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The Infographics Show, Could The Handmaid's Tale Really Happen?

Could The Handmaid's Tale Really Happen?

The Handmaid's Tale is a novel written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, which was

originally published in 1985 and subsequently turned in to a TV series in 2017, created

by Bruce Miller.

In the story, most women have become infertile, and the state has stripped them of all their

freedoms.

They're not allowed to read, listen to music, share their feelings, work, have a bank account,

or walk down the street alone.

The remaining fertile women become Handmaids, and are forced into sexual servitude in a

desperate attempt to repopulate humankind.

But could the dramatic events of this story happen in real life?

That's what we'll find out, in this episode of The Infographics Show: Could The Handmaid's

Tale Really Happen?

Margaret Atwood's story is set in a near-future New England, in a totalitarian, Christian

economy that has overthrown the United States government.

The novel focuses on the journey of a handmaid named Offred.

She is called Offred as it is made up of the two words ‘of' and ‘fred'.

Handmaids are forbidden to use their real names and must instead use the name of the

male master whom they serve, in this case Fred.

But as dire as the Handmaid's life may sound, it's a luxury compared to some of the women

who are unable to bear children.

They are sent to the Colonies, where they work, cleaning up the toxic waste.

It's this pollution that supposedly contributed to the epidemic of infertility, and triggered

military rule, and the domination of the female race by the new ruling party, The Republic

of Gilead.

This authoritarian, theocratic regime runs America following the collapse of the state.

But could the terrifying reality of this story ever come true?

Well, for some women, it's been a reality in the past, and for others it's not too

far from their reality today, says Reed Morano, director of the first three episodes of the

TV show.

We took a look at what some of the reviewers have said about Handmaid's Tale and how

the story relates to life in the 21st century.

Here are 5 ways it may reflect reality.

1.

Infertility and global food shortages - The world in The Handmaid's Tale has collapsed.

Societal disruption has included mass infertility, food shortages and environmental chaos.

Changes such as these are not out of the question in our near future.

A 2014 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, attracted worldwide

attention for predicting that climate change will result in intense storms, severe droughts,

heat waves, coastal flooding, and recurring crop failures, and that all of this will lead

to widespread death and deprivation.

The report also suggested that global warming would have a devastating impact on the social

and political landscape, including economic decline, state collapse, civil strife, and

mass migrations.

All of which sound very similar to Handmaid's Tale and Gilead rule.

2.

Women's rights in the US & around the world – If you're lucky enough to be a wife

in Gilead and not dropped at the Colonies, the best you can hope for, is to be slave

to a powerful man and to sit quietly at the head of your household.

The ruling males dictate rights, and fertile woman are there to ensure the race prevails.

A harsh reality, but not completely off track with some of what we're seeing in recent

times.

In the days that followed the most recent presidential inauguration, millions of people

around the world took part in women's marches, to show and voice their concerns about women's

rights being eroded.

Only days later, the US government brought back a law that bans US-funded aid groups

around the world from discussing abortion.

Reed Morano describes her TV series as "a warning" to women in America about their "precarious"

rights.

“There are a lot of different states that are taking matters into their own hands and

making up their own rules”, she said.

And it's not just in America.

The reality is much more bleak for women in other countries around the world.

Holly Crocket from Plan International Australia explained in an interview that in parts of

Africa and the Middle East, women can't inherit property, may or may not access their

own bank accounts, and might not be able to access their own money.

In Saudi Arabia, Women, until VERY recently, were banned from driving, had to wear head-to-toe

black coverings in public, and needed permission from a male guardian to study, travel, or

marry.

As for education, according to Malala Yousafzai's organization, The Malala Fund, 130 million

girls around the world are out of school.

This is a massive barrier for women's rights around the world, explains Holly Crocket.

3.

People of color are marginalized - Black people, who are referred to as “Children of Ham”

in the novel, are relocated to areas known as the national homelands, an area in the

Midwest.

Similar racially segregated homelands were set up during Apartheid in South Africa, and

there are also parallels to America.

Racial tensions within the black community are common, often stemming from altercations

between young black men and police officers.

Social media has caused these incidents to receive widespread attention, which often

exposes a lack of accountability by the arresting officers.

One example in 2017 was a Minnesota police officer fatally shooting Philando Castile

during a traffic stop.

A jury later acquitted the officer of all charges.

4.

Christian religious fundamentalism running rampant – When Aunt Lydia is tasked with

brainwashing the new Handmaids, so they will perform their government-ordained duties as

they are tasked to, she reads a verse from the bible to them, over and over.

“Blessed are the meek.”

Offred comments that she never finishes the full verse, which goes “Blessed are the

meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Aunt Lydia uses the Bible passage incompletely, and to her own advantage.

Much of the opposition rhetoric to homosexuality that exists in the world today is supported

by religious passages.

In the case of Christianity, fundamentalists often quote sections of the Bible that oppose

homosexuality, but then deliberately forget other sections that forbid divorce or the

consumption of shellfish.

So, though there certainly seems to be some selective religious fundamentalism within

Gilead, that also exists in our world today.

5.

Women made to feel responsible for sexual assault.

- In Gilead, women are brainwashed into believing that any sexual assault they have been victim

of, is their own fault.

That the incident likely occurred as a result of their provocative dressing, or because

they acted in way that left the man feeling invited to behave as he wished.

And in the real world, female survivors of sexual assault are often questioned about

what they were wearing or how much they drank, when the assault took place.

One very public case in the United States was of Brock Turner, the 20-year-old swimmer

convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman.

The woman, who was 22 year old at the time, was cross-examined by Turner's lawyer about

her drinking and partying in college.

British newspaper The Guardian reported on the case in 2016, quoting the woman's statement.

She said, “The sexual assault had been so clear, but instead, here I was at the trial,

answering questions like: ‘How old are you?

How much do you weigh?

What did you eat that day?

Well what did you have for dinner?

Who made dinner?'”

So again some similarities to Gilead, where females are persecuted on the reg.

Ultimately, all it took to build Gilead was the silence of those that were tempted to

resist, and the vast expansion of government power.

Is The Handmaid's Tale a work of fiction, or a dramatized story, influenced by the real

workings of our society?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Also, be sure to check out our other video called The Truth About The Illuminati Revealed!

Thanks for watching, and, as always, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

See you next time!

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

Could The Handmaid's Tale Really Happen? ||Handmaid's||| Poderia|A|||realmente|acontecer Könnte "The Handmaid's Tale" wirklich passieren? Θα μπορούσε το The Handmaid's Tale να συμβεί πραγματικά; ¿Será posible The Handmaid's Tale? The Handmaid's Tale pourrait-il vraiment se produire ? The Handmaid's Tale potrebbe davvero accadere? ハンドメイド物語』は本当に実現するのか? Ar "Tarnaitės pasakojimas" tikrai galėtų įvykti? Czy The Handmaid's Tale naprawdę może się wydarzyć? Será que The Handmaid's Tale pode mesmo acontecer? Может ли "Рассказ служанки" действительно произойти? Damızlık Kızın Öyküsü Gerçekten Olabilir mi? 《使女的故事》真的会发生吗?

The Handmaid's Tale is a novel written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, which was |servant's|Tale|||||||||Atwood|| ||||||escrita por||||||| The Handmaid's Tale (O Conto da Aia) é um romance escrito pela autora canadiana Margaret Atwood, que foi

originally published in 1985 and subsequently turned in to a TV series in 2017, created |publicado originalmente|||posteriormente|||||||| publicada originalmente em 1985 e posteriormente transformada numa série televisiva em 2017, criou

by Bruce Miller. por Bruce Miller.

In the story, most women have become infertile, and the state has stripped them of all their |||||||infertile||||||||| ||||||||||||despojado de|||| Na história, a maioria das mulheres tornou-se infértil e o Estado despojou-as de todas as suas По сюжету, большинство женщин стали бесплодными, и государство лишило их всех

freedoms. freedoms Libertades. liberdades.

They're not allowed to read, listen to music, share their feelings, work, have a bank account, Não lhes é permitido ler, ouvir música, partilhar os seus sentimentos, trabalhar, ter uma conta bancária,

or walk down the street alone. ou andar na rua sozinho.

The remaining fertile women become Handmaids, and are forced into sexual servitude in a |||||forced surrogates||||||servitude|| As mulheres férteis que restam tornam-se servas e são forçadas a servir sexualmente num

desperate attempt to repopulate humankind. |||repopulate| tentativa desesperada de repovoar a humanidade.

But could the dramatic events of this story happen in real life? Mas será que os acontecimentos dramáticos desta história podem acontecer na vida real?

That's what we'll find out, in this episode of The Infographics Show: Could The Handmaid's ||||||||||Infographics|||| É isso que vamos descobrir neste episódio do The Infographics Show: Será que The Handmaid's

Tale Really Happen? A história aconteceu mesmo?

Margaret Atwood's story is set in a near-future New England, in a totalitarian, Christian |Atwood's||||||||||||| A história de Margaret Atwood passa-se na Nova Inglaterra de um futuro próximo, num país totalitário e cristão.

economy that has overthrown the United States government. |||toppled|||| economia que derrubou o governo dos Estados Unidos.

The novel focuses on the journey of a handmaid named Offred. ||||||||handmaid||Offred O romance centra-se na viagem de uma serva chamada Offred.

She is called Offred as it is made up of the two words ‘of' and ‘fred'. O seu nome é Offred, pois é composto pelas duas palavras "of" e "fred".

Handmaids are forbidden to use their real names and must instead use the name of the Aias|||||||||||||||

male master whom they serve, in this case Fred.

But as dire as the Handmaid's life may sound, it's a luxury compared to some of the women ||extremely serious|||||||||||||||

who are unable to bear children.

They are sent to the Colonies, where they work, cleaning up the toxic waste.

It's this pollution that supposedly contributed to the epidemic of infertility, and triggered ||||||||||infertility||triggered

military rule, and the domination of the female race by the new ruling party, The Republic ||||||||||||ruling||| военное правление и доминирование женской расы новой правящей партией "Республика".

of Gilead.

This authoritarian, theocratic regime runs America following the collapse of the state. |authoritarian|theocratic|||||||||

But could the terrifying reality of this story ever come true?

Well, for some women, it's been a reality in the past, and for others it's not too

far from their reality today, says Reed Morano, director of the first three episodes of the |||||||Morano||||||||

TV show.

We took a look at what some of the reviewers have said about Handmaid's Tale and how |||||||||reviewers|||||||

the story relates to life in the 21st century.

Here are 5 ways it may reflect reality.

1.

Infertility and global food shortages - The world in The Handmaid's Tale has collapsed. ||||insufficient supply||||||||

Societal disruption has included mass infertility, food shortages and environmental chaos.

Changes such as these are not out of the question in our near future.

A 2014 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, attracted worldwide ||||Intergovernmental||||||||

attention for predicting that climate change will result in intense storms, severe droughts, ||||||||||||dry spells

heat waves, coastal flooding, and recurring crop failures, and that all of this will lead |||flooding|||||||||||

to widespread death and deprivation. |widespread|||deprivation к повсеместной смерти и лишениям.

The report also suggested that global warming would have a devastating impact on the social ||||||||||devastating||||

and political landscape, including economic decline, state collapse, civil strife, and |||||||||civil conflict|

mass migrations.

All of which sound very similar to Handmaid's Tale and Gilead rule.

2.

Women's rights in the US & around the world – If you're lucky enough to be a wife

in Gilead and not dropped at the Colonies, the best you can hope for, is to be slave

to a powerful man and to sit quietly at the head of your household.

The ruling males dictate rights, and fertile woman are there to ensure the race prevails. |||dictate|||||||||||prevails Правящие самцы диктуют права, а плодовитые женщины обеспечивают победу расы.

A harsh reality, but not completely off track with some of what we're seeing in recent

times.

In the days that followed the most recent presidential inauguration, millions of people |||||||||inauguration|||

around the world took part in women's marches, to show and voice their concerns about women's

rights being eroded. ||gradually diminished

Only days later, the US government brought back a law that bans US-funded aid groups

around the world from discussing abortion.

Reed Morano describes her TV series as "a warning" to women in America about their "precarious" |||||||||||||||precarious

rights.

“There are a lot of different states that are taking matters into their own hands and

making up their own rules”, she said.

And it's not just in America.

The reality is much more bleak for women in other countries around the world. |||||more hopeless||||||||

Holly Crocket from Plan International Australia explained in an interview that in parts of Holly|||||||||||||

Africa and the Middle East, women can't inherit property, may or may not access their |||||||inherit|||||||

own bank accounts, and might not be able to access their own money.

In Saudi Arabia, Women, until VERY recently, were banned from driving, had to wear head-to-toe

black coverings in public, and needed permission from a male guardian to study, travel, or |coverings|||||||||||||

marry.

As for education, according to Malala Yousafzai's organization, The Malala Fund, 130 million |||||Malala|Yousafzai|||||

girls around the world are out of school.

This is a massive barrier for women's rights around the world, explains Holly Crocket.

3.

People of color are marginalized - Black people, who are referred to as “Children of Ham” ||||marginalized||||||||||Noah's son Цветные люди маргинализированы - чернокожие, которых называют "детьми Хама".

in the novel, are relocated to areas known as the national homelands, an area in the ||||moved|||||||homelands||||

Midwest. Midwest

Similar racially segregated homelands were set up during Apartheid in South Africa, and |||segregated territories|||||||||

there are also parallels to America.

Racial tensions within the black community are common, often stemming from altercations |||||||||originating from||altercations

between young black men and police officers.

Social media has caused these incidents to receive widespread attention, which often

exposes a lack of accountability by the arresting officers. exposes|||||||arresting| разоблачает безответственность офицеров, производивших арест.

One example in 2017 was a Minnesota police officer fatally shooting Philando Castile ||||||||fatally||Philando|Castile

during a traffic stop.

A jury later acquitted the officer of all charges. |jury||found not guilty|||||

4.

Christian religious fundamentalism running rampant – When Aunt Lydia is tasked with ||fundamentalism||spreading uncontrollably|||||assigned| Разгул христианского религиозного фундаментализма - Когда тетя Лидия получает задание

brainwashing the new Handmaids, so they will perform their government-ordained duties as brainwashing||||||||||ordained||

they are tasked to, she reads a verse from the bible to them, over and over.

“Blessed are the meek.” Fortunate|||Humble and gentle "Блаженны кроткие".

Offred comments that she never finishes the full verse, which goes “Blessed are the

meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” ||||inherit|| кроткие, ибо они наследуют землю".

Aunt Lydia uses the Bible passage incompletely, and to her own advantage. ||||||incompletely|||||

Much of the opposition rhetoric to homosexuality that exists in the world today is supported ||||||homosexuality|||||||| Большая часть риторики, направленной против гомосексуальности, которая существует в современном мире, поддерживается

by religious passages.

In the case of Christianity, fundamentalists often quote sections of the Bible that oppose |||||fundamentalists||||||||

homosexuality, but then deliberately forget other sections that forbid divorce or the ||||||||forbid|||

consumption of shellfish. ||shellfish

So, though there certainly seems to be some selective religious fundamentalism within

Gilead, that also exists in our world today.

5.

Women made to feel responsible for sexual assault. Женщин заставляют чувствовать себя ответственными за сексуальное насилие.

- In Gilead, women are brainwashed into believing that any sexual assault they have been victim ||||brainwashed||||||||||

of, is their own fault.

That the incident likely occurred as a result of their provocative dressing, or because ||||||||||provocative|||

they acted in way that left the man feeling invited to behave as he wished. |acted|||||||||||||

And in the real world, female survivors of sexual assault are often questioned about

what they were wearing or how much they drank, when the assault took place.

One very public case in the United States was of Brock Turner, the 20-year-old swimmer ||||||||||Brock|Turner||||

convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. |||assaulting|||

The woman, who was 22 year old at the time, was cross-examined by Turner's lawyer about |||||||||||||Turner’s||

her drinking and partying in college.

British newspaper The Guardian reported on the case in 2016, quoting the woman's statement. |||||||||quoting|||

She said, “The sexual assault had been so clear, but instead, here I was at the trial,

answering questions like: ‘How old are you?

How much do you weigh?

What did you eat that day?

Well what did you have for dinner?

Who made dinner?'”

So again some similarities to Gilead, where females are persecuted on the reg. |||||||females|||||regular basis И снова некоторое сходство с Гилеадом, где женщины подвергаются гонениям на регов.

Ultimately, all it took to build Gilead was the silence of those that were tempted to

resist, and the vast expansion of government power.

Is The Handmaid's Tale a work of fiction, or a dramatized story, influenced by the real ||||||||||dramatized|||||

workings of our society?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Also, be sure to check out our other video called The Truth About The Illuminati Revealed! ||||||||||||||Illuminati|

Thanks for watching, and, as always, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

See you next time!