Dystopia in the TV-Series the Handmaid's Tale

Dystopia in the TV-series The Handmaid’s tale

Semester project Autumn 2018, English Students: Pernille Kofoed Pedersen (55259) and The Sjøholm Jensen (54512) Supervisor: Ebbe Klitgård Keystrokes: 53.801 Abstract This project examines the television show The Handmaid’s Tale. The project aims to point out visual and narrative elements, that can be said to establish the show as a dystopian tale. In order to do so, the project briefly defines dystopia through the use of A Glossary of Literary Terms and The Oxford Dictionaries. Based on film theory found in Film Art: An Introduction by film scholars David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson and Jeff Smith, the project analyzes and discusses selected episodes and scenes, looking at aspects such as the use of violence, establishment of the society and issues of identity, considering the filmic aspects that contributes to our interpretations. In a follow up, these aspects are what forms the recognition of the dystopian traits. The project further discusses the reasons for the show’s success and posit that it is due to the parallels that can be drawn to real historical events as well as identification with the characters. Based on the definitions of dystopia, the project concludes that a combination between the mindset of the regime of Gilead, which is displayed through both indoctrination and methods of punishment, and the state of constant fear and discomfort that the characters express are to be seen as dystopian traits.

List of contents Abstract ...... 2 Introduction ...... 4 Margaret Atwood and her authorship ...... 4 Defining dystopia ...... 4 Problem definition ...... 6 Theoretical and methodological approach and framework ...... 7 Limitations ...... 8 Analysis ...... 9 The disruption of society ...... 9 The organization of society ...... 14 The use of violence ...... 17 Deprivation of identity ...... 20 Follow-up on the analysis ...... 26 Further discussion ...... 26 Conclusion...... 28 Reference list ...... 30

Introduction With this project, we wish to take a further look at the American TV-series The Handmaid’s Tale. The first season premiered in spring 2017 on HBO and was, in particular due to its premise and thematic timeliness, an instant success among viewers and critics (Nussbaum, The New Yorker, 2017). The story unfolds in Gilead, formerly known as the United States. Mainly through the eyes of the protagonist called June/Offred, viewers are presented to a world where gender hierarchy, slavery and violence consolidates the norms of existing in this place. These elements are also shown to be reasons to how it all came to this state. It is not a pleasant journey, to say the least, and the show has sparked further debate on issues such as religious radicalism, sexism and feminism, as well as whether the scenarios depicted could one day be reality. This, added to the presentation and performance of plot, stylistic approach and complex female characters, was what sparked our interest in doing a film analysis of the first season of the show.

Margaret Atwood and her authorship The Handmaid’s Tale is based on the novel of the same name, by contemporary Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The novel was well-acclaimed when published in 1985 where its themes proved to be ever as relevant as today. Born in 1939 in Ottawa, Atwood has been a most productive author and is behind further acclaimed works such as Alias Grace (1996), The Blind Assassin (2000) and Oryx and Crake (2003) (Godard, 2013). To date, The Handmaid’s Tale may still be her most famous and praised work.

Defining dystopia Combined with the current political state in the US, the events that inspired Atwood to write the novel are perhaps why we and many others find aspects of Gilead to be so chillingly realistic. Amongst other things Atwood was inspired by the theocracy of 17th century Puritan colonies as well as current social and political events happening in the US in the 1980s, which saw a rise in conservatism and Christian fundamentalism as well as attacks on women’s reproductive rights (Armstrong, BBC, 2018).

Many readers and viewers have since the novel’s initial release categorized The Handmaid’s Tale as being in the genre of science-fiction, which others points to as being a reaction to not wanting to think of Gilead as an actual possibility. Some even call this genre determination a “miscategorization” (Cain, The Guardian, 2017). Atwood herself prefers the genre term speculative fiction, citing the difference as such:

For me, the science fiction label belongs on books with things in them that we can't yet do, such as going through a wormhole in space to another universe; and speculative fiction means a work that employs the means already to hand, such as DNA identification and credit cards, and that takes place on Planet Earth. (Atwood, The Guardian, 2005)

That The Handmaid’s Tale presents a dystopian society, and therefore roams within the dystopian genre as well, is perhaps less up for discussion. According to film scholars David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson and Jeff Smith in Film Art: an introduction, genres are recognized by the use of specific conventions and recurring elements or patterns that makes a recipient capable of categorize something as a thriller, comedy, drama etc. However, this does not equal that genres are necessarily formulaic, as genres can also be blended and experimented with (Bordwell et al., 2016: 326-329). One of the functions that genres fulfill is that they enable us to “make sense[...] in certain ways” and “guides our reactions” when reading or viewing a work (Ibid: 349). When analyzing genres and their conventions, Bordwell and Thompson say that it is about making the traits, we often take for granted, explicit. This is done by asking questions such as which conventions and traits that signals a certain genre, how they function and what emotional response they might arouse (Ibid). Peter Stillman, professor of political science, has an extensive knowledge about political dystopia and utopia and points out how Atwood’s novel follows a typical dystopian plot. For example, its repressed narrator is subject to the laws of a regime and suddenly sees an opportunity where escape or change becomes possible due to resistance and the instability of the regime (Stillman & Thompson, 1994: 70-71). Since the TV-show follows the structure and plot of the novel very closely, we find that the statement made by Peter Stillman also validates a categorization of the TV-show as dystopian, when defining its genre.

Abrams and Harpham define dystopia as a term “applied to works of fiction […] that represents a very unpleasant imaginary world in which ominous tendencies of our present social, political, and technological order are projected into a disastrous future culmination” (Abrams & Harpham, 2015, 414). The Oxford dictionary further defines it as “An imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2018). The common denominator within these definitions is that a dystopia depicts a world- or societal order that seems undesirable. Since the term dystopia sets the stage for a broadly interpreted genre, dystopia has been presented in many various ways and forms in literature and film throughout time. In Cormac McCarthy’s The Road from 2006, dystopia is presented as a man and his son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic and barren world, unfit for human living. In 1984 written by George Orwell in 1949, dystopia is living under a totalitarian regime that amongst other monitors its citizens’ every move. As these examples show, there are very different takes on what a dystopia can look like.

Since the traits that defines the dystopian genre are broadly defined, The Handmaid’s Tale presents a dystopia told on its own premises and terms that still fits within the scope of a certain genre. All in all, we find the series’ depiction of dystopia and complex characters interesting to analyze through the use of theory on film analysis and general interpretation. Therefore, we intend to look further into how The Handmaid’s Tale as film media depicts a dystopian society, and if and how the characters help to establish that.

Problem definition How can the visual and narrative presentation of the society of Gilead in the TV-show The Handmaid’s tale be said to contain dystopian traits? Do the characters within the show contribute to this impression?

Theoretical and methodological approach and framework In our initial discussions about this project and the direction it was to take, we planned to examine how a novel was adapted to a movie or TV-show. The show itself would not be our main concern, instead the process of adaptation would be our main focus. However, this idea changed, as we started researching useable movies and shows. We started watching The Handmaid’s Tale and became concerned that a project that addressed adaptation would end up lacking points of interest, since the TV-show to a large extent remains true to the novel. But in the meantime, while watching the show, we became intrigued with both the plot and the complexity of the characters. We then started considering, what an analysis of this particular TV-show might be able to explore. In our problem definition we focus on dystopian traits and the characters within the show. We took interest in the question about the genre-related traits, because Margaret Atwood herself has questioned the determination of the genre within the novel. Due to her distinction between the types of fiction, we became interested in examining how the determination of The Handmaid’s Tale as a dystopia could be pointed out through selected episodes and sequences from the show.

As previously stated, The Handmaid’s Tale is a somewhat recent production, meaning that academic research regarding the show is confined to a few studies, none of which dealt with the angle that we wished to investigate. Our starting point has therefore primarily been reviews and popular articles discussing various aspects of the show, as well as our own pre-existing basic knowledge regarding the dystopian genre.

In order to examine the genre of the TV-show, it was necessary for us to gain knowledge on the film media and how to conduct film analysis. Through the book Film Art: An Introduction by Bordwell, Thompson and Smith, we have familiarized ourselves with the terms and elements relevant to perform an analysis. From this book we also gained the perspective on which we chose to base our analytical approach; rather than basing an analysis on a fixed checklist, we have selected the aspects of the series that we found were the most interesting to examine: genre traits and characters. Furthermore, our interpretations are not based on free assumptions, but presumes that the show’s choice of elements contains an intended meaning. It is this meaning we try to seek out. As Bordwell et al. says: “the artwork invites us to perform certain activities” (Bordwell et

7 al., 2016: 60). But as Bordwell also states, interpretations are likely to vary when looking at an artwork’s implicit meaning, i.e. meanings such as themes, that are not explicitly stated and have to be interpreted by the viewer (Ibid: 59-61). As a result, we may find unintended meanings in our interpretations, but these are not necessarily wrong. However, we do seek to follow the notion that Bordwell proposes when analyzing films: “[...] we should strive to make our interpretations precise by seeing how each film’s thematic meanings are suggested by the film’s total system” (Ibid: 60).

Limitations We have chosen to use Film Art: An introduction as our only theoretical basis for our analysis. Hence, it is the authors’ understanding and definitions of terms and how to conduct film analysis that we base our understanding on. We are aware that we thus exclude other scholars’ definitions and understandings on film terms and analysis that may differentiate from Bordwell et al. However, due to the book’s thoroughness and high status in the field of film scholars we argue that our choice in this matter is well founded.

We have defined the limits of this project through our problem definition. The definition states, that we will be focusing on genre traits and characters, hereby implying that other aspects of film analysis, for instance technical stylistic elements, such as lighting and choice of color grading, will not be subjected to an investigation. When choosing an angle where we only investigate selected features within the show, we intent to conduct an in-depth analysis, rather than a broad, but due to the formal restrictions of the project, ultimately superficial analysis.

For the analysis, we have chosen to focus on the four episodes in the first season of the show, since it is in here both the society and the characters are introduced and explained to the viewer. Therefore we presuppose, that these four episodes will be adequate to provide material, that enable us to answer the questions posed in our problem definition.

Analysis Our analysis is divided into four sections. These each focus on the elements that we found were depicting dystopia, when viewing the chosen episodes. In our analysis we examine how for instance monologue, camera techniques and the portrayal of certain characters are used to create the understanding of the show as a dystopian tale.

The disruption of society In this section we examine how the society of Gilead has come to be a reality. This is to a high extend shown and told through flashbacks that provide background knowledge.

In episode 1, after about 15 minutes, a flashback of June being led into a classroom where Aunt Lydia is teaching, starts giving us an answer as to what has happened in society. June is wearing the clothes she was wearing during her failed escape, faded jeans, a blue t-shirt and a pair of sneakers, her hair hangs loosely down her shoulders. The rest of the “students” in the room are dressed in the red uniform of the handmaids, a sharp contrast to how June is dressed.

June being let into the classroom. (Source: Screenshot by authors)

The classroom. (Source: Screenshot by authors)

This contrast serves to establish the alienation that June experiences and the divide between the society she knew and the one that she is now trapped in. This scene also depicts how the society in Gilead is constructed by both physical and psychological violence. A guard is posted by the door, making him visible to all the handmaids and ensuring that they cannot leave the room. However, the Aunts posted at the back and the sides of the room, seems to serve as a reminder, that the teaching the handmaids are being forced to listen to, is not merely the belief of Aunt Lydia, but in fact of the society as a whole.

Aunt Lydia is talking about a “they” who has caused pollution in the world and that this has resulted in God punishing the world with “the plague of infertility” (Episode 1, 15:26-15:45). With her use of “they”, Aunt Lydia clearly separates herself and, by extension, the regime of Gilead which she is a servant of, from those who she blames for the infertility. Referring to the infertility as a plague, rather than the whims of nature or a result of the pollution she mentioned, means that she is exalting it within the narrative that she wishes to pass on to the handmaids. She continues, talking about how society’s view on sexuality, was a contributing factor to the birth rate declining, saying that “As birth rates fell, they made things worse. Birth control pills, morning after pills, murdering babies. Just so they could have their orgies, their Tinder” (Episode 1, 15:52- 16:06). With this single comment, it is made clear, that what we are watching is an attempt to create a new political agenda when it comes to sexual liberty. Aunt Lydia continues, talking about how “Fertility is a gift directly from God. He left you intact for a biblical purpose. Like Bilhah served Rachel, you girls will serve the leaders of the faithful and their barren wives. You will bear children for them” (Episode 1, 17:14- 17:33). Bearing in mind, that the initial scene of the episode was how June and her family was being chased and how she was caught and separated from her child, it seems more than plausible to assume, that June and the rest of the women wearing the handmaid’s red cloak are in this situation without their consent. The deduction of this is, that the political agenda of the US has shifted quite radically and gone from a somewhat sexually liberated and liberal view, to a totalitarian state where the rights of the individual has been removed in order to benefit the common good. Aunt Lydia’s many biblical references imply, that a religious uprising has seen the light of day. As shown,

10 this allows for the justification of previously unthinkable behavior - such as restraining women, merely because of their fertility, suspending their personal rights and using them as involuntary breeding stock.

After having talked about how the handmaids are to serve in the society, a scene unfolds where Janine, talks back to Aunt Lydia and as a result is tazered with a cattle prod before being dragged off. Aunt Lydia then addresses the room with the words “Girls, I know this must feel very strange. But ordinary is just what you’re used to. This may not seem ordinary to you right now, but after a time it will. This will become ordinary” (Episode 1, 18:49-19:06). This is a clear indication of the dystopian society, that is developing. The “this” that Aunt Lydia is referring to, is not merely the situation with Janine, but the entire approach to handling the problem of infertility, i.e. the forceful pregnancies that the handmaids can expect and the deprivation of their basic rights.

At the end of episode 1 there is a flashback in which June tells Moira, that she is pregnant. The scene does not offer a direct explanation as to why or how the society has changed, but it emphasizes the presence of the infertility-crisis and how it affects people. June tells Moira, that she thinks she is pregnant and while Moira is congratulating her and is bouncing with happiness, June is concerned. Moira tells her to be happy and that “they” say getting pregnant is supposed to be the hard part, hereby implying, that infertility is a topic, that is being addressed in everyday life. June corrects her, saying that is not all “they” say and tells Moira of several colleague, who had miscarriages. She mentions a colleague, who delivered her baby, but that the baby died after a few days. This conversation serves as a way to establish credibility about the alleged infertility. When even our protagonists acknowledge it as a problem, the viewer is convinced that the problem is real and that there is in fact a serious issue at hand in the society.

This issue is expanded further in the episode 2, in a flashback where June is at the hospital, after having given birth to her daughter. She is following a nurse to the obstetric section and while looking through the window into the section, she asks where the babies are at. The nurse answers that “[...] we had a difficult night. Two of them went to the intensive care unit and the others are with God” (Episode 2, 15:34-15:46)

June looking at the incubators. (Source: Screenshot by authors)

In this scene, the implications that followed with June’s statement about her colleagues are thoroughly stressed. The screenshot above shows a shot, that lasts for about 15 seconds. The only movement in the shot is the camera closing in on June, putting the empty incubators at the center of the shot. The combination of the lengthy shot, June staring at the incubators without moving, and the nurse’s comment about where the children of the department went, all work together to stress the gravity of the fertility- situation. When compared to the scene at where Aunt Lydia taught the handmaids, the shot also helps explain why the fertility of the handmaids are glorified and prized the way it is - having children has become extremely difficult and so, the capability of conceiving a child has become coveted. But since the ability naturally aren’t transferable, the task of bringing children into the world, has fallen upon the fertile women, whether they want it or not.

In yet another flashback, a scene unfolds, that might be a contributing factor as to why the totalitarian regime of Gilead is introduced. In the night, at the hospital, June and Luke discovers that their newborn daughter is missing. While running down the hall, they encounter a woman holding an infant and realize it is Hannah. By what the woman says, it is clear that she was the mother of one of the children, that did not survive and that she is deluding herself to believe, that Hannah is her child. A scuffle unfolds, but with the help of police officers, the couple gets her back and the woman is arrested. However, this scene is an example of how one of the very prized infants were in a potentially great danger. By introducing a society with a very high level of control and surveillance and a very strict hierarchy in which all suppressed inhabitants are in a

12 state of constant fear for informers and punishments, the regime - amongst other things - assures that scenes such as these becomes practically impossible, since a man or woman snatching a baby would be caught immediately.

The religious awakening, that seems very predominant in both the flashback where the handmaids are being taught about their prospects and in scenes depicting the present society of Gilead, is discreetly implied in several of the other flashbacks that are shown. In episode 2, when June arrives at the hospital while having labour pains, a large group of people are gathered outside the hospital and we hear many people talking at once, praying, mentioning the words “babies”, “mercy” and “please” (Episode 2 10:39-11:02). When June asks the nurse about the tests that Hannah had undergone, she replies that everything is fine and ends with “praised be” (Episode 2, 15:08-15:13), at sentence that is also used as a response in present-day Gilead. In episode 3, when June and her female co-workers are ordered to leave their jobs, a guard is holding the door open for them. When June says, “thank you”, he replies with “under his eye” (Episode 3, 7:25-7:33), a phrase that causes June to look at him with a puzzled look. Her look indicates, that this is clearly not a common response. All of these minor events are clues to the viewer that the increased presence of religion has not simply happened overnight. The mentality has been built up gradually, just as is often the case in extreme societies.

The big question of how the leaders of Gilead has come to power in the US, is explained both through the flashbacks and through June’s inner monologue. June says:

Now I’m awake to the world. I was asleep before. Until we let it happen. When they slaughtered congress, we didn’t wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the constitution. We didn’t wake up then either. They said it would be temporary. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub you’d be boiled to death before you knew it (Episode 3, 2:10-2:40)

June’s monologue helps the viewer to understand what has allowed the government of Gilead to achieve and uphold the power. It is also an affirmation of the assumption that

13 the changes happened gradually, thereby ensuring, that the public did not understand the full extent of them until it was too late to make a difference.

The organization of society Having implemented a new way of governing Gilead, the leaders also implement new rituals and ceremonies, that are to ensure stability, conformity and the official appearance of order. In this section of the analysis we examine some of the ritualistic seances that takes place in the show in order to clarify their purpose.

The first ritual that is presented, is “the ceremony day” in the house of the Waterford’s. This is the ritual in where the commander tries to impregnate June. In the evening, June is to enter the bedroom of the commander and his wife. She is the first one present in the room. Then the staff enters, then Mrs. Waterford and finally, after knocking and being allowed entrance, the commander enters. The commander then reads from the bible, Genesis chapter 30, the chapter that talks about how Rachel was unfruitful and told Jacob to give her a child.

June lies on her back, dressed in her red dress and white bonnet. She lies with her head in the lap of Mrs. Waterford, who is holding the wrists of the handmaid. The commander then places himself between the handmaid’s thighs and performs his duty in order to impregnate her.

The ceremony taking place. Source: Screenshot by author.

During the ritual the commander’s narrative voice continues his read from Genesis and a hymn accompanied by religious toned music is playing.

By the looks of the faces of both June, Mrs. Waterford and the commander, it is clear that none of them take pleasure in the event that is unfolding. The cross-cutting between their tense faces stresses the discomfort of the situation. Their discontempt is of no surprise to the viewer, since what we are watching is basically a forced intercourse. When no-one, perhaps primarily the commander and Mrs. Waterford seem to oppose to this way of attempting to impregnate the handmaid, it seems to be due to this ritualization of it. It becomes an event that takes place at a certain time each month, and it is restricted by regulations such as the read of Genesis, the placement of the individuals and the limitation of the contact between commander and handmaid to be merely physical, and only between the genital areas.

When watching the show and discussing this ritual, we talked about the probability of this ritual actually ending up being the acceptable choice, rather than for instance using modern day technology to try to artificially inseminate the handmaids. We figured, two aspects were contributing factors. First off, the ritual is based on Genesis chapter 30. This Chapter talks about how Rachel had her husband lie with her servant Bilhah. When using the argument “it says so in the bible”, the natural claim therefore would not be, that the society should be allowed to perform medical intervention, but rather that the handmaids should serve their household the same way Bilhah served hers. Secondly, artificial insemination does not have as good a chance to result in a pregnancy as natural reproduction and therefore the society just might have decided, that the common good and the need for reproduction outweighed the gravity of ritualizing rape.

Another ritual that is imposed to the handmaids are “the salvagings”. At the salvagings, the handmaids are summoned to a park. Here a stage is placed, and the handmaids are to gather in neat lines in front of it. The first salvaging that is presented, is the punishment of a rapist. Aunt Lydia tells the handmaids of his crime, that he raped a handmaid and as a result thereof killed the child that she was carrying. The man is then led from the stage onto the grass, where the handmaids encircle him. They are told, that they are allowed to hurt him in any way they want, once Aunt Lydia blows her whistle.

Although the handmaids have been deprived of practically every human right, this seem to be a ritual that benefits them. This becomes an outlet for them, a way to express the frustration and the powerlessness that they experience due to their situations. This act could be seen as a way that the handmaids chooses to implicate themselves in the system and its ways, rather than refusing to participate. However, based on a previous scene in where June initially tried to dissociate herself with the actions taken by the handmaids and as a result was punished, we doubt that the participation in the punishment of the man is an actual choice.

Although this salvaging shows how the handmaids are allowed to act out their frustrations on a convicted felon, it also serves to remind them, that the punishments within the new society are severe. Having the handmaids execute some of these punishments thereby becomes a preventive mean, that seeks to discourage handmaids from trying to put up a fight.

The justice system of Gilead is worth taking notice of, when looking at rituals. For the trials held, seems to have been reduced to just that - rituals. In episode 3 Ofglen is being prosecuted for having a relationship with a martha. While muzzled and handcuffed, she is lead into a courtroom where the martha is also present. Besides the two women, a judge and many other people are present, including the prosecutor, several guards and people, who are never identified. The judge calls upon the prosecutor to explain the charge. He then asks the prosecutor if what he has stated in his report is truthful. When the prosecutor confirms this, the judge sentences both Ofglen and the martha.

Furthermore, while the martha is “[...] sentenced to the common mercy of the state” (Episode 3, 33:08-33:12), Ofglen is “[...] sentenced to redemption” (33:32-33:36). Although their “crime” is the same, the two women are sentenced differently. Since Ofglen is fruitful, she is to valuable an asset to sentence her to death or to be sent off to the colonies. This shows, that the trial is nothing more than a farce. The defendants are not allowed a defense, nor does the prosecutor have to provide evidence for the allegations. It also shows, that the trial is not a matter of justice, since the ruling seems to have been decided even before the trial was held. Rather, the trial becomes a cloak in

16 where the regime is able to dispose of undesirable citizens, while appearing to uphold a just society so that the outside world does not interfere.

The use of violence This following section analyses how the combination of mundane everyday events and the regime’s violence creates contrasts that functions to construct recognition of dystopia in the show.

It is shown that one of the handmaids’ daily activities is grocery shopping, a typical everyday errand we all know of. In one scene in episode 1, several frames show that the supermarket is very white and bright and that the groceries are carefully stacked in line and in neat piles. The atmosphere is calm and pleasant piano music plays in the background. It all seems very neat and almost sterile. In the next shot though, we see guards standing by the entrance, dressed in black and armed with large rifles. Given that the guards are not facing the people entering the supermarket, but the ones exiting it as well as the activities done in the building. This suggests that they are not there to protect the shoppers from someone entering from the outside, for instance robbers. Rather, they are there to oversee any unwanted activities performed by the shoppers and function as the regime’s reminder to Gilead’s citizens: they are being watched everywhere, even when in the most mundane situations such as grocery shopping. It all serves to give the viewer the eerie feeling of what it is like to live in Gilead.

Another scene that we took note of, is when June and Ofglen are walking home by the river in episode 1. The sun is setting, which gives the otherwise grey concrete environment a warm lighting. The surrounding trees and bushes are multiple and green, birds are chirping. The very next moment a shot of a rotting human foot is shown. The next shot shows the two women stopping and looking at three people who have been hanged and positioned on the wall in full display.

Executed rebels serving as a warning. (Source: screenshot by authors)

By looking at the symbols on their hoods, Offred informs us that these are “a priest, a doctor, a gay man” (15:09-15:16), i.e. enemies of the regime who have been executed and hanged, thus serving as a warning signal to other potential rebels. We do not interpret June and Ofglen’s following chatter about ceremony day as they pass the men as an expression of their indifference to these men’s fate, but rather as an expression of how they have become used to such a display of the regime’s brutality.

They also pass heavily armed guards, who seems to be ever-present in Gilead. In fact, we found that an occurring element of the show’s mise-en-scène is the use of beautiful sunny scenery broken up by darkly clothed and armed guards. They are simply shown to be on every street corner whenever Offred is out in public. Specific sound effects are also used to state the guards’ presence, as their presences are further added to by the use of a distinct sound of a walkie-talkie, both when they are in and out of frame. This presentation of the guards as ever-present can be said to give the viewer the same feeling of being trapped and watched as the handmaids are and feel.

Another example of the use of noticeable contrasts is the scene showing the salvaging in episode 1, which we previously mentioned. In slow motion it is shown how the man’s blood spatters on the handmaids’ faces as they hit and kick him while screaming in anger. The scene can be said to convey the almost animalistic brutally of the ritual. It shows the stark contrast to their normal required behavior, which dictates order and obedience. While the other handmaids beat the man to death, Janine is seen standing beside the group. She smiles, twirls, dances and seems to be enjoying the sunlight on her face. When the handmaids are done and allowed to leave the scene, she tells June and Ofglen to have a nice day and happily goes towards her home. We found this to be a

18 rather strange reaction to the situation, but besides perhaps commenting on Janine’s character and mental state of mind, it also serves to emphasize the absurdity of it all.

The handmaids lined up before signaled (Source: screenshot by authors)

During the salvaging (Source: screenshot by authors)

Before the signal June is told that Moira has been sent to “the colonies” (the labor camps that equal a death sentence). Instead of using June’s usual voice-over to convey how she feels about this news, it is the following close-ups of her face that illustrate the emotional stages she undergoes after hearing of Moira’s potential fate: from disbelief to shock and then anger. A moment later she is the first one to hurt the presumed perpetrator, kicking him in the chest with a stern expression on her face. The scene shows just how angry she was and how badly she wants to hurt someone else in order to express her grief and frustration.

All in all, we find that the presentation of everyday events and settings combined with the use of violence, which is either hinted at or directly depicted, serves to shape the specific universe that is The Handmaid’s Tale.

Deprivation of identity When looking at the characters in relation to how they help to establish dystopia, we find that the question of identity, or more the deprivation of identity, is a significant factor.

The characters’ names are one of the first noticeable factors. The first thing we are told about the handmaids is that their names are a combination of “of” and their male masters first name (Offred, Ofglen, Ofwarren etc.). This indicates that the handmaids are to be thought of as slaves; they are property and not people. We further learn during Ofglen’s trial in episode three just how degraded these women are, as they are referred to as “handmaid no. xxxx” if not assigned to a household. The importance of one’s name in relation to identity is emphasized through a particular choice of narration in episode 1. The episode begins and ends with the same set-up: June sits in the windowsill in her room, heavily lit from behind by the sunlight. But where she in the beginning presents herself as Offred and thinks of how one might commit suicide, her mindset is completely different in the end of the episode. Here June states to herself and the audience: “I intend to survive for her [i.e. Hannah] [...] My husband was Luke. My name is June” (53:20-53:30). Here her real name, together with her position as a mother and wife, becomes the one thing she still has, that reminds her of who she is - it is the one thing she has, that no one can really take away from her.

The women are also put into different categories with related functions. These are visually illustrated and easily recognized through the color of their dresses. The wives wear dark blue and turquoise, handmaids red, Aunts brown and marthas light green.

Wives (Source: Screenshot by authors) Handmaids (Source: Ibid.)

Essentially, these performs as uniforms, thus reducing the women to no more than their assigned function in Gilead’s society. Of course, the categories also cover a hierarchy, assigning different statuses, where the wives are at the absolute top amongst the women.

The handmaids carry a peculiar status in Gilead. Since the job of a handmaid is to produce babies, the Gilead citizens do consider them to be valuable, which mean they are not killed off immediately if breaking the regime’s laws (though they are often victims of horrible punishments that does not affect their ability to have children). But since their pregnancies basically requires having sex with another woman’s husband (though not voluntarily), the handmaids are despised by the wives, who openly refer to them as “sluts” and “whores”. We find, that these tensions are most prominently presented in the relation between the main character June and Mrs. Waterford.

They are both white, upper middle class and well-educated women as well as close in age. In a normal world they would be considered equals. But in Gilead June serves the Waterfords, she is their property as earlier stated. The tension between them becomes obvious in their first scene together in episode 1, where June is presented as their new handmaid. Commander Waterford says, “it’s nice to meet” to which June replies “you too” (06:58-07:01). The quick close-up of Mrs. Waterford’s perplexed face indicates that June in that small gesture has somehow provoked her, perhaps by breaking a protocol somehow.

Mrs. Waterford (Source: screenshot by authors) When the commander has left, she is quick to tell June not to get any ideas regarding the commander; she wants to see as little as possible of June and will return any trouble stirred by her, indicating her jealousy and resentment of the handmaid.

However, their relationship does evolve. When June is thought to be pregnant, Mrs. Waterford’s indifferent behavior towards her changes and she is all of a sudden much warmer and caring. For example, when June is interrogated and beaten to the ground in episode 3, she rushes to her side to protect and comfort her in an almost motherly way. As nice as she can be, she is likewise quite temperamental when crossed, as shown when she throws June to the ground in anger and disappointment after finding out June is not pregnant. Here we find that the use of the same composition in the two scenes described above underlines the stark contrasts that her character possesses.

Mrs. Waterford and June (Source: screenshot by authors)

Mrs. Waterford and June. (Source: Ibid.)

While her character helps to illustrate both how much babies are desperately wanted and valued in Gilead, it also depicts her own longing to become a mother and her deep contempt for handmaids when they cannot help her to become just that. It is her function and identity as a mother that is at stake, which is essentially the only position that makes her valuable according to Gilead. June and Mrs. Waterford’s relation thus depicts the odd power structure between the handmaids and the wives. The wives own and control the handmaids, and while despising them, they are also aware that the handmaids are the only source to what they want and need most of all.

Through the main four handmaids that we follow in the series, we also get four different takes on how they choose to cope with their situation and retain an identity. At the beginning June is very unsure of what position to take. Though contemplating suicide at first, she decides she wants to survive. But should she rebel or accept her situation as a handmaid in order to do so? A short dialogue between her and Ofglen seem to show June’s doubt on whom to be. Here Ofglen asks her to join the resistance and June replies that she is “not that kind of person”. Ofglen states that “no one is until they have to be”, showing her own position on the matter (Episode, 05:43-05:47). June eventually decides to take part in the resistance, thus actively choosing not to conform to Gilead’s ways and accept her position as a handmaid.

Her identity as woman and sexual being also seem to be something she seeks to maintain. This can be said to be portrayed through her subtle flirtations with Nick, such as giving him a clear glimpse of her thigh when they are alone in the hallway in episode 2, her direct gaze indicating to him that it is not an accident.

June. (Source: screenshot by authors)

Nick does not comment on the incident but seem to know just that. She also smiles slightly to herself when concluding that he seems to care that she goes to the commander’s office in the late evenings, as if satisfied by this fact. Her relationship with Nick can be said to help her maintain identity in the fact that when she is with him, she has choices and control, which is something Gilead has otherwise completely taken away from her.

In the chosen episodes, Moira’s character only appears in June’s flashbacks, and these depict a close friendship between the two. Moira is shown to be openly lesbian, and a smart and socially aware women. She is unwilling to accept the regime’s earliest legal restraints on women’s rights, such as women being denied having their own bank accounts. She and June also both attend the protests against these laws in a flashback in episode 3. At the Red Center, she constantly questions the new laws and rituals they have to abide under, but still knows how to navigate in order to avoid the Aunts’ brutal punishments. She is further shown to be a proactive character in episode 4, when her and June attempt to flee the Red Center. June is captured, while Moira

24 seemingly succeeds in escaping on a train to Boston. In June’s flashbacks, she serves as a reminder to June not to get lost in her memories of Hannah and Luke, meaning if you want to survive, you have to be in the present and stay alert.

Ofglen’s is best described as the fighter of the show, a role for which she also becomes one the most brutalized characters in the show. She is a member of the resistance and is involved in a romantic relationship with the martha in her household, an action that can be said to depict her trying to maintain her sexual identity, just like June is doing. The chosen episodes do not feature Ofglen a lot after she is removed from the household, but she has a powerful scene in episode 3 that indicates just how much mental strength she possesses. Her forced circumcision and her girlfriend’s execution obviously takes an immense toll on her, but though close-ups of Ofglen’s face shows her crying and screaming, the chosen music and lyrics tells us that she might not have given up just yet: “It's not complete/I must compete/Stand on my feet/Live with these creeps” (48:45- 48:50).

Janine is first introduced in June’s flashbacks about the Red Center. Here she initially rebels against the Aunts by cursing at them. But after having one of her eyes gouged out as punishment for this, her behavior becomes almost infantile. Afterwards, and in all seriousness, she excitedly exclaims “we’re flowers!” when the handmaids are being taught what ceremony day is about (Episode 4, 03:13). As previously mentioned, she is also showed dancing, laughing and petting her stomach while the other handmaids beat the man the death during the salvaging, completely wrapped up in her own world and status as pregnant. Afterwards she cheerfully wishes June a good day when it is over, which is quite a contrast to the extreme violence that just occurred. The regime’s brutality seems to have broken her mentally and for her to be able to cope, she creates fantasies in which she can escape. Her mental state is shown to worsen after the birth of her baby. Due to an affair with her commander, she believes that he in fact loves her and will run away with her and the baby to become “a real family” (Episode 3, 17:30-17:40). Janine can be said to represent what might be the consequence, in terms of one’s mental health, of living under a regime such as Gilead, in the position of a handmaid.

Follow-up on the analysis The four sections of the analysis deals with different aspects, that are all contributing to the interpretation of the show as a dystopian tale. The contrasts that are displayed through both the visual examples mentioned and the actions of the characters, are stressing how the society is to be seen as unwanted and intimidating to the majority of the inhabitants. This is also shown in the contrasts between the way people such as Aunt Lydia describes the society and the society that is presented. Whereas she describes the role of the handmaids as one associated with boy joy and prestige, the reality is that the handmaids are amongst the members of society that are treated worst and who others tries to dissociate themselves from.

The political and religious ideologies which are expressed through the way inhabitants are treated violently and the way individuals are deprived of identity, are presented in ways that make the viewer identify with the suppressed, not the suppressors, thereby emphasizing that the show seeks to present the dangers these ideologies can cause.

The flashbacks that help create an understanding of what has happened beforehand, are filled with scenes that leave the viewer with a feeling of disbelieve, due to the unfamiliar events that unfold in an otherwise very familiar universe. The barista’s rude answer, the religious greetings, the freezing of female clients’ bank accounts are all incidents that helps build a view of a society that is heading in an ominous direction.

Further discussion As an addition to our considerations about dystopian traits, we would like to discuss why the show has become the success that it has. A basic premise for success is often that the show is coherent and that the acting and the fictive universe is credible. However, we also posit that recognition is also a vital factor. When talking about recognition in a dystopia, the viewer needs to be able to identify with the protagonists, as well as feel a natural disgust with the antagonists. But the viewer also needs to be able to recognize the changes that has happened within society and the causes that lead to these changes as credible. The turn of events has to be realistic and if political or

26 culturally based, it has to be based on problems that, at least to some extent, is recognizable within the real world.

When we viewed the series in its entirety, we were able to make many parallels between the horrors performed in Gilead and real historic occurrences. The segregation and execution of specific groups of people resembled some of the methods the Nazis used in World War II. The deprivation of children from families deemed unfit by the Franco regime comes to mind, when learning how the handmaids are to “produce” children that are then placed with parents who are deemed fit to raise them. To find another recent example of the horrible consequences that a regime can impose on a nation, we only have to look at what the population of Cambodia were exposed to by The Red Khmers in 1975-1979. The purging of society that is to rid Gilead of people with certain educations, different religious beliefs or sexual preferences that differs from heterosexuality seem very similar to the persecution that the so called “enemies of the society” and “oppressive elite” were exposed to by The Red Khmers.

Based on these recognizable historical events, we understood why Atwood refers to The Handmaid’s Tale as speculative fiction and why the show has become highly popular. It highlights debates such as birth rates that changes due to a change in priorities for modern western population, how religion can be used as a political tool and how a society deals with undesirable individuals. All of them issues, that were debated when Atwood wrote her novel and that are debated presently, both nationally in several societies and on a global scale. Atwood as well as the TV-show has taken these issues and presented them in their extreme forms, referencing actual historical events in order to show the need for a critical approach to the discourses presented in the contemporary society, in order to avoid future dystopian scenarios.

Conclusion Based on our analysis of the show, we find that The Handmaid’s Tale clearly can be said to contain traits of dystopia. The indoctrination that takes place within The Red Center shows, both visually and through the thinking presented through Aunt Lydia’s teaching, that it is aimed to deprive the handmaids of independent actions and thoughts. This is a common trait within dystopian tales, where great injustice is often part of the reality. The injustice is further pointed out in the harsh punishments the inhabitants receive for even the smallest of misdemeanors. It also serves the regime’s efforts to maintain control as it is intended to have a discouraging effect on those, who plan to scheme against the regime.

The use of walkie-talkie sound effects and multiple shots of guards serves to create an experience of the regime being ever present and “always watching” the inhabitants. This means that the indoctrination that the handmaids were subjected to, becomes a physical and psychological reality and a further discouragement. Likewise, the underlying musical sound effects helps to affirm emotions of both sorrow, anger and discomfort to the viewer, emotions that display the unpleasantness that the inhabitants of Gilead, both from the top and the bottom of the hierarchy, experience on more or less a daily basis.

The contrasts between how the society is explained by those in power and how it is actualized, is among other shown through the way Aunt Lydia describes the life that the handmaids can expect and the experiences we see them undergo. While Aunt Lydia describes it as meaningful and as revered due to the importance of their duty, the reality is that the wives resent them, and that rest of the society turns a blind eye to their suffering and the treatment they are exposed to. This cloaking of realities is a clear indication of the dystopia within the tale, as even the regime knows that this behavior would hardly be deemed morally proper by the surrounding societies.

Finally, we find that the characters are subjects to the deprivation of identity through the regime’s way of grouping the women. The groupings are further visualized by what color the women are wearing, establishing their functions in Gilead and their place within the hierarchy. The characters within the show each represent how life in Gilead is and we find that their individual experiences of how it is to live in this regime,

28 emphasize dystopia since none of them seem to be the least bit happy with their situation. Even Mrs. Waterford, who due to her high rank in society and belief in Gilead’s ways, should consider it to be a utopian society, clearly displays unhappiness and uncertainty, meaning that this society has turned out to be a dystopian version of the utopia she wished for.

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The Handmaid’s Tale. Episode 1: "Offred". Hulu. 2017. Produced by: Margaret Atwood & Elisabeth Moss. Directed by: Reed Morano. Watched at www.hbonordic.dk.

The Handmaid's Tale. Episode 2: "Birth Day". Hulu. 2017. Produced by: Margaret Atwood & Elisabeth Moss. Directed by: Reed Morano. Watched at www.hbonordic.dk.

The Handmaid's Tale. Episode 3: "Late". 2017. Produced by: Margaret Atwood & Elisabeth Moss. Directed by: Reed Morano. Watched at www.hbonordic.dk.

The Handmaid's Tale. Episode 4: "Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum". 2017. Produced by: Margaret Atwood & Elisabeth Moss. Directed by: Mike Barker. Watched at www.hbonordic.dk.