Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is a series that can leave you shocked and dismayed. The story is based on a dystopian America and focuses on a society that is ruled by the “laws” set out by religious fanatics. However, what makes the series different from the book is that the series is set in the present day, and shows how a certain group of “leaders” topple the US government to build a state called “The Gilead”. While the story is a dystopian world, there are some scary parallels between the series and the real world of now.

Bruce Miller has taken a 1985 novel, merged it with the current century, and created a fictional world with very real stories. Here’s how The Handmaid’s Tale is not just another TV series, but one that exposes the dark side of today’s world.

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Women Belong In The Domestic Sphere

     MGM Television

When one watches the series, it is hard to grasp a world where women are forced to stay behind closed doors of one’s home. In the series, we see the Wives, the Handmaids and the Marthas, which are the only roles assigned to women, apart from the Aunts who govern the Handmaids, and are limited to homes and supermarkets. Thus, characters who used to work, like the antagonist Serena Joy Waterford, who used to be a writer, are forced to limit themselves to domestic spheres. Additionally, other characters, like Emily and June, who used to contribute to the economy through their roles as employees in different sectors, are assigned the new role of being breeders. The idea of women being limited to just the domestic sphere does seem quite depressing and unbearable.

However, in reality, there are certain countries and communities that force women to shut themselves behind the doors of their homes. According to a Wall Street Journal Article, there are 18 countries that prevent married women from getting jobs without their husband’s permission. This is no different to the series’ portrayal of the Wives and the Handmaids being treated as property of the commanders. June becomes Offred and later, Ofjoseph, based on which commander she serves under.

In the series, it’s the law. Even if such restrictions aren’t imposed, the gender pay gap and lack of maternity leave inadvertently limits women to the domestic sphere. Additionally, social prejudice against working moms is another flag that indicates the internalized ideology that women must be home-bound and family-focused while letting go of their careers and dreams.

The Sole Purpose of Sex is Reproduction

The Handmaids, dressed in red to be easily identifiable, are compared to cows by June, played by Elizabeth Moss. Like cows, Handmaids are merely breeders. They are assigned to households so that the commanders can assault them in a disturbing ritual, where the wives hold down the handmaids. In addition to this form of unconsensual sex, the Sons of Jacob regard lust or sex for pleasure as a sin. Thus, one is not allowed to enjoy sex. While this may seem like a mere myth in many countries, there are certain countries where sex is a taboo. In some countries, “holding of hands between sexes is illegal and largely frowned upon by society, while kissing in public is a taboo, even between married couples”. Additionally, in many South Asian countries, pre-marital sex is frowned upon and women (more than men) are judged for being engaged in it.

The Handmaid’s Tale also sheds light on the debate on abortion. In the series, we see that the Gilead punishes any woman who even thinks of aborting their pregnancy. It draws a parallel between the illegalization of abortion in many countries. In the United States in 1975, Roe v Wade held that abortions were constitutionally protected (with restrictions, of course). However, recently, this decision is being debated as the draft Supreme Court opinion was leaked. Thus, what the series portrays is a possible America where women’s rights are restricted and women’s bodies are governed by the law. This is the case in many countries across the globe.

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Sexual Assault is The Law

One of the most disgusting and disturbing “laws” of the Gilead is the ceremony where the commanders assault the handmaids. It is apparently the law. Even though statutory assault or unconsensual sex is illegal in almost all the countries, there are certain loopholes in certain countries. “Twenty countries still allow assaulters to marry their victims to escape criminal prosecution” which, in a way, is similar to what the Handmaids are going through as they are bound to the commanders, their sexual assaulters. The Handmaids are owned by the commanders and are treated as mere properties; thus, their consent does not matter. Similarly, in certain countries marriage is considered consent for life, in turn, legalizing marital sexual assault.

What the series indicates is the way in which the real world fails to protect women from such injustices and instead, gives way for sexual assaulters to escape justice.

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The Punishments

Every time an Aunt or the Eye drags away a Handmaid to punish, the viewer knows that the punishment is unbelievable. From the cutting off of limbs to stoning, the punishments are gruesome. The worst part is that the crime committed is not exactly a crime. In season one, we see Emily (known as Ofglen within Gilead) committing the “crime” of being in a relationship with a Martha. As punishment, she undergoes a very disturbing surgery. This surgery is very much in existent in today’s world. Emily’s crime was being gay and the punishment was Female Genital Mutilization. According to a recent UN report, “more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where FGM is practiced”. Additionally, there are several countries that use stoning as a form of punishment to execute criminals. Thus, even if the punishments in The Handmaid’s Tale seem unorthodox to many, it may seem normal to some, which shows how brutal current society is.

The Handmaid’s Tale is undoubtedly a very important must-watch series, with great acting, that explores many brutally honest subjects. Even though many viewers might consider Gilead a brutal and harsh place to live in, there are certain parallels between this dystopian society and the present day world.