User:Nicoleistiphan/sandbox

'''The Ambiguity of Genres

Below is just an excerpt of one of my favourite papers I wrote in undergrad about the renowned novel The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Throughout the essay, I explore and discuss the idea of the ambiguity of genres in literature.'''

Oftentimes, literature depicts and critiques society and its issues, whether it is the past, present or future. Even the literature that is classified as fiction or history is still very relevant in present society. There are themes in these works that remain consistent throughout the centuries. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred is a woman who is oppressed and her body is used only for fertility. She has no freedom in Gilead and is controlled by a man, also referred to as “The Commander.” The novel was published in 1985 and focuses on a historical past. However, Atwood is critiquing on how present these problems are in the society of 1985. Furthermore, her novel is classified, as fiction and dystopian literature, even though the issues regarding female oppression and the dehumanizing and unpleasant society displayed in her work are a reality. Throughout this essay, I will explore and discuss how certain themes demonstrated in Atwood’s novel are still applicable in other works of literature as well as in present day society.