Handmaids Tale Vs. Fire Dwelle :: essays research papers fc

In the two books Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and Margaret Laurence’s The Fire Dweller’s, the protagonists are very different in character. However, both of these women lost their identity due to an outside influence. In each of the books we see the nature of the lost identity, the circumstances which led to this lost identity and the consequences which occurred as a result of this lost identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood our main character (Offred) has had her whole world stolen away by the government of Gilead. This new society is sexually repressed, and is founded by religious extremists. Women are only used to produce children, and have no rights at all in the new world of Gilead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book The Fire Dwellers by Margaret Laurence our main character Stacey MacAindra has been thrown into a life of responsibility. She has an uncommunicative husband who means well, but shows her no love. And four children who she feels are being ruined by her every action. She feels that life has much more to offer than the tediousness of every day routine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nature of Offred’s lost identity is very drastic. Before the new religious group of Gilead took over the world she was a very normal every day woman. She did what was expected of her time and continued to do so after the take over. She had a husband and a daughter who she loved very much. But the new society which she lives in love is not permitted. “ If I thought that this would happen again I would die. But this is wrong, nobody dies from lack of sex. It’s lack of love we die from. There’s nobody here I can love, all the people I could love are dead or elsewhere'; . Offred also had the choice of free will before her civilization changed. But then slowly women began to lose all of their rights and were no longer allowed to have jobs or even to use money,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Sorry, he said. This number is not valid.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “That’s ridiculous, I said. It must be, I’ve got thousands in my account.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “It’s not valid, he repeated obstinately. See that red light? Means it’s not   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  valid,';(p.164). “In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from'; (p.24). Social class was not a racial matter before the take over; and each individual was treated equally.