Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale Is More Real Than You Think

[@laviticawolf7836]

People act like these situations and violent acts aren’t still going on. Like we don’t have child labor and youths displaced by war and taken by opposing countries. Like there aren’t orphanages being raided and reporters being silenced. I’m not saying the world never evolved from where it was. I’m saying there are many things we’ve forgotten about, but they never left.

[@DrElanK]

You're absolutely right-many of these horrors are still happening around the world. Child labor, war, and censorship are all real issues that continue today.

[@freesmoke8088]

Doesn’t the Constitution say “separation of church and state”?

[@feliciagaffney1998]

Yes, but why does religion keep sticking its nose in law??? Why is religion forced in schools? Forced prayer. Books banned for religious reasons. Sadly, the "religious Right" seems to get away with blurring that line frequently.

[@uisqebaugh]

Many are openly saying that they want a theocracy, with a growing chorus to repeal the 19th amendment.

[@RicktheCrofter]

No. That phrase does not appear anywhere in the US Constitution. I suggest you read the 1st Amendment to read what the US Constitution does say about the relationship between government and religion.

[@DrElanK]

Yes, the idea of "separation of church and state" comes from the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom by preventing the government from establishing a national religion. However, debates continue about how much influence religious beliefs should have on laws and policies. It’s a key tension in The Handmaid's Tale and also in real-world discussions.

[@uisqebaugh]

​​@@RicktheCrofterit actually comes from a letter from Thomas Jefferson, who helped create the Constitution, as an explanation as to the intent of the first amendment. So, while it may not appear on the Constitution, it does make the intent explicitly clear and offer important context. The full context is that the Baptists in Danbury Connecticut were experiencing discrimination from the majority Congregationalists who held government positions. Jefferson explained his position on the establishment clause and assured the congregation that the federal government would not support any particular sect over another, nor interfere with their Church. This is especially important today, when there is a large movement towards theocracy, with some even going so far as to insist that only "true Christians" get any rights.

[@simonhenderson241]

The Handmaid's Tale, for me, is both based on historical fact and is prescient about what has actually taken place since it was written (1985). The historical precedents include: the Puritan witch-trials in New England where the book takes place (it's dedicated to Mary Webster, an ancestor of Attwood's who survived a hanging), the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 which led to the suppression of women and their removal from professional jobs and the Christian reconstructionist movement in the US around the same time which called for professional women to be sacked (a view held by the current VP, JD Vance who has said that women in the workforce are living a "life of misery") It's prescient because, among other things, it predicted: a cashless society (Gilead is controlled by Compuchek), a fall in fertility rates which was far from the case in 1985, climate change (Gilead and its colonies have become toxic wastes, high in radiation) and the rise of the fundamentalist Christian far right (exploited by Trump and JD Vance). The storming of the Capitol in 2021 by Trump's supporters came uncomfortably close to what brought about the Republic of Gilead (a military coup and suspension of the Constitution, which Trump has since his reelection tried to override twice with his Executive Orders).

[@susanne5803]

I don't want to read the "Handmaid's Tail". Margaret Atwood is too dark for me. But I read "1984" and "Brave New World" (at school, does that count?) Plus we had to write a speech as the pigs in "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, (1945) in English as a foreign language. As Europeans, my father having close contacts to Rumania since having been there as a child for some time during WWII - we paid very close attention to the absolute horrors being disclosed after the opening, about forced fertility, forced abortions, the atrocities committed in the orphanages - especially the total neglect and torture of children suspected of having special needs. A book I could stomach and which I still like as a good example of brainwashing by a regime "in the best interest of the people" is "The Giver" by Lois Lowry (1993). Thank you very much! (Edit: orthography)

[@Plethorality]

I think those books definitely count. Thank you for your thoughtful comment.

[@lr5450]

I'm glad I came across this channel so I subscribed. I've loved Margaret Atwood's writing for a long time and I very much agree with your comments about The Handmaid's Tale.

[@DrElanK]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! It’s great that you’ve explored other dystopian works like 1984 and Animal Farm-they definitely highlight important themes similar to The Handmaid’s Tale. Romania’s history certainly shows how real-life horrors can inspire these kinds of stories. The Giver is also a great example of how regimes manipulate people "for their own good."

[@DrElanK]

Thank you!

[@sharongillesp]

Humanity continues to find itself in a loop. Less than half want to return to a fictional past, and using violence and threats to do so. While more than half want to advance to a better future but have been reluctant to use violence and intimidation - choosing strategy instead. VOTE💙💙💙💙💙 for a better future for humanity.

[@philswift791]

Weird how she didn't write about what real Muslim women go thru everyday that makes the handmaid's tale look like paradise. These women are hateful of both men and real hatred towards women.

[@philswift791]

@TheSecretPassword This is a twisted version of Christian Theology. One that was created in the fevered mind of a leftist. Written as fear mongering propaganda. It isn't about the women. The women are just props pushing anti-Christian dogma of the left. These people care nothing for women other than how they might use them as shields or tools to attack Western institutions. They do not cry out for the women elsewhere in this world that are being destroyed or enslaved. In fact, many of these feminists support Islam being imported into Western culture. So when I see this tripe that is a twisted version of Christian Theology that is used to cause fear in people for no real reason other than this woman's lackluster understanding of the Theology she is writing about. Especially when these same feminists often express support for Islam and its importation to the West because the heart of a fantasy Christian Theology is so much more important than the reality of women actually being abused. I will always call them out. They are evil human beings. Pigs walking on twoo feet.

[@laura121684]

How are any of these women hateful of men? And when did Margaret Atwood say that she was writing about Muslim women? And how do you know she _didn't_ take inspiration from any of their struggles. And how do you conclude that they are hateful of women? She literally wrote the book to advocate for women's rights.

[@philswift791]

@laura121684 Because I have read the words and listened to the feminist movement for a 50-year period. The screaming about the patriarchy that hasn't existed for decades. Because I know the history of the movement, because I know the history and the ties to leftist and Marxist dogma. I have watched the results their actions on the culture. Few If any of the feminists in the West advocate for the women of islam. Yet they will promulgate this tripe. The focus of this book is a Christian theocracy. It is a torrid view of Christian theology. It is fear mongering propaganda. I have watched the patronizing view of the female leaders in Europe let Islam run ramshod over women without a word for the victims of these people. Mostly because I don't live under a rock or view the world through rose colored glasses. Try reading feminist theory and educate yourself.

[@DrElanK]

I agree it's important to listen to and support women from all cultures. Atwood focused on a range of historical and contemporary events, but The Handmaid’s Tale is primarily based on Western examples of oppression. The struggles of women in many societies, including Muslim women, are significant, but the book isn't meant to cover all forms of oppression.

[@philswift791]

@DrElanK The book is propaganda. It follows the themes of leftist ideology and is an attack on the pillars that support Western society. It smears a religion and a group of people by portraying those who follow it as the villains. It is also a perverse version of Christian theology. It is also incredibly safe to attack Christians. We are not violent in our reactions. If this book were written about African Warlords or Islamic clerics. The reaction would be completely different, nor would it be celebrated. She would be At this point, it is unacceptable to even acknowledge the damage islam is doing to Europe or to the US. A few months ago in Germany, a woman was given a longer jail sentence than was the man who assaulted her because in her rage, she called him an ethnic slur. So, in short, I will continue to finds offense when books like this are celebrated. When women are actually under attack.

[@Suejd1001]

Just NONE SENSE! She will say anything to get her book sold.

[@tiga7592]

You are being wilfully blind if that is your attitude

[@manmaje3596]

@@tiga7592The premise of the story is that humanity is in decline and birth rates have dropped dramatically. Gilead for all its brutality is trying to reverse the decline. What caused the sudden decline? I really enjoyed this show but I haven’t read the books but I find it disturbing that so many young women in the west think this is how they are being forced to live now whilst completely ignoring very similar societies that actually exist in the eastern part of the world today. Christianity was never as brutal as depicted in this book and show. It’s a dark fantasy and nothing more.

[@valeriebreathet741]

Do you know how many years ago that this book was written? Sorry, but it is, sadly, far from nonsense!

[@valeriebreathet741]

@@manmaje3596 I think that you have overlooked the historical consequences of the Doctrine of Discovery, which Pope Francis repudiated less than two years ago! Consider the legacies of Indian Residential Schools, the Irish laundries and Duplessis’ Children/Orphans!

[@manmaje3596]

@@valeriebreathet741 I haven’t overlooked anything you however have overlooked everything I said and responded with emotional babble and picking the easy fruit of the tree rather than raising awareness of true oppression. Just like Offred western w omen only care about themselves. Good day.