The Handmaid's tale: Aspects of Freedom (Analysis)

Margaret Atwood,The Handmaid's Tale. pages 7-100

"There is more than one kind of freedom.Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it." (Atwood 24)

This quote was chosen because it conveys the contrast between the type of freedom that exists before the republic of Gilead, and after.

Aunt Lydia says this while reminiscing on what the world is like before the republic of Gilead comes to life. The previous society is one that is filled with freedom because there are no set rules, and no set limits. Therefore, the women in that society have the "freedom to" do whatever they wish. They have the ability to earn their own money, wear whatever they wish,and do whatever they wish. But such a freedom has its disadvantages as well. These disadvantages include the fact that women are not protected, and they have to avoid doing certain things in order to be as safe as possible. Things such as not opening their door to a stranger, and not going anywhere alone at night.

But in the days of the republic of Gilead, women no longer have to endure these things because they are granted the "freedom from" them. They are granted such a freedom through the strict regime of the republic of Gilead, where every Handmaid is responsible for giving birth to a child. While responsible for such as "accomplishment" the Handmaid's have their "freedom to" do what they wish taken away from them. In addition to that, they are also responsible for certain duties such as going to the shop to bring certain goods, taking part in "The Ceremony," and following the rules of the household that they reside in.

These two freedoms are represented as freedoms that cannot co-exist. That is because when one is granted one freedom, the other is immediately snatched away. Through this example Atwood is showing how the society that one resides in today would be shaped if one would be granted freedom from all the crimes that occur in this world, crimes such as being raped. She is showing that such crimes can only cease if the government would adapt a strict regime like the one in Gilead, where people would submit to a larger group that would protect them from any threats.