Have you heard the Handmaids Tale?
Spoiler Warning!
A few weeks ago marked the season one finale of the Hulu original series The Handmaids Tale. The series is based off the 1985 Margaret Atwood novel. Like any good binge watcher, I was left at the end of the season wanting answers and needing to know what happened after the cliffhanger ending of the season. So, I went out and got a copy of the book.
Basically, the story falls in the not too distant future where pollution and global warming have left the vast majority of women unable to have children. Instead of letting the human race go extinct, the few women who are still able to carry to term are hauled away and kept in slave like conditions; they are forced to have intercourse with the men of their assigned household and then give up the resulting children before being placed into another home to repeat the process. Those who refuse to do as their told are beaten, tortured, mutilated, or killed. Several of the “Handmaids,” as they are called in the story, are missing limbs, eyes, or have even been castrated as a punishment for misbehaving. Despite the awful conditions they are forced to live in, they are still forced to perform what they call the “ceremony” while the handmaids are ovulating (totally an even more disturbing concept when you realize that the wives of the men having sex with the handmaids are sitting on the bed during this…err…um... “ceremony.”
Basically, this is not the kind of story you want to read before you go to sleep at night.
What many are finding so insightful about the idea behind the novel is how easily relatable it is to our modern day politics. This was literally written over 30 years ago and yet there are women donning the long red robes and head bonnets as a protest to present day political issues. The Hill and CNN have recently published articles following these Handmaid’s Tale themed protests against issues involving health care and the current struggle in government with Planned Parenthood. Whichever side of the political line you fall on, a protest that involves individuals dressing up as fictional characters is sure to grab the public’s attention.
Even if a story that ties to modern political issues does nothing to peak your interest, it's still worth the read. It's full of death, gore, forced sexual acts, and silly hats (everything a good book should have). The short novel is easily read in less time than it takes to watch the Hulu series. The Emmy nominated show clearly has a big following, but if you’re not trying to imagine the graphic images depicted in the story, then maybe the show is more for you. Although if my description of the plot isn’t obvious enough, you should be warned that it’s not for the faint of heart, and definitely not something to watch around young children.
