‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: A White Feminist’s Dystopia
Margaret Atwood’s seminal book raises concerns. In trying to address them, the Hulu series has raised its own.
When I first read The Handmaid’s Tale, I remember being uncomfortable — but I couldn’t really articulate why.
With the recent election, a surge in activism, and the ensuing criticism of this activism, the topic of white feminism has come to the forefront of liberal politics. Following Hulu’s release of a TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, the root of my discomfort finally hit me — The Handmaid’s Tale is a White Feminist dystopia, specifically.
While no one can deny that Offred’s life is miserable, the book often references those who have it worse off than her — namely, minorities. Yet these nameless minority groups are never fleshed out as characters. Instead, black denizens — who are referred to as “Children of Ham,” a reference to the Biblical Curse of Ham that some religions have used to justify slavery — are sent to re-settle in a place known as “National Homeland One.” It is also suggested that some of the servants, or “Marthas,” may be people of color.
