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Biblical Influences in Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

Biblical Influences in The Handmaid’s Tale
Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale presents a picture of a dystopian society which uses the Bible to justify its actions. Upon the creation of the society of Gilead, new customs and events had to be created in order to entirely separate it from the past. The older way of living was made illegal and everything changed -- from the accepted forms of greeting to what occurred in a married couple’s bedroom. The government uses biblical allusions to establish conduct in all facets of life in Gilead. Everything has a religious nature: educational practices, outside life and interaction, the role and treatment of women, the titles of people, and customs.
In order for a woman to become a Handmaid, she must have viable ovaries and attend the Rachel and Leah re-education center. Once there, she is fed edited versions of Biblical passages. Offred is exposed to Mark 5:3-12 frequently: “Blessed be this, blessed be that. They played ...

Posted by: Sylvia Schiavoni

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