Exploring Realms of Patriarchy in ‘the Handmaid’s Tale’

Margaret Atwood in her novel “The Handmaid’s Tale”, talks about a dystopian society, where the only role given to women is to bear children. This novel being a speculative fiction, talks in detail about what could happen in the future to women and the society in general. This paper views the novel with a Marxist Feminist lens. Marxist Feminist theory believes that capitalism is the root of women’s oppression and that by dismantling capitalism, women can be liberated. This is because capitalism is the handmaiden of patriarchy, both mutually support each other in victimizing women. This novel is featured in the Republic of Gilead, where women are treated as mere unpaid sex workers, more of a sex slave to people holding power. Offred is the protagonist, and is introduced to us as a handmaid to a commander. Her life is turned upside down due to capitalism, she is stripped of her identity as a wife and a mother and loses her family, resulting in her becoming a handmaid. The common notion of women being treated as baby producing machines by the patriarchal institution is highlighted in the text. This book tries to identify the major ways in which capitalism takes control of women.