In Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, the colonies are a toxic environment intended to be used as a third option for non-conforming women other than the Red Center or reassignment as a Handmaid.
The oppressive nature of Gilead’s society takes a toll on all of its citizens, but in the colonies, the effects are much more severe. The Colonies are located in what used to be known as the “poison lands” and the toxic environment causes significant physical and psychological harm to anyone sent there.
The extreme pollution, lack of medical care, and lack of access to natural resources like clean water make life in the colonies an arduous existence, and in some cases, an early death sentence.
The toxic nature of these colonies is emblematic of the oppressive regime of Gilead, which is unyielding in its efforts to punish and control its subjects. In addition to the punishing physical environment, there is another layer of toxicity in the Colonies.
Women who are sent here are treated as disposable and expendable, forced to work long hours in grueling labor with no expectation of reward or compensation. This oppressive military-like structure adds an additional level of tension and psychological harm, particularly to those already suffering from the terrible physical elements of this toxic environment.
The Colonies provide a stark reminder of the oppressive nature of Gilead’s society, which strives to maintain its power by creating oppressive and inhumane environments where anyone deemed “non-conformant” is sent to suffer.
The environment in the Colonies can only be described as toxic, and the physical and psychological harm experienced there serves as a stark reminder of Gilead’s efforts to subjugate its people.
What caused pollution in The Handmaid’s Tale?
In The Handmaid’s Tale, the primary cause of pollution is the totalitarian government that is put in place following the fall of the United States. In this dystopian future, the government has taken extreme measures to control its population and the environment, leading to widespread environmental damage.
Nuclear and chemical weaponry has been used, resulting in the complete destruction of the ozone layer and smog-filled air. Natural resources have been over-exploited, leaving land barren and rivers contaminated with chemicals.
Many of the chemicals used in the production of industrial materials are hazardous and have resulted in water and air contamination. The government has also imposed strict regulations on the production of food and its distribution.
Furthermore, factories in the novel are rarely inspected for safety regulations and waste products are rarely disposed of properly, leading to poisonous runoff and contaminated water sources. All of these methods used by the government to control the population have had a tremendous impact on the environment and ultimately resulted in pollution.
What are the environmental issues in Gilead?
Gilead has been facing many environmental issues due to urbanization, industrialization, and the widespread use of synthetic chemicals. One of the biggest concerns is water contamination, as some chemicals used in industry have been known to leach into streams, rivers, and groundwater reserves, contaminating drinking water.
Air pollution is another major issue, with factories and automobiles releasing harmful emissions that can cause serious health concerns. Other threats include destruction of wildlife habitats, soil erosion and degradation, and deforestation.
Climate change has also started to become a growing concern in Gilead, as extreme weather patterns are leading to droughts, floods, and other events that can have damaging impacts on the environment.
Finally, illegal dumping is also a problem in Gilead, as waste is often dumped in areas that it is not supposed to be without proper containment or treatment.
Why is there so much infertility in Gilead?
To start, Gilead lacks modern medical knowledge and technology which makes it difficult to diagnose and treat infertility. Additionally, the social structure of Gilead is also likely to play a role. In Gilead, women are seen as property, rather than individuals with their own wishes and choices.
This contributes to a culture where contraception and abortion are not readily available or accessible, and where female health decisions are often taken out of their hands. Furthermore, due to the religious nature of Gilead, women may not have access to sexual health advice and support, particularly in regards to fertility.
The social norms around female roles, coupled with the limitations of the medical knowledge in Gilead, makes it difficult for women to make informed health decisions, either about family planning or about fertility treatments.
Finally, due to Gilead’s extreme gender inequality, men may be able to opt out of family life altogether, leaving women unable to find and maintain a sustained, loving relationship. In combination, these factors make it increasingly difficult for people to conceive and create a family.
Why can’t the wives in Gilead get pregnant?
The wives in Gilead are unable to get pregnant because of a high rate of infertility due to an environmental disaster caused by heavy pollution. After the disaster, the fertility rate among women dropped drastically in the country.
The environment was so ravaged that it caused birth defects in newborns and miscarriages for women that were able to conceive. This made it difficult for wives to get pregnant, and drastically affected the birth rate.
The government of Gilead implemented strict laws to control the population and mandate certain behaviors. These laws limited the reproductive rights of women and discouraged “unapproved” pregnancies.
This lack of freedom and extreme regulation led to a lack of pregnancies and lower fertility rate in Gilead.
What happened to the environment in Handmaids Tale?
In Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, the environment has been drastically modified by oppressive, fundamentalist forces that are in control of the fictional Republic of Gilead. Gilead has taken control of the United States, banning women’s rights, abolishing any form of democracy, and forcing women into gender-defined roles with sever consequences if they deviate.
The environment is heavily regulated, with surveillance and censorship to control the flow of information. This has resulted in a drastic reduction in pollution, as transportation and recreational activities are heavily restricted.
Homes are powered by fuel such as coal, and food is grown in traditional, agricultural ways. Women are not allowed to leave the home without permission, and travel is forbidden unless sanctioned by Gilead’s oppressive government.
The environment is afflicted by the same consequences of totalitarian rule as the citizens are. There is a severe lack of education in science and technology, depriving people of the ability to maintain and improve their environment.
In addition, Gilead’s anti-feminist agenda has drastically reduced the number of women in the workforce, hindering research and development in technology and the environment.
The environment has suffered from a lack of quality of life due to the laws of Gilead. Pollution is tolerated, wild animals are becoming extinct due to lack of protection, and the planet’s resources are stretched thin due to overpopulation.
The destruction of the environment is a symptom of the tyranny of Gilead, and its effects are felt by every person living in the Republic.
Is Gilead environmentally friendly?
Gilead is committed to helping protect the global environment. A key component of their commitment is investing in technology and processes to reduce their environmental footprint. The company is researching and developing sustainable technology solutions to reduce their water, energy and waste usage.
Gilead has invested heavily in deploying environmentally friendly production processes that minimize the consumption of resources and mitigate waste. They also work with suppliers to reduce waste and emissions.
In addition, Gilead has signed several agreements with numerous organizations to investigate and develop environmentally favorable practices, such as the development of green chemistry pathways. Gilead is also working toward eliminating hazardous substances in their products and setting goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption.
The company is actively engaged in the performance of environmental audits in order to encourage sustainability and to improve the quality of their operations. Overall, Gilead is committed to the environment and is taking steps to minimize their environmental impacts.
What type of society was Gilead?
Gilead was a totalitarian theocracy which practiced a new, perverted strain of Christianity. Established in the aftermath of a civil war which took place in the United States of America, Gilead was a social order which placed religious values at the center of government and everyday life.
Women in Gilead’s society had no rights; they were expected to serve and obey men, and had no right to vote, own property, read, or control their bodies and reproductive rights. Men dictated what sort of clothing women could wear, what they could do with their time, and even who they could speak to.
Women in Gilead had no right to a job, no right to freedom of speech, and no right to education. As a result, Gilead was a profoundly unequal society in which women were second-class citizens. This oppressive society was enforced by a powerful military, secret police force, and harsh legal system.
The Bible and other religious texts provided the basis for Gilead’s laws, which were often cruel and capable of implementing the death penalty for various offenses. Thus, Gilead’s social structure was largely informed by religious values, and religion was used to justify the oppressive treatment of women in particular.
Are all the Wives in Gilead infertile?
No, not all the wives in Gilead are infertile. In fact, in The Handmaid’s Tale, infertility is not a common feature of the wives. Offred notes that some of the wives, including Serena Joy, had children before the republic of Gilead was formed.
Additionally, other wives are shown to be pregnant or to want children. So, while infertility is a common theme of the novel, it does not apply to all of the wives in Gilead.
Why did Emily poison the wife in the colonies?
Emily poisoned the wife in the colonies because she was feeling extreme bitterness towards the institution of marriage. The wife symbolized the power dynamics of male and female relationships in the colonies, where the woman had little to no autonomy and was essentially treated as a possession of her husband.
Emily had seen firsthand the consequences of her mother’s marriage, and wanted a way to get revenge. Additionally, Emily wanted to show people in the colonies the power of a woman’s anger, and to create a narrative that showed that women had the potential to lash back at oppressive circumstances.
Poisoning the wife was a way for her to convey a powerful and dangerous message about the institution of marriage and the patriarchy that oppressed women.
What poison did Emily give the wife?
Emily gave the wife lye (“lye poisoning”) as a form of poison. Lye is a form of sodium hydroxide, otherwise known as caustic soda and is extremely toxic and corrosive. Lye poisoning is caused when someone ingests large amounts, or even small amounts, of lye.
The symptoms of lye poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, burning pain in the chest and abdomen, corrosive burns in the esophagus, and damage to the internal organs, including the liver and kidneys.
Lye poisoning can cause death if left untreated.
What did Emily do to Aunt Lydia?
Emily took matters into her own hands and decided to take revenge on Aunt Lydia for hurting June. With the help of several Marthas, Emily broke into Aunt Lydia’s house and forced her to take a spiked drink.
The drink was laced with a sedative, which allowed Emily to tie her up and place her in the back of a van. Emily then drove to a forest, where the Marthas forced Aunt Lydia to dig a grave – presumably her own – and then blindfolded and restrained her.
Emily then delivered a chilling monologue, telling Aunt Lydia all the ways she had hurt June, not just physically, but emotionally, before leaving her there all night, threatening to return if Aunt Lydia ever messed with June again.
Upon her release the following day, Aunt Lydia was obviously shaken from the experience, leaving her forever with a reminder of the consequences of crossing Emily.
Why did Esther poison Janine?
Esther poisoned Janine because she believed that Janine was evil and trying to take over her life. Esther was jealous of Janine’s success and wanted to get rid of her so she wouldn’t threaten her place in the family.
She was also consumed with rage and wanted revenge for what she believed were Janine’s interference and wrongdoings. Esther also felt threatened by Janine’s closeness to her and wanted Janine gone. She had grown increasingly paranoid in the months leading up to the poisoning, and it was the final straw when Janine got a job promotion and was receiving more attention from the other family members.
Esther wanted to make sure her own success and place in the family were secure, and poisoning Janine was her way of doing so.
Why did Emily get mutilated?
Emily was mutilated because of a gruesome accident that occurred when she was a teenager. She had been riding her bike to the beach with her friends when she carelessly hit a pile of scrap metal. The metal propelled her bike into the air and her body collided with the jagged edges of the metal with extreme force.
The skin on her face, legs, and arms were severely torn apart, leaving deep, long scars. She was taken to the hospital immediately and underwent multiple surgeries in order to stop the bleeding and reconstruct some of the damaged tissue.
After many years of pain and suffering, she was able to recover and live a full life, although her face is still marred by scars from the accident.
Why was Emily made a Handmaid?
Emily was made a Handmaid because she was found to be fertile in Gilead, a dystopian society that desperately needs more children due to declining birth rates. Handmaids are selected to fulfill the specific societal role of conceiving and bearing children for artificially infertile couples.
The status of being a Handmaid in Gilead is a highly honored and respected one, and Emily is chosen for her fertility and obedient, submissive nature. Being a Handmaid serves the purpose of fulfilling Gilead’s need for more children and also allows Emily to have some sense of dignity and purpose, as opposed to the degrading lifestyle women are expected to have in this oppressive society.
