Ideology in The Handmaid's Tale

In the television series, The Handmaid’s Tale, the concept of ideology is implemented through the development of the plot. The Handmaid’s Tale is an American dystopian television series that was created by Bruce Miller based off of the novel written by Margaret Atwood. This series, launched on April 26, 2017, is set in a future where fertility rates have decreased exponentially due to sexually transmitted diseases and environmental pollution. Considering these factors, the totalitarian and religious government imposes a law on what is left of the United States after a civil war. In the newly reformed society where class and hierarchy are held above everything, women are subjugated and by law are not allowed to work, own any sort of property, handle money in any way, or read.

The few fertile women left in Gilead are called “Handmaids” and are each assigned to the homes of the elite where they must comply to rape by their male masters in hopes of becoming pregnant and bear the children for the elite couples that are not able to reproduce children of their own. Women are divided into groups and embody their roles, ranging from Handmaids, Marthas, Wives (of the elite men), Econowives, Unwomen, Jezebels, and Aunts, by wearing a specific color that sets them apart from men and other women. The series embodies one specific ideology: sexism.

            Thompson explains that “the analysis of ideology can be regarded as an integral part of a broader concern with the characteristics of action and interaction, the forms of power and domination, the nature of social structure, social reproduction and social change, the features of symbolic forms and their roles in social life” (7). The aspect regarding the “the nature of social structure” is depicted through the use of sexism and the different ranks that women are held in. They are all restricted to their specific roles and are not allowed to do anything beyond the scope of their duties.

It is clear that women who are not married to a man that belongs to the elite class are seen as objects and are just used for the well-being of the higher classes. Specifically, the Handmaids are used for the most primitive ability that fertile women have: to give birth. Marthas are simply housekeepers and are in charge of the food and cleaning that has to be done within each household. The Unwomen are not worthy of anything and are worked to death as they clear the Colonies from any toxic waste left behind by the civil war. The Aunts are just in charge of grooming the Handmaids so they can fulfill their role. The Jezebels are constantly sexualized as they become sex workers that work in secret locations that cater to the elite men exclusively. It is clear that these women are dehumanized and sexualized.

Although a bit more abstract, the Wives are also portrayed as a lesser being compared to men. They are not allowed to do anything that their husbands can do and are always kept in the dark when it comes to the businesses that their husbands are involved in. The Wives, although married to elite men, are depicted as women who cannot do the bare minimum: have children. Although they live lavishly and comfortably, these women are degraded for simply not being fruitful. Through this plot, we see women being a subject where they must be submissive to the higher power that men hold. The relation of dominance is expressed through the limiting options women are faced with and the abundance of freedom the men have.

Sexism is expressed in the roles women are a part of because they are roles that have been expected of women for centuries and only women. The series implements the stereotypical “job” of a woman and does not steer away from it. In the series we do not see men nurture children, men are allowed to have jobs, men are allowed to leave their homes when they please, and they are allowed to earn money and own property. There is a clear power struggle between men and women. Women are forced to be submissive proving the explicit use of ideology in this show. If you are interested seeing The Handmaid’s Tale click here.