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Utopia represents a perfect and harmonious society, while dystopia describes an imaginary society marked by suffering, oppression, and injustice. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, published in 1985, is a dystopian novel set in the Republic of Gilead, a theocratic and totalitarian regime in the former United States. In this regime, there are no newspapers, books, films or universities, and citizens considered criminals are publicly executed. The mere mention of prohibited words such as "freedom" can lead to conviction. Anyone caught reading will lose a finger; repeat offenders lose their entire hand.
The power structure in Gilead is hierarchical and theocratic, with a dictatorial Commander-in-Chief, supported by security forces called "The Eyes". Women are completely oppressed and without rights, divided into categories with specific functions. The regime tightly controls reproduction, assigning fertility only to the Handmaids. Gilead justifies its religious and sexual repression as a moral "purification", using a distorted interpretation of religion to maintain social control.
Offred, the protagonist, is a Handmaid whose only job is to procreate. Her fate, although monitored and without rights, is better than that of "non-women" – those who cannot have children, gay people, widows, and feminists – condemned to forced labor in radioactive areas.
The award-winning Series The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale series, released in 2017 and based on Margaret Atwood's novel, portrays a dystopian future in the Republic of Gilead, which replaces the United States. Governed by a totalitarian theocracy, Gilead imposes draconian rules, especially against women, treated as state property and divided into classes.
Offred (June Osborne), brilliantly played by Elisabeth Moss, is a woman separated from her family and forced to become a Handmaid, destined to procreate for the ruling elite, including Commander Fred Waterford. Under Aunt Lydia's constant surveillance, Offred faces monthly rape rituals in the "Ceremony" to conceive.
Amid the brutalities of Gilead, she seeks to reunite with her daughter, Hannah, and her husband, Luke, presumed dead. Offred forms alliances with other Handmaids, like Moira and Janine, and discovers unexpected allies, like Nick, the Commander's driver.
The tension between Offred and Serena Joy, the Commander's wife, reveals the complexities within Gilead's elite. Offred also discovers a clandestine resistance called "Mayday" and, at the end of the season, becomes pregnant and is rescued by Mayday's agents, leaving her fate in suspense.
Cast of the series The Handmaid's Tale
It all started with Utopia, by Thomas More
Published in 1516, Utopia, by British writer and philosopher Thomas More, mixes fiction and philosophy to criticize European society at the time. Using Raphael Hythloday's account, More describes the fictional island of Utopia, where private property does not exist, and wealth is shared equally. The utopian society values education, religious tolerance, and social justice, contrasting with the oppressive scenario of The Handmaid's Tale.
Thomas More uses this idealized narrative to question corruption, injustice and inequality in Europe, provoking reflection on how to improve real society. He criticized the social, economic, and political conditions of Europe, exposing injustices such as social inequality, corruption, and greed. When describing an ideal society, More suggests alternatives for social and political organization, proposing innovative ideas about collective property, social justice, education, and work.
Utopia is a philosophical exercise that investigates justice, happiness, and good governance, inviting readers to reflect on what constitutes a just society. Using irony and satire, More provoked his readers to question their own beliefs, suggesting a critique of the search for an unattainable ideal and stimulating debate about social improvements and humanist values.
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, published in 1932, is a dystopia that portrays a future where humanity lives under technological and psychological control. Society is organized into castes, with individuals conditioned from birth to specific roles. Stability is maintained by genetic manipulation, psychological conditioning, and the drug soma, which suppresses personal emotions.
Bernard Marx questions this order after meeting John the Savage, who values freedom and individuality. John exposes society's flaws, causing cultural and philosophical conflicts. Huxley criticizes consumerism, the loss of individuality and unbridled technological advancement.
1984, George Orwell's Harrowing Dystopia
The book 1984, by George Orwell, published in 1949, portrays a totalitarian future in the superpower Oceania, governed by the Party and its leader, Big Brother. Big Brother's face symbolizes absolute power, with the slogan "Big Brother is watching you." Two-way screens monitor and broadcast official propaganda. The Party encourages espionage and denunciations, including by children against their own parents.
The Ministry of Truth rewrites history and controls information, while "Newspeak" limits critical thinking. Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of Truth, questions the regime, and seeks resistance, becoming involved in a forbidden romance with Julia.
Films Based on George Orwell's 1984
There are two films based on the book, the first launched in 1956 and the second in 1984. The film released in 1984, directed by Michael Radford and starring John Hurt (Winston Smith), Richard Burton (O'Brien) and Suzanna Hamilton (Julia), faithfully adapts George Orwell's dystopian novel. The story takes place in the fictional Oceania, where totalitarianism rules under the control of Big Brother. The State exercises constant surveillance, propaganda, and brutal repression. Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of Truth altering historical records, begins to question authority and seeks the truth.
Connections Between The Handmaid's Tale, 1984 and Brave New World
Parallels are drawn with George Orwell's 1984, both of which explore the government's totalitarian control over citizens. The protagonists fight to preserve their identities and freedoms against surveillance, propaganda, and the rewriting of history. The Handmaid's Tale and 1984 contrast in ideology, narrative, and regime objectives. While 1984 explores a socialist dictatorship with a focus on ideological indoctrination, The Handmaid's Tale focuses on a theocracy that uses an extremist interpretation of religion to justify power.
Objectives of The Handmaid's Tale, Brave New World and 1984 regimes
The regimes in 1984 and the Gilead Theocracy have different goals: the Party and Big Brother seek total control over body and mind, while Gilead controls reproduction and morality. Both are dystopian classics that criticize surveillance, authoritarianism, issues of gender and power. Brave New World sacrifices freedom and individuality for stability. Utopia, by Thomas More, seeks justice and the common good. These works reflect on the loss of individuality and freedom, instigating reflections on society and human nature.
Which of these works is closest to today's world?
Brave New World is considered particularly closer to contemporary reality, with its vision of technology and consumption. Television adaptations maintain the relevance of these debates about human rights and gender equality by providing insights into social and political issues.
Brains and hearts behind utopian and dystopian works
Thomas More, born in 1478 in London, was an influential thinker, politician and humanist of the English Renaissance. Graduated in Law from the University of Oxford, he distinguished himself as a lawyer and politician, serving as an advisor to Henry VIII. Author of The History of Richard III (1513), he was Lord Chancellor of England from 1529 to 1532. Thomas More refused to recognize Henry VIII as supreme leader of the Church of England, which led to his execution in 1535. Canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935.
Margaret Atwood, born in 1939 in Ottawa, is a renowned Canadian writer. She holds a degree in Arts from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in English literature from Radcliffe College. Known for her literary versatility, her novels explore themes such as gender, identity, oppression, and power. Notable works include:
Alias Grace (1996), The Blind Assassin (2000), Oryx and Crake (2003) and The Testaments (2019).
George Orwell, pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair, was born in 1903 in British India. After studying at Eton College, he served in the Indian Imperial Police before becoming a writer. Known for works such as 1984 and Animal Revolution (1945), his writings are marked by social criticism and defense of individual freedom.
Aldous Huxley, born in 1894 in England, studied literature at Oxford. Author of works such as Heaven and Hell (1956) and The Perennial Philosophy (1945), Huxley was also an influential social critic, exploring dystopias and philosophical themes in his vast literary work.
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