“The artist doesn’t necessarily communicate. The artist evokes … [It] actually doesn’t matter what I feel. What matters is how the art makes you feel.” – M. Atwood
Margaret Atwood has not been able to confirm if Mary Webster was, in fact, her ancestor. Although Atwood’s grandmother’s maiden name was Webster, the elderly woman often changed her mind on that matter. There was nothing left for Atwood but to decide on which version to believe, and so she picked the story. Living in the 17th century in Connecticut, Mary Webster was accused of witchcraft and hanged. Surprisingly, the next day after the execution the woman was not dead. In those days, a person couldn’t be persecuted twice for one crime, so Webster went free. The story of the alleged ancestor has inspired Atwood’s works – she even wrote a poem in the voice of “Half-Hanged Mary”.
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian writer, poet, but also human rights and environmental activist. Her works were published in more than forty-five countries, and they have received many awards, at the same time having a great influence on popular culture.
“The Handmaid’s Tale”, dedicated to Mary Webster and to Harvard Professor Perry Miller, is one of Atwood’s the most widely known works. Being a representative of the speculative fiction genre, this dystopian novel takes place in a totalitarian theocratic state, Gilead, which replaced the United States. Due to the low birth rates, elite couples, having trouble conceiving, receive a Handmaid whose responsibility is to bear their children. The main character, Offred, is a Handmaid of Commander’s family. Her “name” is the sign of ownership – she serves in Fred’s household. Throughout the novel she tells us her history. Not only is she deprived of free will, but also separated from her husband and daughter. Gilead is the world where women, especially Handmaids, do not have basic rights. Nor do they have any choice.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” provides a rather disturbing idea of potential reality. Even Atwood told her literary agent, Phoebe Larmore, that the new novel scared her. Although it seems unrealistic, the novel was inspired by real-life events. Atwood was collecting newspaper articles which then created a background for her work. “Women forced to have babies” said one of the extracts; it was presenting a new Romanian law from the 1960s saying that women had to have at least four babies. Terrifying, right? And it is only one out of many examples.
Atwood also takes inspiration from the Bible, namely from the Book of Genesis. Before the “ceremony” in which husband, in his wife’s presence, tries to impregnate a Handmaid, he reads the Biblical story about Rachel. She has trouble getting pregnant, so she convinces her husband to have a child with her maid, Bilhah. Rachel then gets to raise Bilhah's babies. Some resembles between this biblical story and the Handmaid’s ceremony can be easily seen.
As Margaret Atwood said: “The Handmaid’s Tale does not depend upon hypothetical scenarios, omens, or straws in the wind, but upon documented occurrences and public pronouncements; all matters of record.”
Dealing with important issues, Atwood’s work gained popularity very quickly and has had various adaptations - movie, TV series, even a ballet. Handmaids also became a protest symbol. Women dressed as Handmaids attended many pro-choice demonstrations around the world - they protested against abortion ban in Argentina, health care bill in US, or even visits of Donald Trump in London. Not so long ago we got to see Handmaids in Warsaw; in October 2020 a demonstration opposing tightening of the abortion law took place in front of the Constitutional Tribunal.
It has been over 30 years since “The Handmaid’s Tale” was first published, but it doesn’t lose popularity. Margaret Atwood herself is also an accomplished writer who attracts attention of readers from all around the world. The online meeting, held on 20th January by Literacki Sopot, gathered over 40 000 participants! It is an undeniable proof for Atwood’s recognition.
Izabela Bieńkowska
Bibliography:
· Atwood, M. (1986) The Handmaid’s Tale. New York: Ballantine Books.
· Evans M. (1994) Versions of History: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and its Dedicatees. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
· Poetry Foundation. Accessed on 07.02.2020. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/margaret-atwood
· Penguin Books UK. Accessed on 07.02.2020. https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2019/sep/margaret-atwood-handmaids-tale-testaments-real-life-inspiration.html
· Margaret Atwood. Accessed on 07.02.2020. http://margaretatwood.ca/biography/
· Literacki Sopot. Accessed on 07.02.2020. http://literackisopot.pl/2021/01/21/margaret-atwood-podczas-jedynego-w-polsce-spotkania/
· Mead, R. (10.04.2017) Margaret Atwood, the Prophet of Dystopia. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/margaret-atwood-the-prophet-of-dystopia
· Kendall, E. (09.02.1986) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-09-bk-5778-story.html
· Blake, M. (17.04.2017) ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ has inspired several adaptations through the years. Los Angeles Times.https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-ca-st-handmaids-tale-sidebar-20170414-story.html
· Grey-Ellis, E. (06.05.2019) Handmaids Tale Garb Is the Viral Protest Uniform of 2019. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/handmaids-tale-protest-garb/
· Kurczuk, S. (21.10.2020) Podręczne wyszły na ulice Warszawy, żeby strajkować przeciwko zakazowi aborcji. AntyRadio. https://www.antyradio.pl/News/Podreczne-wyszly-na-ulice-Warszawy-zeby-strajkowac-przeciwko-zakazowi-aborcji-Nie-dajmy-pognebic-sie-sukinsynom-44331
· Photo by Pari Dukovic https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59097fe9019dfc3494ea3fc9/master/w_2560%2Cc_limit/170417_r29746.jpg