Women's Issues in Margaret Atwood's the Handmaid's Tale

by Nelson, David E.

• ISBN13: 9780737758009
• ISBN10: 0737758007
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-07-29
• Publisher: Greenhaven Pr

Summary

Great literary works resonate with readers not only because of well developed characters and plots, but also because they often reflect important social themes. The Social Issues in Literature series brings together the disciplines of sociology and literature in a unique format designed to support cross-curricular studies. Each volume explores a work of literature through the lens of the major social issue reflected in it, and features carefully-selected content representing a variety of perspectives All volumes in the series contain biographical and critical information about the author; secondary excerpts offering both historical and contemporary views of the highlighted social issue; a timeline of the author's life; a "For Further Reading" section of other works on the issue; and a detailed subject index. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 9
Chronology	p. 12
Background on Margaret Atwood
The Life of Margaret Atwood	p. 17
The Impact of Feminism, Postcolonialism, and Utopianism on Atwood's Writing	p. 28
The Handmaid's Tale and Women's Issues
The Handmaid's Tale Addresses Sexism and Ignores Racism	p. 42
The Handmaid's Tale Is a Defense of Abortion and Pornography	p. 46
The Treatment of Women in The Handmaid's Tale Is the Historical Norm	p. 56
The Handmaid's Tale Dramatizes the 1980s Antifeminist Backlash
Feminism and Religious Fundamentalism Merge in The Handmaid's Tale	p. 80
The Special Impact of The Handmaid's Tale on Female Readers	p. 87
Controlling Women's Voices in The Handmaid's Tale	p. 98
Women Oppress Women in Atwood's Novel vTara J. Johnson	p. 113
Contemporary Perspectives on Women's Issues
Opponents of Gay Marriage Seek to Restrict Sexual and Marital Freedom for All	p. 124
The Surrogacy Market in India Exploits Vulnerable Women	p. 128
Government Policies Should Not Treat Women as Childbearing Vessels	p. 133
Modesty Is Forced on Women in Chechnya	p. 138
For Further Discussion	p. 145
For Further Reading	p. 147
Bibliography	p. 148
Index	p. 152
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