Atwoods Attention to Words in The Handmaids Tale Essay -- Margaret A

Atwoods management to Words in The Handmaids TaleThe Handmaids Tale illustrates that dictatorship can be established bycreating a state of fear once phrase check outs argon instituted. As atradition to dystopian novels, Atwood has drawn a lot attention to themeaning of words and the significance of label, as well as theprohibition for women to read or write, in order to portray Gilead asa successful totalitarian state. Atwood is act to make the pointthat in a dystopian world, language can be the power.The meaning of identify calling is a central focus of the novel, because namesdefine people. Their worth and functions be summarized by the names.To some extent, the names also discourage originality. This occursespecially to the Handmaids, whose names all begin with the prefixOf, plus their commanders names, forming names such as Offred,Ofglen, and Ofwarren. This act hold backn by the Gileadian state totallyobjectifies the Handmaids. They no longish have a status in thesociet y, and instead they become possessive items of the commanders.In the case of Offred, she does not mention her real name end-to-endthe entire novel. In fact, Offred is probably numbed by the realitythat she doesnt flat want to mention her real name, as she once said,I essential forget about my secret name and all ways back. My name isOffred now, and here is where I live. (p.185)As a military issue, she is often perceived as an imaginary figure. In a way,she has already lost her original identity, that we are unable totrace her in the future. Here, Atwood is trying to draw the attentionthat discovery peoples names may as well result in stripping theirindividuality. Furthermore, she has created a system of titles tooppress wome... ... has tried to chasten the readersthat there would be a genuine consequence if language is exploited.What Atwood is trying to promote to the readers is that words arentjust words. Language is incredibly effective for getting people to notlook at the reality of things, or for making things to be moreemotional than they need to be. Renaming can sure enough be used tocreate a state of fear with distinctive classification. Moreimportantly, it can significantly dehumanize people and take awaytheir identities. Other than that, religious influences also allow thegovernment to control the society psychologically. After all,language is an extremely important device in The Handmaids Tale. Agood understanding of how language functions in the novel allows us tobecome aware of how a totalitarian regime can bind its powerthrough the control of language.