"The Handmaid's Tale" My thoughts

I enjoyed Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” particularly because it gave life to an issue that may otherwise be oversimplified, on both an individual and mass scale.  Atwood convinced me not only of the importance of her concerns for society regarding extremism, but also assured me of the reality of this issue.  The development of relatable characters with flawed backgrounds in addition to a modern time period, and a heavy use of metaphors contributed to my appreciation and understanding of Atwood’s novel. 

                I found the perspective of first person narrated by Offred very insightful, and it allowed me to experience the terror that was Gilead on a personal level, anticipating every threat that Offred faced as a very real situation.  Portions of the interactions between Offred and supporting characters such as Nick, the Commander, and Ofglen developed into relationships that paralleled our own society, with Offred mirroring the role of a mistress for the commander.  Details throughout the novel from Offred’s memories of the past heightened my familiarity with her character, enriching emotions of pity, sorrow, and hope for Offred. 

                Events such as the Salvaging, the burning of magazines, and the hanging of people on the Wall inflicted me with concern for the greater good, examining political and social issues on a larger scale.  While I felt as if I were reading an article about a devastating case of extremism, and I was educated on both the author’s perspective as well as the general threat posed by potential issues, I did not feel as I were being preached to on the horrors of abuse of power, gender struggles, violation of civil liberties, or religious debate.  The commentary and satire was there in plain sight and boldly stated, however, it was not shoved into my thoughts to a degree that would undermine the quality of Offred’s story. 

                I thought this novel was an interesting read because it managed to develop a very sensitive concern into a story that offered relatable characters, efficient biblical allusions, and metaphors.