A Sense of Threat: A Comparison of The Handmaid's Tale and Frankenstein Anonymous 12th Grade

Both ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood, and ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley portray a sense of threat and the impact this has on individuals with reduced power. In Atwood’s novel, this threat is caused by the theocratic regime, Gilead, whereas in ‘Frankenstein’ the threat is more ambiguous, interchangeably stemming from both Victor and the Creature. Shelley, through her novel, is warning readers about the transgressions of exploring science too deeply; with her being a romantic writer, she was cautious of the Enlightenment era’s quest to push scientific knowledge to explain the world. However, Atwood warns her readers about the dangers of theocracies and the conflicts that occur when science and knowledge are not taken control of equally. This is most likely based on Atwood’s first hand experience with extreme dictatorships during her visits to Iran and Afghanistan, where she has witnessed the impacts of these restrictions.

Both authors attempt to make the sense of threat created in their respective novels realistic through the use of narrative structure. In ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ the singular perspective of Offred acts as a voice for the voiceless, allowing readers to see the dire effects of the threats the Handmaids...