Document Type
Research Paper
Publication Date
Fall 11-19-2025
Abstract
Using the theories that Simone de Beauvoir presents in The Second Sex, this paper will analyze Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Discussing how Gilead reflects the oppression women face, and the idea of women as “other,” and Beauvoir describes. She spends much time discussing the Hegelian master-slave dialectic, which is seen in The Handmaid’s Tale through Gilead’s laws. Forcing the Handmaids to not only be an incubator for the commander, but also forcing them to do the shopping for the household, and not allowing them basic human rights such as reading. Mussett analyzes this and gives further analysis on women as a tool for mediation to men. In the novel, Handmaids were used by the men as a vessel for carrying babies, forcing them to be defined by biology, as Beauvoir gives criticism to. Russell’s critique on reproductive technologies allows capitalist societies to profit, similarly the Handmaids are used for their fertility, profiting the commander’s families. Beauvoir also critiques patriarchal marriage, stating that it takes away from the autonomy of women. This is present in The Handmaid’s Tale, by showing that Serena is unhappy with the situation that she is in with her husband. Beauvoir's feminist critiques reflect in The Handmaid’s Tale in a multitude of ways that have been built upon by multiple scholars.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Hailee, "Simone de Beauvoir’s Influence on “The Handmaid’s Tale”" (2025). Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry. 203.
https://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/rci_fall/203
