Taking things for granted

The Handmaiden's Tale, I feel is really trying to illustrate about taking things for granted and not continuing to push forward in the current woman's movement at the time of the book's publication (but is still relevant when speaking of the current state of the movement now). It was basically showing how when things are truly restricted that people will lose much more than they think. It won't be simple to change things back and that it may even be near impossible.

The book also shows how women who are in the best positions in these new societies still aren't happy when you look at Serena Joy, and how even trying to build a resistance will have large amounts of casualties considering the original Ofglen hung herself. It shows the brutality of a new society in which people are beaten to death for facing crimes they didn't commit only because they were vocally resistant about their rights. The book has clearly shown how woman's rights need to be continually fought for and that women need to appreciate both how far they have come and how farther they need to go.

The book was quite enjoyable and I found it to be very similar in some respects to 1984, only this one focuses on women's rights in a totalitarian patriarchal government whereas 1984 focuses on a society wherever everyone was restricted. I do wish the book focused on some of the males who may have been fighting for the females more, as while it was focused on women's rights I feel the guys were underrepresented in the book except when portrayed as dominating men who simply used women which makes sense, it just would have been nice to see male perspective from one who wants equality.