Comparison of 1984 and the Handmaids Tale - 1085 Words

Rebellion for a Better Future Rebellion of an individual occurs when there is a difference of opinion. This conventional trait among society allows diverse ideas to be suggested and added upon for a better future and eventually an all around Utopia. Rebellious attitude is depicted throughout George Orwell’s novel 1984 and Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale in a subtle, yet powerful way. The faint, disobedient remarks made by their characters suggest their hope in the future generations opposed to the present one. When a rebellious mindset comes in contact with an oppressed society with strict rules and regulations, the outcome suggests a better future through the realization of mistakes and unity for a common goal. Our†¦show more content†¦Comparable to this is the United States’ history. After generations of rebellion, laws were changed and amendments were made to give the common people their rights. â€Å"History had a slow pulse ; man counted in years, history in generations† (Fink). The perfect society is something to reach for but never to gain. Rebellion will always lead to a change but never to a unanimous decision, so the future is always seen as a brighter place. The future lays in past decisions, such as the decision to end segregation, the decision to organize population growth, or the decision to separate blood family. These choices have come from past generations’ failure and future generations’ desires. The Republic of Gilead in Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale must focus on the reproduction of offspring and nothing else. Men and women do not â€Å"make love† anymore. They only have sex for reproduction purposes. Every loved one is taken away from them—husbands, children, parents, etc. One right that can never be taken away from them is their opinions. Offred rebels against her government with the use of thought and alliance. S he believes she will one day see her husband and daughter again, and while Offred dreams of her family, Aunt Lydia dreams of a world where everyone in the Republic of Gilead â€Å"will live in harmony together,† and once rebellion by the suppressed women is stopped and population levels areShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1516 Words   |  7 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, explores the idea of physical and mental oppression through hierarchy, patriarchy, manipulation of history, surveillance and finally, community identity; hence the main character’s name â€Å"Offred† or ‘Of-Fred’ if you will. 1984, by George Orwell, covers this by including configuration of language; the characters have a new language called â€Å"Newspeak† and are also constantly watched by the government and the â€Å"Thought Police.† The hierarchy in The Handmaid’s TaleRead MoreEssay on Feminism in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale1096 Words   |  5 PagesFeminism in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale In The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood explores the role that women play in society and the consequences of a countryà ­s value system. She reveals that values held in the United States are a threat to the livelihood and status of women. As one critic writes, â€Å"the author has concluded that present social trends are dangerous to individual welfare† (Prescott 151).   The novel is set in the near future in Gilead, formerly the U.S., at a time whenRead MoreIs Today s Society Becoming A Dystopian World?1313 Words   |  6 Pagessociety becoming a dystopian world? Both the novels 1984 by George Orwell and The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood provide warnings of how each author sees certain problems in society leading to dystopian states. Civilizations are forced to live by rules and for certain purposes to ensure the governments own goals and aspirations, but arise for different reasons. Atwood is concerned with political groups and aspects of feminism; The Handmaids Tale illustrates how declining birth rates could leadRead MoreComparison between The handmaids Tale and 1894 (language as controlling force, language styles, structure and contexts3493 Words   |  14 Pages Both the novels 1984 and The Handmaids Tale provide warnings of how each author sees certain problems in society leading to dystopian states. Dystopian genres exist in both nove ls, but arise for different reasons. Resulting from Atwoods concerns about political groups and aspects of feminism; The Handmaids Tale illustrates how declining birth rates could lead to a state where women are forced into bearing children. 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Throughout history women have fought to gain the independence they deserve asRead MoreEssay Aspects of control in The Handmaids Tale and The Chrysalids2467 Words   |  10 PagesAspects of control in The Handmaids Tale and The Chrysalids Margaret Atwood and John Wyndham both write of distopian societies within the science-fiction genre to explore the varying ways in which society can abuse authority in order to gain control. This violent and dehumanising repression is used to create vulnerability and fear among the society as a method of control. The writers use the narrators Offred and David to explore the response to oppression and bothRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 Pagesof Solitude Catch-22 Othello Crime and Punishment The Scarlet Letter The Crucible Slaughterhouse-Five A Farewell to Arms Song of Solomon Ghosts The Stone Angel The Great Gatsby The Stranger Heart of Darkness A Tale of Two Cities The House of Mirth Their Eyes Were Watching God Jude the Obscure 2003 (Form A): According to critic Northrop Frye, â€Å"Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors