The Only Thing Scarier Than the Rise of Gilead in 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Note: This article contains spoilers for Margaret Atwood's original novel and season 4 of 'The Handmaid's Tale.'The entertainment industry has had a difficult time learning how to categorize 'The Handmaid's Tale.' It's been called a drama, a thriller, and science fiction--all depending upon who you ask and the time of day. In truth, it's dystopian speculative fiction like George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, both of which inspired 'The Handmaid's Tale.' But there's a lot of debate in the literary world about what the genre actually entails and how to define it. I just call it horror. These authors spent years building intricate dictatorships, caste systems, and languages, like Dante designing his inferno--not so they could wow us with fantasy or show us the wonders of science--no, they did it to make us sick to our stomachs, so terrified that we'd be hiding under the covers at night filling out a mail-in ballot. The public was told, 'It can happen here.' America, Canada, Australia, and the UK weren't safe. Fascism could sneak up, ensnare them, invade their minds, and burst into their homes. Wicked men could find ways to control them so thoroughly that they would betray themselves and give in, believing that to be the right thing to do. The genre showed us that reality could be far scarier than any fairy tale, and they were right. One day Guardians could invade their place of work, knock on their doors, humiliate them, beat them, torture them, and kill them. There would be no relief--no cops, no army; the world around them would have changed. That would be the new normal. 'The Handmaid's Tale' series did an amazing job of showing us what that change looked like. In season one Moira and June held Aunt Elizabeth hostage so they could escape the red center. But when they left, they found themselves completely disoriented by what they saw. Imagine trying to escape prison after someone bulldozed your hometown. All of the familiar buildings are gone, and the streets are replaced with strange paths. There are no cars. There's bodies strung up all around, guards everywhere, and all sorts of signs with unrecognizable symbols. People are darting back and forth going about their business, wearing odd uniforms--green, red, brown. The pace of life would be different. There'd be a way to walk, a way to talk, and everything around you would be screaming to get in line, blend in, and do as you're told. It's like having the very essence of culture shock injected straight into your veins. June and Moira found themselves in a similar situation. They knew they didn't have a chance. They weren't escaping. They were stuck, watching as Gilead picked away at the very last remnants of their former country, like a vulture pulling dried meat off the bones of an old corpse.
