The Handmaid’s Tale Book

Themes of Concealment and Deduction

Many literary writings include themes that extend from words, sentences, chapters, and passages to an entire text. Authors are masters of the strategies they use to conceal themes. In most cases, they require readers to deduce meaning from their writings. In her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood posed major political questions and conveyed several lessons about society. Any of the issues raised in the book include political influence, male chauvinism, and the use of romance to silence women’s voices. The first novel, Night, focuses on these themes. An excerpt from the story that gives a hint of these themes is the fourth and fifth paragraphs on page 4. The passage speaks of guns, angels, and aunts among others. To understand the themes these present concerning politics and male authority, this paper connects the ideas in the small passage to the general themes in the book. The paper analyses how the themes in the book reflect on the little passage and the tension, which the use of words indicate in the readings.

Manipulation of Political Authority and Male Chauvinism

The book suggests manipulation of political authority, male chauvinism, and freedom. Manipulation and misuse of power are evident in the story’s first story. Atwood (4) mentions the roles of guards whom the authorities called when there was only some need. One of the situations involved the use of guns. House, which they were not to get into, also features in the story. Political powers and authorities take advantage of the presence of the security guards. In several instances, they assist such people in ensuring the people are safe and free everywhere. Calling of other soldiers when there is turmoil is a way of resisting attacks that political figures may face. In the book, politically influential people like Gilead are evident as he uses his position to assert official rule in the society.

Love and Romance as Tools of Subjugation

Women appear in most books and portray the theme of love and romance. In the passage, women appear as angels. Unspecified people, but probably men, noticed the angels standing and showing them their backs. It is unusual that they have little concern about their identities, but intends to have a talk and exchange ’something’ with them (Atwood 4). The writer uses these as hidden statements in the book but passes her main idea of some romantic time and relationship the men wish to have with the women. However, the book identifies another importance that the theme of love falls and works against the women.

Women as Political Tools and Silencing Dissenting Voices

In the Book, women are political tools, used as a way of controlling reproduction. The authorities have that as the best work they can achieve in the society. In doing so, they are under subjugation not to vote, have neither businesses nor education. Inwardly, men think this will give them an opportunity to disobey their husbands, which goes opposite to the society’s beliefs. From the story, the best they can do is to give birth and be in romantic relationships. They are not to come close to any powers and authorities. The idea they communicate by this kind of treatment is portraying women as lesser beings in the society. Such practices existed for long in most communities, which do not allow women any voice or participation. However, a look at women in the current days gives a different image about them and their abilities. It was a feeling of threat to the male ego and position as the superior ones, which they had to stop before women rose to threaten them from their positions.

The Presence and Power of the Aunts

In the fifth paragraph of the story on page 4, there is a unique silence mentioned in the book. It has a different goal to achieve. Characters communicated by whispering. One of the reasons for whispering was the fear of the people in the environment. The regime was more of a dictatorial one and gave little space for the people to talk. Talking, in this case, was not literal, but having a voice to oppose the political class. People exchanged by studying the movement of lips. People, who were not dumb, could not devise this non-verbal cue in communication if the environment allowed them to speak voluntarily. However, because of the harsh regime, they needed to find ways of communicating without notice. The ’Aunts,’ as the story depicts were not looking, and the characters got a leeway of speaking easily when their hands met in space (Atwood 4). The position of the aunts in the story is that of influential persons staying whose presence threatened the freedoms of the others.

Desire for Authority and Protection of Power

The Aunts resemble powerful people wanting to rule with an iron fist. Their ambitions were to silence any dissenting voices and views. They are like people who guarded and asserted authority in the organization. In home setups, people showed the same powers by protecting the little power they could assert. One example is Serena Joy, who was a dominant figure as the book depicts and acted to protect it. It still appears in such cases that people wanted authority and worked to protect it.

Connection to General Themes in the Book

The two paragraphs directly link to the prominent themes in the book and show power, dictatorship, romance and love in the society. Women feature in two instances as either the lesser gender that should not have a say in the society. During that time in history, the issue of power was important for men, as they used it against women to protect the male ego. As the story indicates, women are to give birth and remain the man in most instances. Additionally, political powers and forces worked to silence them not to speak against any forces or people in authority. The importance of these is a reflection on the steps made by most societies from the old days of male chauvinism to the status of women achieved today.

Reflection on the Entire Theme of the Story

In conclusion, the excerpt from the book on the first chapter, Night, identifies the use of force and political chauvinism. Women suffered, and most people viewed them as lesser human beings. They must remain the man and take on roles that do not give the privilege of demeaning their men. People are believed to be the real voice in the society, and their authority must not be under threat. It also highlights the use of political force to direct people into protecting powers, like guards who use guns and are to appear when needed. In a different instance, whispers during communication figuratively indicate that people try to hide from the harsh political voices and environments. Aunts are in the story as a symbol of authority, which people hide from during communication. They mastered the study a strategy used to hide from the Aunts. Aunts are signified the forces in control that the people fear to go against. The themes here indicate how old regimes protected their authorities ad gave little room for other people like women to speak. It is likely that the society had problems dealing with dictators and needed a break from these. It also shows the little changes the people could do. The importance of the passage is to reflect on the entire theme of the story and to indicate the features of a traditional community.

Work Cited

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaids Tale. Tree Publishing Company, 1986.