HL Essay – How does Gilead employ religious allusions in order to enforce its authority over Handmaids within Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale?
Though it is true that theological doctrine has been historically viewed as a threat towards the stability of the influence authoritarian states have over the general public, it takes a truly powerful institution to realize the potential of intertwining the existing grasp of religion with the autocratic intentions of creating something greater. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, published in 1985, explores the connection between Gileadan rule and Christianity to highlight the many methods in which faith can be taken advantage of to the detriment of its followers. Within the novel, Atwood examines Gilead’s adaptation of biblical verses, reinforcement of religious labels, and indoctrination through setting in order to demonstrate how the autocracy exerts power over its Handmaids.
It is not under the intention of being surreptitious that Gilead ties its authority to the Bible. The regime’s selection of certain aspects of the text in order to keep up the Christian appearance of familiarity whilst extending power over the general population proves vital for its longevity (Walker). The ability to take a doctrine that is already familiar to the public allows for a less tumultuous transition of ideologies—a concept denoted by Atwood in her 2017 introduction to the novel, “The regime uses biblical symbols, as any authoritarian regime taking over America doubtless would: They wouldn’t be Communists or Muslims” (Atwood, xvii). This, combined with Gilead’s censorship of the Bible in the manner of imposing a limitation on which individuals have direct access to the text, as well as the selective alteration of verses, results in a reality where messages of faith are directly fed for a specific value of indoctrination rather than individually interpreted. An example of this is observed within Offred’s experience in the Rachel and Leah Center, where Handmaids regularly listened to recordings of the Bible,
Blessed be the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed be the meek. Blessed are the silent. I knew they made that up, I knew it was wrong, and they left things out, too, but there was no way of checking. Blessed be those that mourn, for they shall be comforted (Atwood, 96).
This is an adapted version of the Beatitudes from the Bible, which are a list of blessings recounted by Jesus that can be interpreted as proverbs of guidance (Allen). In times of distress, man often looks towards religion as a means of consolation, with the sense of unification and comforts provided by prayer a primary reason as to why Gileadan events such as Prayvaganzas and Particutions are all religiously associated. Here, Gilead incorporates the Beatitudes to direct the Handmaids into quiet and submission via a religious vessel (where the presumption is that it is being taught for the betterment of the individual), rather than an authoritarian one (where fear is the primary motivator for the adoption of a belief). The decision to specifically play this passage at the Rachel and Leah Center—an institution that strives to indoctrinate Handmaids that are yet to be properly adjusted to Gileadan rule, has been done with utmost consideration, as this is the time in which these women are the most accepting of theological ideology due to their vulnerability. It is inherently insignificant whether Handmaids like Offred register the change that has been made to the original verse—Gilead does not strive to pass itself off as pacifistic and pure. Indeed, recognition only lends to Gilead propagating an even stronger message, the fact that they have the authority to alter and disseminate the single manuscript that holds possibly the most power over humans. In terms of hierarchy, this places Gilead’s power over that of the Bible.
Gilead’s reinforcement of religious doctrine is ubiquitous in the sense that even the smallest elements of its established culture seem to point towards an aspect of Christianity. From the blue of the Wive’s uniforms being synonymous with the purity of the Virgin Mary (Atwood, xvii), to the iconography of the “Eyes of God,” Atwood interweaves religion into the fabric of the nation. This registers with the greatest degree when taking into account the label of the “Handmaid” itself. Although unassuming, this designation within the Gileadan lexicon holds a depth of biblical significance, referring to a multitude of stories within the text. The word “Handmaiden” has always had the implication of female subordination, but the parallelism between the concepts of surrogacy Gilead reinforces, and the usage of fertile women as vessels within the Bible negates the necessity of any theological alteration. Thus, it is evident the reasons as to why the story of Rachel and Leah—one of the tales that heavily references Handmaids and taught maintaining its full integrity, is a recurring motif within the novel.
Then comes the moldy old Rachel and Leah stuff we had drummed into us at the Center. Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her (Atwood, 95).
The story itself centers around Billah and Zilpah, the Handmaids of the Wives of Jacob (Ryan). The excerpt Atwood chose, expressed in the circumstance of being read by the Commander, perfectly encapsulates the duty of a Handmaid whilst simultaneously placing its importance in biblical precedent. The manner in which Offred describes the narrative’s reiteration as “moldy” to her and other Handmaid’s implies an exasperated familiarity that borders on its acceptance. It is this continuous repetition that allows for the normalization of the notion of the existence of such a role, which in turn better accustoms Handmaids to their positions. The story itself is used as a fundamental justification for the system that Gilead is built upon. As narrated within The Book of Genesis, Jacob’s offspring—a number of whom birthed through Handmaiden surrogacy, went on to conquer the fertile land of “Gilead” within the Bible. Much like how Aunt Lydia emphasizes the importance of Handmaiden duties within training, stating that “The future is in [their] hands” (Atwood, 53), thus binding the women with a sense of responsibility towards their title, Gilead also creates a sense of false empowerment associated with the name by tying Handmaids with an obligation to take after their biblical predecessors, with the assumption that a similar positive outcome will result from their contributions. Hence, everytime the term “Handmaid” appears, the women are conditioned to, despite their doubt and apprehension, refer subconsciously to how they are working towards the greater good—an idea imposed by Gilead to further disillusion the public of its intentions.
Another aspect of this reiterated indoctrination appears in the setting of the novel that surrounds Handmaids. Their physical location in a nation entitled “Gilead”—a reference to the prosperous biblical land, enforces the idea of how they are contributing to building what should be a utopia (“Gilead”). This contrived prophecy allows for the theocratic justification of specific, otherwise questionable policies under the guise of taking action to work towards establishing such harmony. The stores Offred visits within the novel have implicit biblical significance as well, with names such as “Daily Bread,” “All Flesh,” and “Milk and Honey” all rooted within Christian theology, which subliminally reinforces Gilead’s biblical teachings. Because Handmaids are the only ones who visit these stores, the names are a constant reminder of their submission to the government’s higher authority. There is also a certain symbolism present in that Handmaids rely on such stores in order to acquire the resources both they and the rest of the household require to survive, thus demonstrating the extent to which Gilead has control over even the most basic of human needs and functions. The shops, recognized purely through the icons on their signs, demonstrate how Gilead has managed to circumvent a Handmaid’s necessity and “temptation” (Atwood, 31) to comprehend messages through a linguistic medium. Offred recognizes the biblical precedent within the symbols despite no clear religious indication, implying Gilead’s absolute control of thought.
Entities that establish power disparities between themselves and the public are not simply limited to those in the fields of religion and governance. Atwood labels the novel as an antiprediction, stating with wishful thinking that “if this future can be described in detail, maybe it won’t happen (Atwood, xviii). Yet, though the prevalence of theocracies has faded in most regions of the world, there is now danger within the technological and consumerist culture that dominates society in the twenty-first century. Modern media maintains the ability to surpass the influences of theocracies on individuals due to a simple distinction—it lives in our pockets. The high degree of accessibility such institutions have to their victims, paired with their nonthreatening facade, allows for a subtle yet immensely effective indoctrination exceeding the efforts of Gilead, whose villainized nature still breeds antagonism. Nonetheless, both Atwood’s cautionary take on authoritarianism and its modern parallel speak to the dangers of overreliance on a single entity, and the importance of maintaining individualism in order to preserve one’s liberty.
Word count: 1481
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. VINTAGE CLASSICS, 1996.
Atwood, Margaret. “Introduction.” The Handmaid’s Tale, Anchor Books, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, 2017, pp. xiii-xviii.
“Gilead.” Jewish Virtual Library, Jewish Virtual Library, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/gilead.
Robison-Greene, Rachel, and Seth M Walker. “Remix in Gilead.” The Handmaid’s Tale and Philosophy: A Womb of One’s Own, Open Court, 2019, p. 73.
Ross, Allen. “7. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).” Bible.org, 2006, https://bible.org/seriespage/7-beatitudes-matthew-51-12.
Ryan, Bethanie. “Biblical Handmaids: Three Stories.” FemCatholic, FemCatholic, 20 Mar. 2022, https://www.femcatholic.com/post/biblical-handmaids-three-stories.
