From a Linguistic and Structural Point of View, How Does Atwood Construct Her Dystopia in the Opening of 'the Handmaid's Tale'?

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In 'The Handmaid's Tale', Atwood creates a very bleak future for the human race, portraying a world destroyed by corrupted morals in which women have had all of their rights removed. One of the fundamental ways that Atwood constructs the dystopia is by showing the manipulability of human nature. The women of Gilead have been stripped of their freedom, yet have simply grown to accept it. The way that Offred refers to her bedroom as "mine" shows how despite her attempts to rebel against the system, society stands no chance against the Gilead republic. The citizens' morals are becoming more re-shaped all the time, painting a very bleak future for the next generation as before long there will nobody to fight against the government oppression. Also, the way that Offred refers to the hanging doctors as "zeros" shows how ingrained the beliefs are becoming on the citizens of Gilead, that people who were once of high prestige are now branded as nothing and useless, just as the government wants. However, the women are not the only ones to accept the changes made in Gilead. Nick represents the males of Gilead. The males are the ones who preach the new system, yet Nick, like many other men in Gilead, doesn't follow the rules. By speaking to Offred when she returns from shopping, he is breaking the rules that males teach to others, showing how willing men are to objectify others, yet don't class themselves as the part of Gilead that needs redesigning. This links in with the way that Atwood uses fear, particularly the fear of freedom to emphasise the dystopia. The removal of female liberties is sold as a form of protection, and citizens seem to be under the impression that that are being protected instead of oppressed. Offred refers to the time before saying that "women were not protected then." It seems completely delusional that women should believe that they are being cared

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