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Adapted from Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name, Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale discovers the plight of women under the draconian laws of the fictional Republic of Gilead. Set in a dystopian world where women have no rights, The Handmaid's Tale sheds light on the issues that plague women in general by magnifying it several notches into the catastrophic future.
The show's first season was released on April 26, 2017. At the time of its release, the show had garnered critical acclaim for its storytelling, scenes, and acting. It also faired brilliantly in the awards department. In 2017, The Handmaid's Tale was nominated in seven categories out of which it won in 5.
It was also nominated across other award ceremonies such as Critics' Choice Television Awards, Golden Globe Awards, MTV Movie & TV Awards, People's Choice Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
After the first season of the show faired well among critics and audiences, the makers went on to tell The Handmaid's Tale for four more seasons. The show will have one more season, which will be the last.
Disclaimer: The following article reflects the opinions of the writer. It also contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale.
Obedient wife vs rebelling prisoner in The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale provides a perfect dichotomy when it comes to the portrayal of the lead characters of the show. Elisabeth Moss, who plays June Osborne or Offred in the show, is a woman who has been held prisoner by the newly formed Republic of Gilead. She has been held hostage, among several other women who are to be used as "vessels for bearing children" for those who are barren.
Although most around her submit to the new change to survive, June is a fighter. She is a master of her circumstances and leaves no stone unturned to find her way out of Gilead while simultaneously trying to rescue her daughter.
On the other hand, we have Yvonne Strahovski who plays Serena Joy Waterford, wife of Commander Fred Waterford and a believer and supporter in the preachings of the Republic of Gilead.
Flashbacks from her past life signify that she was a woman with an opinion but under the new Gilead rule and government which she partly helped establish, Serena lacked a voice.
Her character gained redeemable quality in the second season of the show, where she went against the government and withheld her stance about education at an official hearing.
However, her efforts were met with hostility and her finger was cut off as punishment, a gruesome scene the audiences got to see in season 2 episode 13 of the show.
Role reversal between the captor and the captured in The Handmaid's Tale
For most parts of The Handmaid's Tale, June Osborne is assigned as a handmaid to the Offreds for whom she must bear children. While under their guardianship she had to pass through several hurdles including ill-treatment from the family's wife Serena Joy Waterford.
On one such occasion in season 1 episode 3 when June revealed that she was not pregnant with Fred Waterford's child, Serena dragged her through the stairs into her room and told her that she was not to leave the room at any cost. At the end of the sentence, she yelled:
"Do you understand me?"
The roles were reversed in season 4 of the show when Serena Waterford was detained on account of several misdemeanors according to Canadian laws when she stepped afoot in their territory. Serena begged to see June who was now free in Canadian land.
June finally saw Serena in season 4 episode 7 and Serena begged for forgiveness for all that she had done. June, with no intention of forgiving Serena, treated her the same way she was treated at their house. After a monologue reiterating all that she had done, June had said:
"Do you understand me?"
Women being reduced to their reproductive rights in The Handmaid's Tale
In The Handmaid's Tale, two main kinds of women who are tied to their reproductive rights exist under the newly formed Gilead regime. There is one kind who are wives to Commanders, who helped set up the regime in the first place. These women are incapable of bearing children.
The other kind is the women known as handmaids who are fertile and are captured and assigned to several Commanders to bear children on behalf of those who cannot do so on their own.
The others who had passed their reproductive age or were incapable of bearing children were either deployed in tasks that did not center around their reproductive capabilities or were exterminated from society altogether.
Women not having a say in the affairs of the government
In The Handmaid's Tale, the Gilead Government is entirely led by the Commanders who have a say in all the matters of the land. Women have no voice in the proceedings of the government.
To be able to speak to the members of the board, they need special permission which is often denied. Even when heard, their suggestions are not taken into consideration.
An example of the same was shown in the show in season 2 episode 13 when Serena's figure was cut off when she tried to establish the right to education for girl children beyond a certain age.
Mass rebellion as a way of breaking out from the system
June manages to break out from Gilead's clutches in season 4 of The Handmaid's Tale but, she would not have been able to do it had other people not helped her escape. Her freedom was a collective result of the efforts of several women and a few men who helped infiltrate the system from within.
Had the women not rebelled against the government and created allies to help themselves and others escape, June would not be a free woman.
One of the classic examples of mass rebellion portrayed by the women in the show was in season 4 episode 10 when Fred Waterford was beaten to his death by groups of women who were directly and indirectly wronged by him.
The Handmaid's Tale will be returning for a sixth and final season. The release date for the same has not been confirmed yet.
