Have you ever heard of this book? It was written by Margaret Atwood. I am having to read this for my women's studies class. I find it to be a very dry read, personally. I am looking at getting the movie to help me thorugh it.
I bring this forward because of what the story is about. It is science fiction that takes place in the future in America. It is about a group of religious fanatics who take over a section of America and institute rules based on specific sections of the bible especially in the OT. It deals with politics and women's sexuality. for instance, there are 3 levels of women in this book. the wives who cannot have kids, there are the maids who do the housework and then there are the handmaiden's who dress similiar to the Amish but whose sole purpose is to have sex with the husband of the house in order to give him kids. The book is one that is supposed to put forth the notion of feminism and what rights women should have but don't have in this book.
It also shows how religious fanatics can often tainted the bible to say something that it isn't saying. There is a section in the book where the husband of a household has the ladies together and he opens up the bible to read only a small section of it. Just as so many people like 'Wives, submit to your husband's' and they stop there as if that is all that needs to be said.
I think some would see this book as an attack on religion and frankly I think it is an attack but also an espose on how some religious people are.
I used sparknotes and amazon to help me with the story becaue the book itself is a very dry read for me. It is all told from the perspective of 'I' as if you are the handmaid yourself so you see through her eyes. I think it is a book that will ruffle the feathers of many people. You will hate it, like it, and just shake your head at it. In the end, I wonder, can a religious crowd learn something from it?
Just some thoughts, what do you think?