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

Atwoods Attention to Words in The Handmaids TaleThe Handmaids Tale illustrates that dictatorship can be established bycreating a state of tending once terminology controls are instituted. As atradition to dystopian novels, Atwood has drawn much prudence to themeaning of words and the significance of names, as tumesce as theprohibition for women to read or write, in order to portray Gilead asa successful totalitarian state. Atwood is trying to make the pointthat in a dystopian world, language can be the power.The meaning of names is a central focus of the novel, because namesdefine people. Their worth and functions are 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 taken by the Gileadian state totallyobjectifies the Handmaids. They no longer have a status in thesociety, and instead they become possessive items of the commanders.In the case of Offred, she does not mention her real name throughoutthe entire novel. In fact, Offred is probably numbed by the realitythat she doesnt even want to mention her real name, as she once said,I must forget about my secret name and all ways back. My name isOffred now, and here is where I live. (p.185)As a result, she is a good deal 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 stripping peoples names may as well result in stripping theirindividuality. Furthermore, she has created a system of titles tooppress wome... ... has tried to warn 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 powerful for get people to notlook at the reality of things, or for making things to be moreemotional than they need to be. Renaming can certainly be utilize tocreate a state of fear through distinctive classification. Moreimportantly, it can significantly dehumanize people and take awaytheir identities. Other than that, sacred 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 maintain its powerthrough the control of language.