The Pursuit of Power in The Handmaid's Tale Clark Ordeal 12th Grade

The human world is shaped by hierarchies and power. There are strata of influence through which people of influence and authority are able to suppress and control those who are ranked beneath them in terms of their social function and prestige. Such power structures are ordinarily stable in societies at equilibrium, where the dominant individuals at the top remain in power, and those in the lower echelons remain unmotivated or impotent to challenge the establishment. However, in rare instances an individual from the lower class is able to disrupt this social framework, and gain power over the elites. The governance of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, revolves around such a rigid power structure, and operates on the premise that through extensive oppression, the powerful theocratic oligarchs of Gilead can eliminate any possible loss of control. In the theocracy of Gilead, Handmaids occupy a low tier in society. However, the Handmaid Offred is able to surmount her societal limits, as she obtains power over those who are supposed to control her. Therefore, although Offred is classified as powerless, she is able to obtain power over the Commander, Nick, and Serena Joy.

Although the Commander is among the elite...