What inspired Margaret Atwood to write the Handmaid's Tale?
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale has become a classic of speculative fiction since its publication in 1985. The chilling story of the Republic of Gilead and one woman’s experience as an enslaved “handmaid” gained widespread acclaim. But what exactly inspired Atwood to write this controversial feminist work? The novel arose from various influences rooted in 1980s culture, politics, and biography that motivated Atwood to put this haunting vision to paper. This essay will analyze the diverse sources of inspiration behind The Handmaid’s Tale.
Afghanistan's Influence on Atwood
Atwood has stated that one direct inspiration came from her visit to Afghanistan in 1978, when women’s rights were being severely curtailed by the regime. The mandated clothing, exclusion from schooling, and repression Atwood observed influenced her vision of Gilead’s oppression of women. Critic Helen Buss notes this experience “contributed to Atwood’s imagining of fundamentalist notions of female servitude.” Atwood translated this glimpse of theocracy into Gilead’s atrocities.
The Dystopian Literary Tradition
In addition, Atwood was inspired by her voracious interest in dystopian fiction, particularly 1920s and 30s classics like We by Yevgeny Zamyatin and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. She aimed to bring her own feminist twist to the genre. As critic Sharon Wilson observes, Atwood was “well-versed in dystopic, utopic fiction” and wanted to create a fresh statement using its conventions. Her deep knowledge of dystopian landmarks helped shape Gilead.
Cultural Backlash and Feminist Voice
Furthermore, as an actively feminist writer, Atwood found inspiration in the cultural backlash against women’s rights that gained ground in the 1980s. Scholar Anna A. Wilkinson argues Atwood was “compelled to voice caution” as hard-won freedoms came under renewed attack from the political and religious right. This regression gave real-world resonance to Gilead's oppressive theocracy.
How Diverse Sources of Inspiration Shaped Atwood's Vision
From 1979 Afghanistan to dystopian literary precedents to the threatened rollback of feminism, the cultural currents and Atwood’s artistic interests flowed together to form the disturbing inspiration behind The Handmaid's Tale, bringing this infamous vision vividly to life. Atwood's seminal novel remains powerful due to how its inspiration rooted it within real historical anxieties of its era.
