The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical Scholarship
This article offers a close reading of Atwood’s famous novel from the perspective of biblical scholarship. Anyone who reads The Handmaid’s Tale will readily notice how strongly biblical texts inform the narrative and the fictional world of Gilead. This relationship begins with Genesis 30:1–3, which...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Karl Franzens Universität Graz
2024-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal for Religion, Film and Media |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubg:4-49764 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850157924830150656 |
|---|---|
| author | Hartenstein, Friedhelm |
| author_facet | Hartenstein, Friedhelm |
| author_sort | Hartenstein, Friedhelm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article offers a close reading of Atwood’s famous novel from the perspective of biblical scholarship. Anyone who reads The Handmaid’s Tale will readily notice how strongly biblical texts inform the narrative and the fictional world of Gilead. This relationship begins with Genesis 30:1–3, which appears as an epigraph. Religion in all its complexity is a cornerstone of the novel. The article looks at its threefold use of religion: as a biblically based foundation of the ideology and power structures of Gilead, as an anthropological foil for the leitmotif of seeing and being seen in Offred’s story, and as a point of departure and reference for the main character’s personal reflections. The article limits itself to observations based on the novel as first published in 1985. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d1c8e2b785314263954b9fb0ef72ee2a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2414-0201 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Karl Franzens Universität Graz |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal for Religion, Film and Media |
| spelling | doaj-art-d1c8e2b785314263954b9fb0ef72ee2a2025-08-20T02:24:01ZengKarl Franzens Universität GrazJournal for Religion, Film and Media2414-02012024-04-01Jahrgang 10 (2024)Heft 1254610.25364/05.10:2024.1.2AC17180062The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical ScholarshipHartenstein, FriedhelmThis article offers a close reading of Atwood’s famous novel from the perspective of biblical scholarship. Anyone who reads The Handmaid’s Tale will readily notice how strongly biblical texts inform the narrative and the fictional world of Gilead. This relationship begins with Genesis 30:1–3, which appears as an epigraph. Religion in all its complexity is a cornerstone of the novel. The article looks at its threefold use of religion: as a biblically based foundation of the ideology and power structures of Gilead, as an anthropological foil for the leitmotif of seeing and being seen in Offred’s story, and as a point of departure and reference for the main character’s personal reflections. The article limits itself to observations based on the novel as first published in 1985.https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubg:4-49764the handmaid´s talerelgionmargaret atwoodbibleold testamentpower and reproduction |
| spellingShingle | Hartenstein, Friedhelm The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical Scholarship Journal for Religion, Film and Media the handmaid´s tale relgion margaret atwood bible old testament power and reproduction |
| title | The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical Scholarship |
| title_full | The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical Scholarship |
| title_fullStr | The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical Scholarship |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical Scholarship |
| title_short | The Bible, Religion, and Power in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale A Close Reading from the Perspective of Biblical Scholarship |
| title_sort | bible religion and power in margaret atwood s the handmaid s tale a close reading from the perspective of biblical scholarship |
| topic | the handmaid´s tale relgion margaret atwood bible old testament power and reproduction |
| url | https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubg:4-49764 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hartensteinfriedhelm thebiblereligionandpowerinmargaretatwoodsthehandmaidstaleaclosereadingfromtheperspectiveofbiblicalscholarship AT hartensteinfriedhelm biblereligionandpowerinmargaretatwoodsthehandmaidstaleaclosereadingfromtheperspectiveofbiblicalscholarship |