Essay on the Commanders in 'The Handmaid's Tale'

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a novel, which has been described as a “fresh post-feminist approach to future shock” due to its detailed introduction to the world of sexism committed by the patriarchal society of the Republic of Gilead. It reflects the dystopian male-controlled society, where women are treated inferiorly and unequally while facing sexism and social disparage. Society of Gilead represents “a return to traditional values” when religion was the main law and women were purely used for giving birth, taking care of their children, their husbands, and looking after their households. In the book, the whole of American society is struggling with civil wars, ecological catastrophes, and a decrease in their population, and according to the law, it is the female sex, who is supposed to ensure a brighter future and population growth, since giving birth to children was considered to be a rule, which every fertile woman had to follow. [1: http://movies2.nytimes.com/books/00/03/26/specials/mccarthy-atwood.html] [2: https://www.towernotes.co.uk/literature-notes-53_Atwood_Handmaid039s-Tale_15.php]

Since infertility started to affect the whole society, all the young and fertile women are taken away from their families and become part of the so-called Red Centre, where they are trained for their main purpose – to travel from house to house and provide the main male characters – the Commanders - with descendants, while facing a rough life full of humiliation, hatred, loss of power, dignity and even their self-love.

Even though the main hatred in this novel is essentially based on the comparison of the social status between men and women, it still markedly points out the intense bitterness among the female sex. As it happens in patriarchal societies, the main power and the main word are strictly given to men, while they are being shown as the main perpetrators of hatred, however in this case it is important to mention that the male sex is not the only to blame, but so is the female sex. A considerable amount of hatred is displayed within the female society through negativity, envy, degradation, immorality, or even disgrace.

In societies where sexism is dominant, the topic of gender inequality is strongly discussed, however, this essay will not only analyze a traditional comparison between sexes – men vs women, males vs females, patriarchy vs matriarchy but will focus on the inequality between the female characters, their social statuses, responsibilities, expectations and the different types of pressure which are put on them. The presence of hatred between the female groups is recognized throughout the story and I will further clarify and draw attention to the general division of the female part of society of Gilead and the different treatment of the female characters, depending on their position in the social hierarchy.

Throughout the book, Margaret Atwood introduces the female sex in different lights and divides women into six particular groups: Aunts (women who teach and take care of handmaids at the Red Centre); Wives of Commanders (women with all the privilege and the ones who represent the high society, since they are married to Commanders); Econowives (women married to men of lower social standing, who are expected to take care of their families and the household); Marthas (women who are hired strictly to do all the work around houses); Handmaids (women with the main social purpose - giving birth); and lastly Unwomen (women of higher age, the sick and unfortunate ones, who are being sent to the Colonies, since the society wants to get rid of them). The difference between these six classes is very noticeable and highly distinguished throughout the whole story by showing the contrasting faiths of women of each of the casts. Attention is mainly focused on so-called handmaids, who are described as the fertile females chosen purely for birthing. Handmaids are taken from their families and have to travel all around the country with the only goal – to ensure posterity for the main male characters – the commanders.

The most apparent contrast among these factions can be noticed between the wives of the Commanders and the Handmaids, more specifically between the main character - a handmaid called Offred, and Serena Joy, the Commander's wife, and Offred’s handler. However, negativity and tension can be also found in the relationship between Handmaids and Aunts, the women who are taking care of the Red Center and in the meantime are also the biggest supporters of the patriarchal social system, since they believe that order can be restored by following this arrangement.

The Red Center is an institution for the new handmaids – young recruits who are meant to learn about their faction and others in the Republic of Gilead. It is the Aunts who rule the Red Centre and lead the other handmaids by providing them an education based on disinformation, lies, and brainwashing while keeping them locked up as animals under a 24/7 monitored watch. All the basic human rights of the young handmaids are denied, still, the Red Centre institution is described as “not a prison but a privilege”. The strict approach of Aunts is completely immoral and inhuman, however, they believe in all the things they teach these young women. This is most likely because they are in a position of power and no matter how minimal it is in the bigger picture, they feel as if they are important and perhaps above the circumstances. [3: Str 18]

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The Red Centre is also where resentment and hatred for women and the other factions begins. While in the Red Centre, it seems as if Aunt Lydia has brainwashed the Handmaids to think less of other women: they should feel pity for the Commander’s Wives because “they are defeated women” and they cannot give birth. Aunts tend to tell the Handmaids that they are in a “position of honor” and more obviously more important than any of the other female social groups. However, from the other perspective, it seems like an easy way to ensure that a female uprising will not occur, because if all the women are against each other, none of them will band together and riot. [4: 56] [5: 23]

Aunts not only intentionally create negativity, conflicts, and conspiracies in the Red Centre but also spread hatred between the Handmaids and all women. Even though they still preach about unity, it is no longer on a gender scale, but rather on a factional scale. The women from before the new regime are described as “lazy women […] they were sluts”. Despite all the unity pressure coming from the Aunts and their lectures, there is still a lot of bitterness that can be found within the relationships between handmaids at the Red Centre, especially when a handmaid gets pregnant. A unique type of jealousy is spread when someone gives birth and that is caused by the fact that while staying at the Red Centre, handmaids are being brainwashed and part of this process is talking and discussing past sins and mistakes, which are eventually turned against them and women are blamed and turned against each other. One of the examples is the case of a handmaid called Janine, which was gang-raped at the age of 14. After sharing her past story, the Aunts make her sit in front of the whole class, while all the other handmaids are pointing at her with disgust on their faces, blaming her it was “her fault”. Not only are the handmaids led to hate each other but also taught to hate themselves, which represents the bitterest and worst sort of negativity and hatred in this novel. [6: 123] [7: 82]

Sadly, it is not only the Handmaids who are taught to despise and misprize other women from other factions, so are all the Commander Wives, Econowives, and Marthas too and that is an explanation of the general female hatred in the story.

The first obvious occurrence of any hostility or hatred between female characters is presented by Rita, a Martha who takes care of the same household, where the main character Offred works. According to Offred “it’s the red dress she disapproves of, and what it stands for”. Other than the Aunts, this is also the first reference to dissent among women in the text. Rita disagrees and despises Offred and her position in the house and society in general. Rita believes that the handmaid should feel ashamed and should rather choose the suffering and death of an Unwoman than be taken as a child-bearer. [8: 20] [9: 20]

Nonetheless, the main and biggest proof of hatred and resentment towards handmaids can be spotted in the Commanders’ Wives. These characters and their attitudes show how much negativity and pressure is put on the young Handmaids and how badly and poorly they are seen from the perspective of other females in the whole hierarchal system. Offred believes that Serena, the Commander's wife, and Offred holder, hates everything about her and views all the Handmaids as “little whores, all of them”. Even though commanders’ wives reject and despise any of the Handmaids, they know how needed and important for the society‘s well-being they are. Serena criticizes and puts Offred down every single day, claiming she is just a stupid child with no rights and privileges, who does not deserve to be treated the same way as any other woman in the household. [10: 125]

Not only are the Handmaids envied and hated the most out of all the female factions in the novel, but they are also placed in the lowest position, having no power, and are being seen as a subject or a burden to both Commanders and their wives. This is what other people in the story see - they see either a handmaid’s lack of work as laziness or their ability to give birth as a source of envy. They acknowledge the actual significant importance of the Handmaids and despise them for it, but pretend to ignore their harsh and unfair treatment within this new society. Throughout the whole book, there is not a single part mentioned when a handmaid is treated with respect, dignity, or any understanding. They are seen as childish working girls, who need to be tolerated to achieve social progress.

Throughout the novel, negativity, hatred, and jealousy are being spread among all the women from all the social groups of the republic of Gilead. Women are treated poorly and harshly since the story takes part in a patriarchal society led by strong men, who represent sexism and inequality but as examined, they shall not be considered to be the only perpetrators of hatred in The Handmaid's Tale. An even bigger amount of hatred comes from the female characters, especially when it comes to their attitude toward the Handmaids. Even though society knows how needed and necessary they are, there is too much pressure and hatred upon them. They are viewed by all to be a burden and wanted purely for their ability to procreate, even though they are only trying to make the best out of the life that has been chosen for them.