Constructs of Gender Identity in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and The Testament (KEY IJP************518)

• Garima Yadav

Abstract

The novels The Handmaids Tale and The Testament presented a society where hegemony influenced the status of women in the society. Their roles were remodeled and redefined. Religious fanatics took strict measures to ensure obedience from women of all classes and men of lower in social rank. The novels by Margaret Atwood is important are important in understanding how the social conventions impact the identity of an individual.The novels present the influence of globalization, economic activities, religious beliefs and tyranny upon the gender. The study of these novels in the light of theories proposed by Engels in The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, Judith Butler in The Theory of Performative Acts and Connells Masculinities intends to understand the psychological and social factors which contribute to its framing and performance. The study wants to understand the factors behind the changes in the social norms which affect the identities.