Many authors have attempted to convey one of man’s most severe and intriguing conflicts against society, however Margaret Atwood did it especially virtuosly. This type of confrontation often raises acute social, political, and economic problems, focusing on what can happen if there is a change in societal relations. Hence, in the book by Margaret Atwood called “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the theme of man against the social order is provided, revealed in the near future. The society the author draws has completely suppressed all the rights and freedoms of the female population, turning them into subordinates to the male population. Now, women, defined in the category of maids, not only look after the house and cook, but their main task is the birth of a child for the host family. At the same time, the maids do not have any rights to the child they are carrying, and in case of any problems, they can be transferred to another family.
The creation of the society described by Margaret Atwood was influenced by a serious crisis, the cause of which was a decrease in the birth rate in the country, a violation of the structure and order, and political activity. All this led to the creation of the Gilead, an ideal society in which people independently controlled the number of children born, revered religion and the political system, and severely punished those who went against the system. However, the conflict of man against society manifests through the confrontation of the main character Offred. At first, her opposition manifests itself in reading banned magazines, secret meetings with other subordinate women, and involvement in forbidden love affairs. The main achievement of the central conflict is the successful escape of one of the maids. Therefore, the author shows that despite the initial ideality of society, profound discontent is brewing under its surface. A similar conflict of man against society can be found in such a modern-day piece of literature as “The Hunger Games” (Collins, 2022). In this novel, the main characters also oppose the regime, which suppresses the rights of people in every possible way.
Reference
Collins, S. (2022). The Hunger Games. Scholastic.