Book Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood , by Mridula Murugan

 Book Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

By: Mridula Murugan

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel that follows the Republic of Gilead, a theocratic society formed after the fall of the United States. In this story, the main character is a “Handmaid” that the readers follow along with, who is unnamed but referred to as Offred. This novel is in first person and describes her experience working for the Commander and having to take part in a ceremony.

All in all, the book was very engaging due to the perspective, because it allowed for untrustworthy narration and some ambiguity surrounding the events in the story. One of the major themes of the novel was how the government has taken control of women’s reproductive rights and used societal structure to their advantage. This idea was clearly depicted through the social hierarchy, defining strict roles as Handmaids, Wives, Econowives, Aunts, and Marthas, each playing a separate role in the community while having different levels of freedom.

There was a lot of tension in the novel because of the constant fear of surveillance by the government, which ultimately motivated me to continue reading. I was very intrigued by Offred’s inner thoughts because they were often complex and morally ambiguous, allowing for my own interpretation. One thing that was definitely frustrating was the ending of the novel, because it leaves a lot up for interpretation. However, there was a second book released by the author many years later, which might clear up some confusion. 

Overall, this was a very thought-provoking novel that examined many important themes and ideas. For a deeper understanding, it can certainly be analyzed from many different literary lenses and compared to other significant dystopian novels!