By Arshya Wadhwa

Abstract 

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale explores a dystopian world where women’s bodies are strictly controlled under an authoritarian regime, drawing unsettling parallels to real-world restrictions on reproductive rights. Her themes resonate strongly in light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which has led to abortion bans across the United States,  disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. While legal and political battles over bodily autonomy continue, the novel serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the persistent struggle for reproductive freedom in modern society in the future. 

Introduction 

While the fictitious novel by Margaret Atwood, the Handmaid’s Tale, might present a tale of dystopia, reality does not evade an absolute dissonance with the novel’s theme. Atwood took inspiration from real life instances and built upon a story which was a chilling dystopia. By examining the forced subjugation of women in The Handmaid’s Tale, parallels can be drawn to contemporary policies and legal battles, particularly the growing restrictions on abortion access in the United States. The first part of this article focuses on a short review of the Handmaid’s tale, and proceeds into discussing its important central themes by connecting them to real world struggles. 

Review of the Handmaid’s Tale 

The dreary realities presented in the fictitious novel of the Handmaid’s Tale, and thereafter its adaption on digital media as a TV series has left masses awestruck. For a variety of reasons, the Handmaid’s Tale is a literary dream of feminists worldwide, or at least most of them. The book has delivered its message wide and clear pertaining to various facets of power and control over women’s bodies, not only by men, interestingly, but also by women. The book has laid down a theme following the overthrowing of a democracy by an authoritarian regime in the United States of America wherein the tenets of christianity are followed with an ideological fervor. The new country, which is now called Gilead, is controlled by the military mostly. The country has now laid its focus on ‘developments’ like environmental protection and restoration of traditional values, however, at the cost of many human lives. The central theme focuses on how reproductive health was at a decline prior to their authoritarian intervention and that strict measures had to be taken to restore the  tradition of women being homemakers, primary caregivers and child bearers. During the tenure of the regime, women of the elite classes were  given utmost respect but were restricted to the premises of their homes wherein they were expected to take care of the household and perhaps, knit for ‘fun’. The most disturbing aspect was pertaining to the forced capturing of fertile women, who were then hired by the elite families who were unable to reproduce. Herein, the male member of the family would rape the hired child bearer under the false pretense of a ‘ceremony’ in order to impregnate her. After a ‘successful’ pregnancy, the baby would be given to the elite family, and the child bearer would be escorted to a new household. With an abundance of other modalities, the book presents the ideas of a chaste woman, importance of childbirth, same- sex relations, marriage and many other similar ideologies. 

Central Theme of Handmaid’s Tale

This totalitarian regime in the book is known for its infliction of infamous violence and rape on gender and sexual minorities. Death penalties were meted out for carrying out any form of relationship which diverged from heterosexual marriages, infidelity or any sin as per the Holy Book. Although Atwood has exaggerated many aspects, they are not entirely untrue and are written in a dystopian sense. This shall be exaggerated further by viewing some modern day examples which could lead to similar circumstances as mentioned in the book itself. Nonetheless, the most pertinent aspect of the book is regarding the main theme – the control exercised over women’s bodies. Under the rules of religious supremacy and purity, the woman is supposed to serve (more like suffer) and always be at the beck and call of their primary duties: serving their husband, country and then their wombs. The female gender has no power or control over her own remains and she is forced to conform to the tradition of having children, and finding happiness in the process. Moreover, the elite women were the ones who supported this regime and when the men in control decided to introduce the concept of handmaids (the fertile women who were raped and impregnanted), due to the inability of either of the couples to reproduce, the elite women were naturally upset. Nonetheless, no woman of the fictitious country of Gilead was allowed to read or write, or even think. Funnily enough, the entire idea of having a Gilead and its conceptualisation in the first place was done by  a woman, whose husband later becomes an important political personality and restricts his wife as per Gilead Laws (which followed religious dogmas). The idea of women procreating forcefully, getting forcefully married off as minors, and being sent to schools where this entire ordeal constitutes the entire syllabus is one of the most fascinating aspects of the book (and the tv series). 

Connection of Handmaid’s Tale with the Real World 

Unsurprisingly, such instances of a control on women’s bodies is not uncommon. Especially in the United States, wherein the laws surrounding abortion in various states have been problematic at their very core. Ever since the decision of Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the ban of abortions in many states has triggered a tumultuous state of affairs. One of the Amnesty International reports has criticised the criminalization of abortion, misinformation from crisis pregnancy centers, and the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. Amnesty called for federal protection of abortion rights, equal access to care, and the U.S. to ratify human rights treaties, urging voters to support pro-choice ballot initiatives. Following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the judgement that overturned Roe v. Wade, many conservative states have implemented strict bans, some without exceptions for rape or incest, severely limiting access to reproductive healthcare. The impact has been significant, with patients forced to travel across state lines, rely on telemedicine services, or seek abortion pills through underground networks. Despite these restrictions, abortion rates have not declined drastically, indicating that people are finding alternative ways to access care. Public response has been divided—while anti-abortion advocates push for stricter enforcement, reproductive rights supporters continue legal battles, expand aid networks, and mobilize politically to counter restrictive laws. Multiple such instances of controlling women’s bodies has been witnessed and is being witnessed even now. As per the Handmaid’s Tale, it is not very unusual to see such instances even now. 

In the Handmaid’s Tale TV series, the backstory of one of the many handmaids was shown wherein she accidentally got pregnant and chose to get an abortion. In that episode, she plans to go to an abortion clinic but turns out that the clinic was a “fake clinic” wherein the staff disguises themselves as progressive doctors and in turn gives their opinions on abortion being murder and alternatives to the same i.e. adoption. The episode shows the stark difference between how the handmaid, post the formation of Gilead, was forced to bear the brunt of childbirth whereas in her ‘past’ life, she could at least think of getting an abortion done. As opposed to her life in Gilead where forced pregnancies were the sole job of a handmaid. Although even after a dreadful visit at the fake clinic, the same woman chose the abortion regardless and got the procedure done safely and successfully. Unfortunately, she could not escape the forced imposition of being a handmaid, as here, the only alternative was death. Parallely, in the real world, the existence of fake clinics is not a myth. These fake clinics thrive in the United States especially in those states wherein abortion laws have taken a back foot and become entirely regressive. Such clinics feed their potential clients their understanding of how abortion is rather cynical in nature and that there are ‘better alternatives’ such as adoptions. However, it is pertinent to note that both in fiction and in reality, the choice of the woman have been often shrugged off under a carpet. Whether adoption or not, the physical and emotional toll of carrying another human within a human is itself a choice that must not be shattered due to indoctrination. The parallels help in understanding that the fictitious masterpiece by Atwood has encapsulated the real life scenarios back in the 1900s with an exaggerated future we may be entering into. 

Conclusion 

The gory instances depicted in The Handmaid’s Tale serve as a grim reminder that control over women’s bodies remains a central issue in modern society. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent wave of restrictive abortion laws across conservative states, the United States has witnessed a troubling regression in reproductive rights. Just as Gilead’s rigid laws sought to strip women of agency under the guise of tradition and morality, similar justifications are used today to impose limitations on bodily autonomy. However, resistance persists wherein activists, legal advocates, and healthcare providers must continue to challenge these restrictions, ensuring that the fight for reproductive freedom remains alive. Atwood’s dystopia may be fictional, but its warnings are pertinently realistic, urging societies to remain vigilant in defending fundamental rights.

Author’s Bio: Arshya is a 2nd Year LL.B (Hons.) student at O.P. Jindal Global University. She is passionate about intellectual property rights, intersectional feminism, technology law and ethics and family law. Additionally, she adores reading books and is an avid supporter and enthusiast of standup comedy. She is also a very passionate yoga practitioner. 

Image Source: Cover: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood | Communication Arts