Gendered Totaltirianism.Motherhood,Abortion and adoption in Margret Atwood novel The Handmaid's Tale and it's Hulu television adaption

Abstract

Speculative fiction is a form of literary work that has a significant cultural impact on society. An example of such a work of fiction is that of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid's Tale” of which is the central focus of this study. Both the novel and its television adaptation portray a vision of a future dystopian society controlled by gendered totalitarianism government. The purpose of this research is to investigate and consider the various forms of family units and the respective roles of female characters in The Handmaid's Tale. Both the text and the television series provide an insightful and dynamic look into political, sociological and psychological concerns that allow the reader to gain a greater comprehension of the issue of motherhood. Another aim of this study is to obtain a greater understanding of the phenomenon, social and psychological significance of abortion through its depiction within the novel and on the small screen. Lastly this investigation will examine the nature of adoption and family as it is presented in The Handmaid’s Tale. These aims are achieved by examining the various forms of motherhood presented, such the roles as surrogate, artificial, and biological mothers as well as the development of the mother-daughter bond. The study also considers the representation and impact of abortion within The Handmaid’s Tale and comparatively its role within modern society. This thesis also serves to identify the effects of adoption in children and artificial family bonds. The research reflects these different classifications of motherhood as presented in the novel and television series, accordingly, determining that a “true mother” is defined by her personal sacrifices and disposition to protect her child. This research also denotes what it means to be women within this dystopian society and how this gendered totalitarianism will continue to expand their dominance of future generations. The findings of this research as such, will contribute to a greater comprehension of the genre of dystopian family fiction.