ANALYZING NARRATIVE VOICE IN ATWOOD’S THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Abstract

In the dystopian Republic of Gilead, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale dives deeply into issues of gender, power and resistance. This paper investigates how Offred’s untrustworthy narration functions as a means of resistance against the repressive state as well as a mirror of her psychological suffering. Offred opposes Gilead’s efforts to obliterate her persona and control her tale through contradictions, selective memory and fractured retelling. Her untrustworthy voice asserts her uniqueness and humanity while simultaneously reflecting the brittleness of truth in an authoritarian system. This analysis emphasizes the novel’s critique of patriarchal systems and its focus on the tenacity of marginalized voices, drawing on feminist theories and trauma studies. By emphasizing Offred’s viewpoint, Atwood highlights the ability of narrative as an act of disobedience while also criticizing structural injustice. The argument comes to the conclusion that Offred's untrustworthy narration is a conscious act of defiance, protecting her identity and opposing the erasing of women's histories under authoritarian rule.