Final answer:
In Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale,' society is split into strict roles based on gender and fertility, severely restricting women's rights and freedoms. Women's lives are controlled by a religiously justified patriarchal regime, which dictates their behavior, dress, and function. The novel critiques extreme patriarchal societies and the infringement of women's autonomy and voices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The society depicted in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is characterized by strict hierarchical and gender-based roles. Within this dystopian world, the Republic of Gilead imposes severe restrictions on women, who are stripped of their independence and are forced into various roles such as Handmaids, Wives, Marthas, and Aunts, based on their fertility and subservience. Handmaids are reproductive vessels, Wives hold a position of relative privilege but limited power, Marthas are household servants, and Aunts are in charge of indoctrinating Handmaids.
Under Gilead's rule, the individual rights of most, especially women, are suppressed. For instance, women are forbidden from reading, writing, or owning property. The social norms defined by the regime reflect a twisted interpretation of religious doctrine, used to justify the subjugation and control of women. The patriarchal society curtails personal freedom, as seen in the strict dress codes for different classes of women. In contrast, men are assigned roles as Commanders, Eyes, or Guardians, depending on their loyalty and rank within the theocratic totalitarian regime.
The repression in Gilead is analogous to historical and contemporary instances where societies have enforced strict codes to manage the behavior of women based on 'virtue' and 'modesty,' restricting their attire, behavior, and roles within society. Atwood's novel serves as a critique of such practices, illustrating the dangers of extreme patriarchal control and the silencing of women's voices and rights.