Reproduction Rights in the Handmaid's Tale an Analysis of Science Fiction Literature as a Critique and a Reflection of the Socio-Political Climate

Abstract

As the very title suggests, in this thesis I will aim to provide a brief analysis of the science fiction genre as a critique and reflection of the socio-political climate. Namely, I will base my analysis on the events mainly surrounding the notion of reproductive rights of women present in Margaret Atwood's novel titled The Handmaid's Tale. The choice of a novel is such because The Handmaid's Tale could easily be regarded as one of the most applicable political critiques and most relatable reflections of a socio-political climate regardless of the time and place in which it is analyzed or to which it is compared. This extensive account of a society plagued by restrictions where women's reproductive rights seem to be completely absent proves to be an excellent ground for exploring socio-political inequality present in various times and places regarding women, but also all the people. Aside from drawing parallels with some current events that eerily seem to correspond to the events of the novel, I will also provide an analysis on three different levels: 1. An analysis of the notion of reproductive rights in a literal sense, 2. Reproductive rights as an allegorical representation of the Marxist theory of (social) reproduction, 3. Reproductive rights as a reflection of the ‘dominant male-submissive female’ dynamics and the influence of that dynamics on other societal structures, explored through the concept of Jineolog