This is a futuristic novel that takes place in northern USA sometime in the beginning of the twenty-first century, in the oppressive and totalitarian Republic of Gilead. The regimedemands high moral, retribution and a virtuous lifestyle. The Bible is the guidingprinciple. As a result of the sexual freedom, free abortion and a high increase of venerealdiseases at the end of the twentieth century, many women, (and men also, but that isforbidden to say), are sterile. The women, who are still fertile, are recruited asHandmaids, and their only mission in life is to give birth to the offspring of theirCommander, whose wife is infertile.The main character in the book is Offred, one of these unfortunate servants who's onlyright to exist depends on her ovaries productivity. She lives with her commander and hiswife in a highly supervised centre. Unlike men, women have been facing unique problems for centuries, and often womenexperience harassment and discrimination. In today's society, females are trying tocombat their tribulations through lawsuits and protest rallies. Literature often deals withpeople being unable to articulate their problems. Often, unforeseen circumstances forcepeople to conceal their true emotions. In "The Handmaid's Tale" the main femalecharacters find ways to escape their situations rather than deal with them.Offred from The Handmaid's Tale uses different tactics to cope with her situation. She istrapped within a distopian society comprised of a community riddled by despair. Thoughshe is not physically tortured, the overwhelming and ridiculously powerful governmentmentally enslaves her. Offred lives in a horrific society, which prevents her from beingfreed. Essentially, the government enslaves her because she is a female, and she is fertile.Offred's reminisces about the way life used to be by remembering stories about herhusband Luke, her daughter, and her best friend Moira, provides her with temporaryrelief from her bind...
