
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is a novel by Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. The novel is set in the near future, in a dystopian society called the Republic of Gilead, which was formerly the United States.
The society is ruled by a theocratic government that has stripped women of their rights and freedoms, and has established a strict caste system based on gender and fertility. The main character of the novel is Offred, a “handmaid” whose sole purpose is to bear children for the ruling elite.
Offred lives in a world where women have no agency, and their bodies are strictly controlled by the state. She is constantly monitored and is not allowed to read or write, and her every movement is dictated by the ruling regime.
Despite her oppression, Offred is determined to resist the ruling regime and find a way to regain her freedom. She tells her story through a series of flashbacks and present-day observations, providing a glimpse into the harsh realities of life in Gilead.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of gender, power, and resistance in a dystopian society.
Offred’s struggle in the novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a fictional portrayal of the suppression of women’s rights and freedoms in a dystopian society. The character Offred is a handmaid, whose sole purpose is to bear children for the ruling elite. She is subjected to strict control and monitoring, and is not allowed to read or write or make decisions for herself.
In contrast, the woman’s suffrage movement was a real-life struggle for women’s rights and the right to vote in the United States and other countries. The movement began in the late 19th century and continued through the early 20th century, as women organized and advocated for their rights and equality.
One key difference between Offred’s struggle and the woman’s suffrage movement is that the latter was a grassroots movement driven by the efforts of real women who were seeking to challenge and change the societal norms and laws that discriminated against them. In contrast, Offred’s struggle is a fictional portrayal of a society in which women have no agency and are completely controlled by the state.
Another difference is the outcome of the struggles. The woman’s suffrage movement ultimately led to the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. In contrast, Offred’s struggle is ongoing, and it is unclear what the ultimate outcome will be.
Overall, while both Offred’s struggle and the woman’s suffrage movement involve the suppression of women’s rights and the fight for equality, they differ in terms of their historical context and the specific challenges and goals of the movements.