The Handmaid's Tale: Margaret's Warnings

Ghouls Next Door

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is a harrowing near-future story that serves as a cautionary tale. We are like frogs slowly boiling in the water, what will it take to finally make moves to fight back? However, this warning seems to serve a very specific brand of woman. Ghouls discuss the impact of the book but also the negative effects of having such an important piece of literature that lacks intersectionality. Gabe unpacks the messaging of the book while Kat discusses real-world horrors that have inspired and should have inspired the work.

Book Synopsis: 6:00 - 22:26 (skip to avoid storyline spoilers).

Sources in this Episode:
Race, Intersectionality, and the End of the World: The Problem with The Handmaid’s Tale
Feminism Must Be Intersectional or It's Just an Arm of White Supremacy
N. Carolina Bill Proposing Women Who Get Abortions Be Executed Sparks Fury
Why Comparing 'Roe v Wade' Overturn to Handmaid's Tale is Problematic
Bodies and Sexuality in Gilead: A Queer Ecofeminist Reading of the Handmaid’s Tale
The Racist and Sexist History of Keeping Birth Control Side Effects Secret
Feminism Must Be Intersectional or It's Just an Arm of White Supremacy
Yes, Women Could Vote After The 19th Amendment — But Not All Women. Or Men

Further Reading on Handmaid's Tale:
For black women, The Handmaid's Tale's dystopia is real—and telling - Macleans.ca
What can The Handmaid’s Tale teach us about intersectionality in institutional life?
'The Handmaid’s Tale' and the History & Future of Queer Oppression
Margaret Atwood on What ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Means in the Age of Trump

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