Instances Proving That Women Are Treated Inferior to Men in Handmaid's Tale

Introduction

Women are their best enemies. The illusion of feminine inferiority is harshly contributed by women who mercilessly subject fellow women to the dehumanizing situation. Serena Joy and Aunt Lydia among other wealthy women are the primary enemies of poor and single women like Offred in the Gilead regime. Margaret Atwood, in her over three-decade novel "The Handmaid's Tale" portrays a society where women are their own enemies in making their fellow women suffer inferiority complex and mistreated by men. The narration is a rhetoric fiction but, portrays much of the contemporary age of positioning women in antifederal society. It is important for modern women to back each other in the fight against being treated inferior to men because failing to stop the radical movement of women against women lack taking a positive change in the current situation the evolutional challenges facing women will forever insubordinate women in the society forever.

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Women's contributions to their inferior treatment

1) Women shouldn't allow control over their bodies, to uphold their dignity

Atwood demonstrates women subordination and consistently allow of their bodies to be controlled. Consequently, men are allowed to treat women as sluts and sex slaves denying women their rights and privileges even in controlling the thing to do or not do with their own bodies. Although Serena Joy rides on the world to show her power over Offred she also falls victim of insubordination and mistreatment by her husband when she has to hold the handmaid as the Commander sexually abuse her. Atwood states; "As the Commander has sex with the Handmaid, she lies with her head in the Wife's lap and the Wife holds onto her wrists, symbolically binding them together and literally binding the Handmaid in place..." (98) Further, Serena and her husband are using Offred to make a baby they cannot get on their own. Despite her perception, she is physically fit she cannot bring herself to see a doctor because she does not want to find out whether it's her husband who is infertile

Treating women as inferiors and denying their right to express their opinion even when it concerns their bodies wellbeing. In the conventional world today, couples who fail to sear a child the society is quick to judge the fertility of the woman than that of the man. In a report by Mckeown (2017) state that despite liberation of women in the majority of the countries globally, its more on theory than in practice. As demonstrated in "The Handmaid's Tale, women are subjected to inferiority even on deciding simple things like dressing code of their bodies.

2) Women are responsible to avoid men's gaze by covering their bodies

Women are treated with lack of respect and humiliated due to their dress codes. June and her friend Samira Wiley are mocked by a female stranger when June is mistreated and sexually assaulted following her dress code. She says: "Dressed like that, what did she expect?.." (Atwood 208) Men are considered powerful and women inferior subjecting them to inferior treatment due to their cleavage or overexposed bodies.

In the real world, the society especially women are harsh to judge the misfortune of their fellows who fall victim over sexual harassment owing to the much of body they expose to men's gaze. Although men are inconsiderate in treating women badly owing to the amount of skin they reveal, its important for women to style up and cover their bodies responsibly to avoid men's gaze and other angry situations they suffer. As condemned by Atwood women need to uphold responsible behavior that subjects them more to inferior situations before the male counterparts. Women need taking considerable caution to little provocative things like dressing will save their day from mistreatment.

3) Women are not allowed to travel by themselves

In the society Gilead community, women are considered inferior to take certain life risks like traveling along especially in unfamiliar territories. When women get married they are no longer expected to think on their own let alone do certain things that will expose them to the outside world. Serena Joy is convinced when she says: "I felt shrunken ... We are not each other's, anymore. Instead, I am his" (Atwood 229). It's evident that women are treated like possession by their husbands.

In a conventional setting, women are subjected to feel inferior especially in taking risky adventures. Even when it's a person they depend on male stewardship to undertake any challenge. Mckeown (2017) postulates that the female flock is incapacitated by male dominance, who draws inferior perceptions in their mind to need support and escort in every adventure they undertake. Just like in "The Handmaid's Tale" it's necessary for women to take up life challenges and open the path for their liberation.

4) Women are to blame for sexual harassment

According to Atwood's narration in "The Handmaid's Tale" women characters subject themselves to sexual exploitations. They allow men to freely treat them as sexual objects. Women in better social status fail to protect their fellow inferior women, like in case of Janine, Aunt Lydia mocks her after suffering an ordeal of gang-raping and calls on other handmaids to mock her when she asks them "Whose fault was it, girls?" Her fault. Her fault. Her fault. In this scenario, Aunt Lydia is to blame for instigating sexual harassment on other inferior women.

In the Modern age, women are seen to contribute to the condemnation and subjecting fellow women to suffer sexual harassment. They are to blame for the silence they maintain when other women are treated badly by men. They feel like these issues do not concern them when they are inflicted on their junior whom they perceive to be inferior and in their rightful place. As demonstrated in the novel "The Handmaid's Tale" when women maintain silence over certain treatment like sexual harassment, they are to blame for not watching their sisters back.

5) Women are forbidden to speak

Margaret Atwood is demonstrative in "The Handmaid's Tales" to demonstrate the passive voice of the women in the Gilead community. In this patriarchal society, men lead in everything; despite, the social status of their wives. According to the handmaids: "The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds. To have and to hold, till death do us part" (Atwood 99). This symbolizes their passiveness in all matters happening in the household throughout in their lifetime.

In a conventional perspective, women in some communities are yet to gain their liberation in participating in democratic, political, social responsibilities. Women, especially in the Middle East, are responsible for the family and other traditional gender roles prohibiting from voicing their opinion on important social and political issues like voting. Just like in Margaret Atwood's writing in "The Handmaid's Tale" women are responsible for liberating themselves from inferiority treatment from men and the social structures in general.

Gender equity seems a done game. A majority of women in suffer oppression and ill-treatment in silence. Sad enough women tend to contribute largely unsuccessful realization of the equalization agenda. The narration by Atwood in "The Handmaid's Tale" should serve as an eye-opener for all women to crusade against the inferior treatment of women in all walks of life.

Works cited

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. New York: Fawcett Books, 1986.