The Handmaid's Tale

Analysis of a Symbol:

An important symbol in A Handmaid’s Tale is the Soul Scroll. The Soul Scroll forces the people of Gilead to pray without meaning through an emotionless machine. A prayer should be formulated from one’s internal thoughts, not from a machine. By praying in this generic way, the meaning is completely stripped from the prayer. It is commercialized, and the women do it for show. There is no personal connection with God, and it is void of any human element. Not only are the prayers meaningless, but they are limited in subject. “There are five different prayers: for health, wealth, a death, a birth, a sin” (Atwood 167). This symbolizes the confinement of the people of Gilead. They are forced to worship in a way that they cannot control. They cannot personalize their desires and wishes, for they must obtain their prayers from a monotonous machine, as if they do not even have a soul. This symbol enhances the meaning of the work as a whole because it shows that a conforming society can eliminate one’s ability to make meaningful decisions and, instead, just go through the motions. 

Passage Analysis:

“I go to the window and sit on the window seat, which is too narrow for comfort. There’s a hard little cushion on it, with a petit point cover: FAITH, in square print, surrounded by a wreath of lilies. FAITH is a faded blue, the leaves of the lilies a dingy green. This is a cushion once used elsewhere, worn but not enough to throw out. Somehow it’s been overlooked” (Atwood 57).

            This passage from The Handmaid’s Tale is significant to the novel as a whole. The window is narrow, just like Offred’s limited vision and the close-minded thinking of the society. No one in Gilead is comfortable because the beliefs are too strict. The fact that the cushion is faded and has a dingy color symbolizes that the faith of the society has faded into something else. The true meaning of faith is no longer evident, for the society has taken Biblical concepts literally and turned them into a way of life. The cushion, however, is still there, representing that some people still have faith. Despite the fact that faith has been through a lot of hardships, people are not ready to get rid of their faith altogether. Although some people still believe, many leaders of Gilead have chosen to overlook the true meaning of faith.

Thoughts:

I did not personally like this novel. The themes are very depressing. The messages conveyed by the author, however, are realistic and important. They inform the reader that if one takes a belief too far, the view will become extreme. Extremes often limit freedom and create a hostile lifestyle. For instance, by interpreting one sentence of the Bible literally, the Handmaids of Gilead are forced to have the Commanders’ children, and they are treated as walking wombs. Women do not deserve to be treated as if they are good for only bearing children. The novel illuminates several other extremes, showing the importance of moderation and individualism in a conforming society.