The Characters of Women in The Handmaids Tale and The...

Women in The Handmaids Tale and The Bell Jar nbsp; Sylvia Plaths renowned autobiographical legend The Bell Jar and Margaret Atwoods fictional masterpiece The handmaids tale are the two emotional feminist stories, which basically involve the womens struggle. Narrated with a touching tone and filled with an intense feminist voice, both novels explore the conflict of their respective protagonists in a male dominated society. In spite of several extraordinary similarities in terms of influential characterization and emotive themes, both novels are diverse as far as their respective style, structure and setting is concerned. While Plaths preference of frequent flashback is admirable and absorbing, Atwoods choice of†¦show more content†¦While, the shock of such dreadful experience leaves a profound impact on Esther, the protagonist of The Bell Jar resulting in her mental downfall, it is common for Offred, the protagonist of The Handmaids Tale to uncensoredly accept the reality of her world, as sexual involvement is her profession. We are for breeding purposes. There is supposed to be nothing entertaining about us, no room is to be permitted for the flowering of secret lusts. We are two-legged wombs, thats all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices (The Handmaids Tale, p. 176). and I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will...There were limits, but my body was nevertheless lithe, single, solid, one with me...Now the flesh arranges itself differently. Im a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I, am and glows red within its translucent wrapping (The Handmaids Tale, p.95). These two are the outstanding quotes narrated by Offred, showing her acceptance to the actuality. In addition both novels convey similar themes of sexual exploitation and restricted role of women in the society. The Bell Jar represents sexual exploitation in 1950s which is true to a certain extent, since the origin of pornography due to the impact of movies and sexual revolution which became rampant during this era. On the contrary, it is indeed, ironicShow MoreRelatedFeminism in Novel Makaan of Paigham Afaqui1301 Words   |  6 Pageshuman being, before being cast into a gender stereotype. Not all these works follow a direct approach towards this goal of equality. It is only through such media that women believed a change was possible in the way they were perceived in society. Not all feminist literature has been written by women, but also by men who understood women beyond the roles they were expected to fit into, and delved into their psyche to understand their needs and desires. Some works may be fictional, while others may be