Freedom is realtive

“The Handmaid's Tale” is a reinterpretation of fundamentalism. These days we match that nation with the Muslim countries, ISIS and basically, most attacks in the Western Europe. We perceive the Muslim fundamentalism as a terrifying menace to our peace. Each of us have seen the ruins of Aleppo, Chechen concentration camps for homosexuals or devastated monumental statues of Buddhas of Bamiyan and I’m quite convince that everyone denounces it. The idea of following (in this case) mindlessly a religion, killing people in the name of a God, we are not even sure that exists, is just ridiculous.

And what if we change the point of view? Is it even possible that we could create a brave new world in USA based on a idea of puritanism?

In that dystopia, the whole world has to struggle with a scourge unknown before - infertility. There are fewer and fewer children, so the nations are dying. Obviously, in the time of crisis people approach to something that could console them: alcohol, drugs, great ideas (like communism) or religion. Let’s have a look at the last one. The Christianity - or to be more specific - the christian believers did abominable things in the name of God as well. Crusades, witch hunting, elimination of other religions and their believers (Catharism) are the most popular accusation. Not to mention the small fact that according to a lot of feminists, the christian religion, mainly in the protestant church, was used to stop women from emancipation.

In this case, they use a quote from the Old Testament to justify their acts and at the same time to objectify fertile women and make them “useful to the society”. They lost their ID, names, homes, children, lives in order to make babies. The end justifies the means.

Wonderful series and book.