Back in 1985, Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, a novel that has since been a best seller for countless years. Whilst Atwood states that she purposefully based this sci-fi dystopia on practices that were once a reality in some past era, little did she know that the context for this novel would hold as a blueprint for the modern day.
Although the novel, alongside Atwood’s other pieces, are considered works on feminism, the author has been reluctant to label The Handmaid's Tale as a feminist title herself, declaring that she does not perceive the Republic of Gilead to be a solely feminist dystopia because not all men have greater rights than women. In fact, The Handmaid's Tale was never intended to convey one thing to one person or to serve as a political message, but rather is a study of power within society. With her works, Atwood hopes to challenge the reader to consider the different roles within an invisible, yet known hierarchy, and therefore, although not intentionally, can be applied to today’s feminism.
Nevertheless, Atwood is a self-proclaimed feminist, holding the position that feminism is not about the assumption that women are always right, but rather focusing on the equality of sexes.
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