Comparative Analysis: One Day and The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale
One Day in the Life of Ivan D
Title, Author,
Year, period
Margaret Atwood’s novel “The
Handmaid’s Tale” is a tour-de
force, which was published in 1985
during the Feminist era.
Genre
Dystopian fiction
Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s “One
Day In the Life of Ivan
Denisovich” was published in 1962
following the downfall of Stalinist
Russia.
Historical Fiction, Russian
Literature
Influential period of someone’s life,
providing wisdom with hindsight
The novel is an inspiration of
Alexander’s personal experience
in the Soviet Gulag system,
depicting the injustice and abuse of
power inflicted upon Russian
prisoners during the Stalinist era.
Characteristics Oppressed person, Oppressed state,
of the Genre happiness and society
Purpose
In the novel, Margaret Atwood
creates a dystopian, futuristic
society to illustrate how religion
can be used to nullify women’s
rights, a political tendency
apparent all over the world.
Margaret Atwood believes that
novels should be about society as a
whole, rather than characters’
specific lives.
Audience
Targeted at women. People
interested in politics.
Context
(Political,
Social,
Cultural,
Religious)
Themes
Structural and
Stylistic
Devices that
affect context
of
composition
USA, Religious rights and
feminism, Iran, Cold War
The Republican Party had
strengthened integration with
churches and religious institutions
in the United States. Fears of
gender inequality were rising in
the United States.
Power and Authority (through
gender roles/hierarchy); religion
and theocracy; fertility; rebellion;
belief and faith; language and
identity
Narrative technique: 1st person
Present tense
Figurative language to create
Imagery
Symbolism creates Imagery
Psychologists, people interested in
politics, a guide of morals and
principles for people.
Stalinism, personal experience in
Soviet Gulag camp.
Ironic allusion to the noncommunist behaviour in the Gulag
which is completely opposite from
the communist values of Stalinist
Russia.
Power and Authority; competition
vs. camaraderie (capitalism vs.
communism); belief and faith
(religion and principles); principles,
dignity and identity
Narrative technique: The Skaz: the
anonymous narrator possesses the
same social and educational
background as the story’s
characters. Hence, he can delve into
and transmit the main character’s
actions and thoughts.
Her manipulation of language to
probe the psychological distortions
in Gilead eloquently juxtapose
weakness with power or cruelty
with vulnerability.
Simile: “His skin is pale and looks
like the skin under a scab.”
Symbolism: “I read that chapter in
Psychology about caged rats who
would give themselves electric
shocks for something to do.”
Comparing Handmaids to caged
rats
Skaz is similar to free indirect
speech, a blend of limited
omniscient third-person and first
person plural, allowing readers to
feel connect closely with the
characters, and provide the
impression that the narrator is a
character in the story.
There is direct address (second
person)
Detailed description of physical
labour
Figurative Language to create
Alliteration: Offred says “As for us, imagery
any real illness, anything lingering,
any loss of appetite, would be
Symbolism creates Imagery
terminal”. This bridges the gap
between physical objects and the
Handmaids as any physical defects
are “terminal” for them, indicating
that they will be replaced just like
toys or furniture. Atwood
emphasizes this objection through
alliteration of the vowel “a” in the
line.
Biblical allusion: ““Give me
children, or else I die.” There is
more than one meaning to it.” The
irony in the phrase highlights the
dangers associated with being a
handmaid. On one head, the
biblical reference is a hyperbole
referring to the emotional distress
of sterility. However, its
application in the Gileadean society
is literal, creating a shocking and
disturbing atmosphere for the
reader that a handmaid is exiled if
deemed infertile. Through this,
Atwood highlights that in a strict
theocratic society, the sole purpose
of the women’s existence is to
serve as a natural resource for
reproduction.
Repetition: “I am, I am, I am, still.”
Offred emphasizes that she is alive,
which is a reward in itself in the
novel’s dystopian setting.
Narrative
technique and
effects
In “The Handmaid’s Tale”,
Margaret Atwood uses a firstperson narrative style to connect
with the readers on a personal level
and reveal the severity of life in
Gilead. Atwood’s narrator Offred
acts as a window to many aspects
of life under a strict theocratic
government. For instance, “I enjoy
the power; power of a dog bone,
passive but there.” and “I try not to
think too much. Like other things
now, thought must be rationed”.
The inclusive language “I” in the
quotes creates a personal tone in
the novel, creating a closer
relationship between Offred and
female readers. Atwood then uses
first-person plural and a rhetorical
diction to call for action. For
instance, “How are we to know we
are happy?” This questions the
female readers regarding their
human rights and forces them to
empathize with Offred’s
powerlessness and contemplate the
possibility of such a theocracy in
the real world. Hence, through a
first-person narrative style, Atwood
creates empathy among the female
readers and warns them of the
dangers of such a theocratic state.
Theme:
Language,
Identity and
Trust
Both novelists illustrate the theme
of language and power in their
novels by illustrating the effects of
lack and misuse of language on the
protagonists and other victims.
Solzhenitsyn creates an objective
tone in the novel through the Skaz
in order to effectively criticize the
Stalinist regime. In this narrative
form, an anonymous narrator
possesses the same educational and
social background as the story’s
characters. It is a blend of first and
third-person style, similarly to freeindirect speech. For instance, “Let
them envy other people, but Ivan
knew what life was about.”
Through this, Solzenitsyn
effectively delves into and
transmits Shukhov’s thoughts to the
readers like an intellectual and
objective narrator. Then, he falls
into first-person plural like “we”
and “us” to stress communality
between Ivan and the prisoners. For
example, “Give us this day our
daily bread.” This connects the
readers with Shukhov, and also
creates the effect that the other
prisoners share the same thoughts,
thereby connecting the readers with
other prisoners too. This effectively
criticizes the Stalinist regime
because although a first-person
narrative style would effectively
portray the prisoner’s thoughts to
the audience, it creates a highly
personal tone which evokes bias
amongst the readers. The novel
would be dismissed without much
critical thinking. Thus, the writer
effectively criticizes the Stalinist
regime through the narrative formthe Skaz.
Similarly, the power of language is
evident in ODLID as it is
effectively used to dehumanize the
prisoners and direct them against
one another. The loss of identity is
perpetuated in the novel through the
Language and
power
Atwood subtly incorporates the
theme of language, identity and
trust throughout the novel,
demonstrating that the
government’s real power lies in
their control of language. For
example, the protagonist must
exchange her name for the
possessive title “Offred”, which
indicates that she serves
Commander Fred. Her real name is
absent throughout the novel, and
with the loss of her name, both the
protagonist and readers lose touch
with her former life. Another
situation where the loss of identity
was conveyed to the readers was
when Offred says “I didn’t know
Ofglen too well…”, the readers
immediately think of the present
Ofglen who buys groceries with
Offred. But, then Offred says “I
mean the previous one.” The
amplifies the objectification and
loss of identity of the Handmaids as
they are portrayed as a replacable
resource. Therefore, the control of
women’s names is a major step for
the Gileadean government in
achieving its goal of nullifying
women’s identities. This is a way
of controlling language.
Another illustration of how the
protagonist is suppressed by the
control of language is seen when
Offred aches for the abundance of
reading material. The Commander
uses this to manipulate her by
allowing her to play Scrabble in
exchange for sexual intercourse.
This symbolizes the purpose of the
Gileadean government to mentally
weaken the female population by
the control of language and
obliterate every aspect of their
former identity, thereby
objectifying them. Another use of
symbolism to depict Offred’s
desperateness is when Atwood
compared her to “caged rats who
use of a numbering system for
prisoners. By naming Shukhov’s
labor group “Gang 104” and
making the prisoners were
numbered shirts, the Stalinist camp
dehumanizes the prisoners
completely. As readers, we are
detached from the characters and
cling dearly to those whose
emotions we are able to experience.
Additionally, Solzenitsyn criticizes
the misuse of language by the
authorities in the Gulag. The
authorities often create distrust
among prisoners through false
rumours to create distrust among
them so that they fight amongst
themselves rather than cooperating
against the authorities. Eventually,
Shukhov says that “A prisoner is
another prisoner’s worst enemy, not
the authorities”. Solzhenitsyn
conveys that these techniques are
typical of Stalinist Russia and
criticizes them in the novel.
Therefore, language acts as a
source of power in both novels,
preventing unity and trust from
developing among the victims. It is
misused to nullify the Handmaids’
and prisoners’ identities in and
prevent cooperation among them,
making it an important tool for
oppression.
would give themselves electric
shocks for something to do.” The
control of language from reading
material has made Offred as
desperate as the caged rats, and she
is even capable of self-harm if that
brings her closer to language.
Gilead has also limited
interactions between the
Handmaids. Offred recalls a
typical conversation with Ofglen
during her walk:
“The war is going well, I hear”, she
says.
“Praise be.”, I reply.
“We’ve been sent good weather.”
“Which I receive with joy.”
By limiting conversations to such
meaningless remarks and pitting
everyone as a possible member of
the Eye, the government prevents
the formation of friendships and
alliances. Hence, Gilead’s
political power is solidified by the
isolation of each woman, and this
is achieved by the control of
language in the Republic of
Gilead. Through this illustration,
Atwood effectively warns her
readers of the power that
language holds, how it can affect
one’s mental health and identity,
and can be employed to control
an entire society.
Religious
Allusion
Different
effects on the
protagonist
Atwood warns the readers of the
dangers of a theocracy by
connecting Gilead’s policies with
biblical allusions and illustrating
their effects on Offred’s life. She
portrays how religion can be used
to justify oppressive purposes,
including the nullification of
women rights. For instance, the
idea of Handmaids comes from the
story of Jacob and Rachel from the
Bible, where Rachel was hired by
Jacob’s sterile wife to bear a child
for the family. Hence, through this
Biblical story, Gilead moralizes
On the other hand, Solzenitsyn
portrays religion as a means of
survival in ODLID. Alexander S.
prominently conveys how humans
can remain steadfast in the most
repressive conditions if they are
religious. This is done through the
character of Alyoshka, a devout
Baptist and supporting character,
who urges Shukhov, the
protagonist, to only pray for his
“daily bread”, referring to food that
feeds the soul. For Alyoshka, the
labour camp is a refuge from all
materialistic desires in the world
How is
oppression
depicted
adulterous relationships and sex
slavery between the fertile
Handmaids and Commanders,
thereby strengthening the
oppression against women.
Similarly, most of Gilead’s savage
characteristics are justified through
religion. For example, the
Commander reads the bible before
the “ceremony” to moralize the
sexual intercourse that follows.
Thereby, Atwood warns the readers
of the potential misuses of religion
through biblical allusions. In terms
of political context, Atwood is
alluding to the Republican Party’s
strengthened integration with the
church in the United States in the
1980s. Under Ronald Reagon’s
presidency, the government was
transforming into a theocracy, and
fears of gender inequality were
rising in the United. Atwood does
not criticize the Bible, but instead
highlights how people and
theocracies use the Bible for selfish
and oppressive purposes. This is a
political tendency that was apparent
all over the world in the 1980s.
and it allows her to strengthen his
connection with God. Through this
ideology, Alexander S. encourages
the readers to question the purpose
of their hardships, as all forms of
tortures and punishments as
opportunities for materialistic
detachment. Even “the hole”, the
most oppressive form of mental
torture and isolation, can be seen as
an opportunity for greater
connection with our soul. Hence,
Alyoshka’s character serves to
show the readers that one can
remain mentally solidified and find
purpose in his life through religion
even in the most physically
repressive conditions.
In “The Handmaid’s Tale”,
Margaret Atwood warns us of the
dangers of puritan theocratic
society by demonstrating to her
female audience both the mental
and public oppression associated
with it. This is achieved through
Atwood’s use of narrative
technique, where she keeps the
handmaids nameless throughout
the novel and unsettlingly
compares them to “two legged
wombs”. Through this, the
Handmaids are depicted as
categorized, replaceable objects
who are defined in relation to their
men, for example “Offred” belongs
Solzhenitsyn portrays that the
mental oppression in the Gulag
camps is much more destructive
than physical torture by using
figurative language throughout the
novel to construct vivid imagery
for the readers. For instance, “The
Hole” is depicted as the most
oppressive form of torture in the
camp, where a prisoner is left
isolated in a solitary confinement
for 8-10 days. By expressing
Shukhov’s fear of the punishment
and the figurative connotation in
“hole”, the writer creates a vivid
image, which establishes a cold
and isolated atmosphere for the
Thus, although both novels have a
plethora of religious connotations,
their usage and effects on the
protagonists are contrasting. In
THT, religion is employed by the
authority to oppress Offred and
other Handmaids, while in ODLID
religion is employed by the the
Alyoshka and Shukhov to
strengthen them and keep them
mentally steadfast in the Gulag’s
oppressive conditions.
to “Fred”. Offred’s outlook on life
is portrayed as passive and
conditioned by submissivity. “I am,
I am, I am, still.” Thus, by
obliterating every aspect of their
social identity and treating them as
national resources for
reproduction, Atwood envisions
the possibility of an anti-woman
future and depicts political
oppression in the novel.
readers. The vivid imagery coupled
with the cold atmosphere create a
sense of entrapment for the
readers as they are unable to
escape this microcosm of
communism in Stalinist Russia.
Criticizing
Power and
Authority
How the writer does it (stylistic features) and the effects and messages it conveys to the
reader.