The novel, The Handmaid's Tale, written by Margaret Atwood exaggerates and embellishes the stereotypical roles of men and women. Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet, writer and activist. Many of her books include some form of feminism and her protagonists are often women with few rights. The novel is set in the futuristic United States, renamed the Republic of Gilead. The idea of ​​right and choice has been almost completely destroyed. People have been brainwashed to do whatever the government tells them. Three main themes in the novel are feminism, gender conflict and sexuality. Feminism plays a significant role in the novel. Throughout the novel, Offred has flashbacks to her best friend Moira. Moira is rebellious and her ideas make Offred think about the role of women in the community compared to what they once were. The women are taken to a training facility before becoming official handmaids. At the center, they learn how they should act and perform for the commander and his wife. A certain number of women work in every family to perform the stereotypical functions of what was once a woman. Handmaids are not allowed to speak to the commander, his wife, or other handmaids unless there has been a birth or they use appropriate greetings and farewells. The handmaids can only say, “Blessed be the fruit” and “May the Lord open” (Atwood 19). “Blessed be the fruit” refers to a biblical prayer that contains “blessed is the fruit of your womb.” The main task of the handmaids is to reproduce. Many times, especially with older commanders, handmaids are unable to reproduce because one of the two is infertile. However, the commanders are never blamed for this misfortune; it's always han's fault......middle of paper......she's not fertile and really wants to have a child. At this point, the Commander and Offred have performed many ceremonies and Offred has yet to become pregnant. Overall, the novel is about conflicts between men and women. Most men have power and most women don't. Men know that to have a better life, women must have a worse life. It's an abusive relationship, and Gilead's fear of sexuality later tears her down. Feminism engulfs the entire book, with something new mentioned on every page. Before the regime, Offred's mother was a feminist. He attended marches and other activist events. Offred was embarrassed by her mother and was going to ask her to stop. She later learned that her mother was marching for her rights, which were later taken away from her by the regime. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986. Print.