an exquisite reminder of what we have to lose and issues that currently face us.

- SPOILER ALERT BEYOND THIS POINT –

The series takes place in the near future in New England, with the protagonist June Osborn. Environmental pollution has collapsed fertility rates, and the totalitarian, theocratic government Gilead has taken over much of the United States after a civil war under the Sons of Jacob. Women are subjected to patriarchal subjugation, resulting in fertile women being used as child-bearing slaves called Handmaids. Along with the Handmaids, much of society is now grouped into classes that dictate their freedoms and duties.

Colors Used in the Series

Women are divided into a small range of social categories, each one signified by a plain dress in a specific color depending on the woman’s perceived function in society. Handmaids wear long red dresses. The deep red signifies the Handmaid’s fertility, as well their sexual and sinful nature. However, in later seasons this starts to display the character’s anger and power. As June states in season 1, episode 10, “it’s their own fault. They should have never given us uniforms if they didn’t want us to be an army.” Marthas, who are housekeepers and cooks, wear long, loose-fitting muted green garments and cover their hair with head wraps. In many scenes, these colors nearly fade into the background of the homes and sets, showing that these woman are ignored and rarely seen by the Commanders and government. They hold no child-bearing or wifely purpose, as they are usually older, unmarried women, whereas the wives of Commanders wear elegant, tailored dresses in blue and various shades of teal.

The colors the women wear are to easily identify them by their function in relation to the men instead of them as a whole person. Although wives are seen as virtuous Madonna figures, it’s interesting that they usually do not illicit the same attention as the sinful, red Handmaids, being admired but not desired. Handmaids are desired but degraded and despised. This distinction is prevalent somewhat in our own society in the way we treat the commodification of women’s bodies, youth, and motherhood. Women are viewed as undergoing a certain change after having children, and the dynamic of The Handmaid’s Tale symbolizes how they become an entirely new person. Some still face pregnancy-related discrimination, possible loss of employment, and social shame for “leaving” young children at home to pursue a career.

Women’s Rights and Choice

Due to the fertility crisis, the fanatical group the Sons of Jacob believe it is women’s biological purpose simply to produce children. It’s no surprise then that they strip women of all right to choice and reproductive freedom. This may seem extreme to some, and an impossibility, but it’s crucial to note that Atwood did not put anything into the book that has not already happened to people at some point in history. Abortion is a very controversial subject, but a woman’s right to their own body is paramount to a just and equal society. 43 states currently prohibit abortions after a specified point, 45 states allow health care providers to refuse participation, and 26 states require a waiting period. Georgia recently passed a “heartbeat bill” that would prohibit abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be picked up. For those who don’t know, the average fetal age this occurs is generally around 5-6 weeks. Keep in mind, this is also the average fetal age women find out they are pregnant, so choices may be hastened or lost altogether. Consistent barriers make abortion more difficult and deadly. The monumental Roe v. Wade, hotly debated and increasingly in jeopardy, is even more so since the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the possibility of a third Supreme court appointment for Donald Trump. The series and novel demonstrates that when a society focuses on reproduction above all else, everyone, especially women, become less free.

Normalized Misogyny

Through one scandal to the next, the president himself has displayed a long track record for disgusting and demeaning remarks about women, allegations, and cover-ups. This has even been translated into current administrative actions. Despite the rise of the MeToo movement, the Department of Education has actually introduced measures to provide greater protections for college students accused of committing sexual harassment and assault by undermining Title IX. President Donald Trump has also hurt working women and their families by suspending a federal rule designed to close the gender pay gap. Today, a woman earns 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and the pay gap is even worse for black and Latina women. Women in third-world countries are faring even worse. Despite decades of notable progress, at home and abroad, a reality in which opportunities are not defined by gender has yet to be universally achieved. Violence against women occurs at alarming rates, wherein 1 in 4 women experience severe intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with lasting emotional and physical impacts. Not only that, but a social climate of skepticism and shame make a majority of victims avoid medical and police assistance.

Classes and their Relations

Not only are people separated by gender in The Handmaid’s Tale, but class as well. Gilead pits women against each other, but this kind of conflict is not very foreign. When we take away the dystopian context, there are number of familiar things we can recognize in the interactions between specifically the handmaids and wives. Higher-class women, the wives, are condescending to the lower-class handmaids as if they are mentally inferior, and treat them as children. They criticize their purity, in much the same way lower-class people are viewed as lacking integrity or are lazy, and willingly participate in their oppression. While there is bonding within the classes of women, there is little shown of the bonding between them.

Whether it’s reproductive rights, violence, or class relations, the story still tells us to be brave and keep hope alive, even when we feel powerless to change these problems.

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