What I want to know more about in the book is the way they use language and religion as a form of power. Throughout the book people are referred to as “Sons of Jacob” or “Children of Ham”. When researching these terms they are referring to Jews and African Americans. These titles separate them from the other people in Gilead. Even the women have ranks that separate them from each other and these ranks are part of a vocabulary created by Gilead.
I plan on researching how language, especially religious language, is used as a form of power and a way to oppress people. Gilead is a totalitarian society but also a theocracy, there is no separation of church and state. I think there are examples of this in our society and in other societies throughout time.
I chose this topic because it is such a reoccurring theme in Atwood’s book. At first I did not understand what the book was about and the names of the women and the way the society was set up made it confusing. I thought Gilead was some sort of magical place but once I read more and more it made sense that she was trying to explain what our world could come to. I think this will help me understand what Atwood really thinks about how our government works because she obviously thinks that one day we could become this totalitarian, theocratic state.
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