World's Collide

In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, there are numerous historical connections and parallels to the past. There is a saying, “History repeats itself” and Atwood believes that is what will happen in a post-apocalyptic world. In the book, there are references to the bible, like on page sixty-one. “Give me children, or else I die.” This is part of the verse Genesis 30:1. “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” The idea of what the commander is doing, keeping women held hostage and forcing them to have sex with him to reproduce, comes indirectly from the bible. Throughout history, women have been forced to abide by a number of rules: Not having marital property rights, not being allowed to vote, and not being able to earn an equal wage. Those were a few more notable ones among the long list of rules women had to follow. Women historically were forced into nurturing roles, like teaching and child care, most of all, solely committed to being a wife and mother. This connects to the main theme of The Handmaid’s Tale, as in a parallel to a world reset, the first actions of life in this new world are similar compared to when this world was first established. Women historically have never had a voice. This is shown in THT through their living situation and the stories that Offred tells. They’re always being watched in Gilead, the same way they were in real life. If women were to step out of line, they would be punished. THT also has a lot of polar opposites to the bible. Proverbs 31:30-31 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. This reference to the bible is one of many instances where women are praised, whereas, in Gilead, women are punished for having the ability to reproduce. In the bible, it does say women should reproduce, but based on the scripture Proverbs 31:20-31, it should be done in a nurturing and loving way. The tale also carries a sense of indoctrination. The book paints a picture of religious extremism, like the ceremony, quoting of the bible, and the imbalance of rights based on gender and fertility. Gilead uses a lot of terminology straight out of the bible. The rituals, as in the living arrangements for handmaids and the ceremony strip the individuality away from the handmaids. They all become the same, as they serve the same purpose. Offred believes she became more than that to the Commander, but then she finds out that he has done what he’s done for her for other girls. The pattern of ‘every handmaid is the same’ repeats itself. It seems to be the driver for the controlling aspect of the handmaids. By forcing them into these religious practices, it forces them to all be in line and abide by rules, but it also makes the people in charge abide by rules. They have to follow traditions even though they are the ones who came up with it, which is why it is recurring. THT also has a lot of similarities to the Holocaust. The women held captive for these practices fit a specific theme, they can all get pregnant, which is exactly what the holocaust did, the only difference was they killed the Jewish people, whereas in Gilead they are giving birth to new lives. The Handmaid’s Tale makes a lot of connections to history, particularly religious practices. They let the bible decide how they treated the women, but in many instances chose to come up with their own rules.