By Vilmayes Duran
Are women more than their womb?
If you are a strong believer that women are worth more than their ability to conceive children then you may want to think about watching the new television series “The Handmaid’s Tale.” “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a powerful show forcing women into having sex with men to conceive children. Being nominated for twenty-seven Emmy Awards and winning nineteen, it’s evident that there is a lot power in this show.
The show is based on the novel of the same name written by Margaret Atwood. The show is based in a province called Gilead, a strict society where everyone is forced to accept the government’s rule. Before the totalitarian society took control over Gilead, it was a part of the United States.
The show is surrounded around the idea of fertile women being held captive to increase the provinces declining birth rates. The women are passed off from house to house being forced to have sexual relations with the commander (male of the household) while the wife holds the handmaid’s hands. The series is centered around the handmaid Offred (Elisabeth Moss).
Directed by Reed Morano and Mike Barker, the show has amazing qualities. With dim and foggy lighting, these effects only adds to the show’s intensity. The dim lighting creates the feeling of darkness and despair the characters portray. Offered (Moss) has many inner monologues about her past, future, or the present. Her monologues provide the perfect amount of information. It provides how Offered (Moss) truly feels, versus how she acts. With Offered (Moss) acting how she is expected to act, the audience is only able to know how she truly feels with these inner monologues.
Elisabeth Moss is an amazing actress who has appeared in “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The West Wing,” “Mad Men,” “Law and Order Criminal Intent,” and “Girl, Interrupted.”
The unique writing provides the viewer with the different rules and expectations of the province. The writing provides a mix of modern language and slightly old-fashioned religious passages. With the story taking place in current time, it provides language that viewers can relate to.
The actors are very powerful. When Offred’s (Moss) friend gives birth to the child of her commander it forces the audience to sense the feeling of disgust the wives have for the handmaids. The handmaid is only allowed to see the child when she breastfeeds him. The wives treat the handmaid as nothing after she has provided them with a child. Janine, who is the first we see give birth provides that feeling of loneliness and frustration. How could the wife treat Janine (Madeline Brewer) as nothing more than a box that held this child. You feel Janine’s (Brewer) pain of wanting more than to simply be the person who delivered the miracle of a child.
One of the wives used to be a successful writer and publisher, but she has simply been put on the back burner only to nod her head yes to her husband. Offered (Moss) use to be married with a daughter. Her husband (O.T Flagbenel) supported her right to feel independent and now she is forced to live a life where she is not allowed to make her own choices. The handmaids are put through rigorous training when they are first captured. They must learn how to speak, dress, walk, look; they are not allowed to read or write. The handmaids are expected to speak in bible passages, and to not look a ‘superior’ in the eye unless given permission. They have spies called ‘The Eyes’ watching them all the time, and the are disguised in various ways.
The series takes a scary turn when the female ambassador of Mexico comes to Gilead asking how the ‘business’ is going. When Offred (Moss) finds a moment she stands up to the ambassador whose only response is that her hometown has not had a birth in the past few years, and there is nothing she can do to help the handmaids. This is where the viewer is challenged to have an opinion on such a constant topic. Womens’ Rights are always being bickered over. Females are payed about 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. Are women simply put on this earth to pop out babies? Do women have any real value to them? As a woman, I personally asked myself these questions. Hopefully to the other women in the world they don’t want to be told their only purpose is to cook,clean and take care of the kids.
As a human living in today’s society we all must be aware of how individuals view one another. I see my sister and see a young girl who works hard, is athletic, smart, funny, can do anything she puts her mind to. But, unfortunately there are people who see females as a baby machine. Only on earth to continue the population, only to serve men. This series will have you questioning your own power, male or female…unless you’re an eye.