2020 IB Extended Essays

different cultural backgrounds: El-Saadawi is an Islamic, Egyptian woman and Atwood, a Caucasian, Canadian. In order for the works to operate more effectively as agents of change within their respective cultures, the novelists incorporate vastly different representations of similar motifs to communicate their beliefs. Aforementioned, the focal representations of religion, sex and political ideology that contribute to the purposeful storytelling are the depiction of theocracy within the societies; the portrayal of the respective Islam and Puritanism religions and the representation of sex and marriage. 2.0 The representation of religion The representation of religion and religious leaders in both novels is pivotal to the plot and serve as the rationalisation that underpin the social structure of the societies. In both novels, Islam and Puritanism, respectively, are all-pervasive and correspond to the oppression of the protagonist. In The Handmaid’s Tale , Atwood provides a ubiquitous reminder that those in power act on the authority of the Bible and that religion is a fundamental part of the success of their society, through the intertwinement of terminology such as the daily salutation of “blessed day”. The irony of this, however, is that in Gilead, other than as a tool of oppression, God virtually plays no other part for the inhabitants The family bible is read once a month by the male figurehead and the only other worship channel is the computerised prayer scripting. A lack of profound religious action in the novel, suggest that religion itself is not entirely negative, but when used to oppress it becomes a tool to restrict and manipulate. Moreover, Atwood also highlights that Gilead’s elite are not truly religious. By the conclusion of the novel the primary example of authority, Commander Waterford, participates in non-marital sex, visits Jezebel illicitly and distributes a prohibited magazine, all of which are in violation of his doctrine. This hypocrisy highlights that those in authority are simply appropriating religion and using it to manipulate others into believing and behaving in ways that grant them power. Atwood, herself has said that The Handmaid’s

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