Dystopian Journal 3 (Handmaid's Tale)

The Handmaid's tale has many cultural connections. Two of these are connections to abortion and feminism. These two connections are very prominent and both very similar to each other. Margaret Atwood wrote this book in the late 1970s, early 1980s. This time period has a lot of feminism and abortion movements connected to it. Abortion was legalized in 1981 and between 1978 and 1983, feminist health centers around the country provided low-cost abortions and the church began using illegal acts of violence against these clinics. This issue is very prominent in the dystopian society that Atwood has created. The Handmaid’s only purpose in life is to have children and if they are either unable to, or kill a baby, they are then named an “unwoman” and exiled. We know that this society has a Christian, theist government and that during the time that this book was written, Christian groups were often burning down and destroying abortion clinics out of anger. In the church, women have very small roles compared to the men; this also plays out in the novel through the repression of women and their rights. The handmaids are controlled through their clothing and having all of their rights removed. In the beginning of the society, the first signs that women were losing their rights were when they weren’t allowed to own money or property; these constrictions were then raised to complete control.