The Banning Of A Handsmaid's Tale
AAG
Forbidden Books
19 March 2021
The Banning of The Handmaid's Tale
“The spectacles women used to make of themselves. Oiling themselves like roast meat on a spit, and bare backs and shoulders, on the street, in public, and legs, not even stockings on them” (Atwood 55) Does this quote arise uncomfort ? Or is it simply a description of the reality as it exists ? While the answers may vary, one thing is certain, the raw portrayal of certain things throughout the book has brought Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, quite a lot of controversy . The book takes place in the gloomy , controlling society put in place in the United States by the government known as Gilead, an extremely conservative “Christian” based government. Here, people are stripped of their rights and the few last fertile women are forced to complete their only “natural” use, which is to provide children . In this society the reader is presented with the main character, Offred, who is struggling with conforming to this new society of gilead while trying to suppress the pain her past has left her with. Unfortunately, Offred, being a handmaid , is forced into the pinnacle of the objectification of women since her only purpose in this imposed regime is to produce children. Through the simple summary ideas can be articulated as to why there are parts which get a little too graphic. While explicit sexual parts may be part of the reason this book attracted controversy, it is not the only reason. Throughout the book Christinaity was portrayed as something oppressive and in a negative light which brought a lot of controversy especially in scholarly settings. While it did bring about lots of controversy in the end it should be a matter of freedom of choice, which would be taken away with a banning.
Ever since it’s release, The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged multiple times. It has been challenged all across the country, from New York, to Iowa, to California. There is one specific case of this book's banning that especially brought a lot of controversy, that case being in San Antonio, Texas, more specifically in the Judson School District. In 2006, a parent brought a complaint to the school board. The complaint? She felt the book placed on her 17 year olds advanced placement class was “sexually explicit and offensive to Christians” (Chrons).The complaint was brought up to the Superintendent Ed Lyman. He agreed on the banning of the book as he believed “the book does not meet community standards” (Chrons), and it was also added that he would not like his own children to read the book. This decision went against the school committee’s decision, which was not to place a ban on the school. Eventually, the committee decided to appeal the decision to the school board. They placed a hearing in which most of the participants were in favor of the unbanning of the book. One of the senior students argued in favor of the unbanning arguing “If we do ban The Handmaid's Tale because of sexual content, then why not ban Huckleberry Finn for racism? Why not ban The Crucible for witchcraft? Why not ban The Things They Carried for violence, and why not ban the Bible and argue separation of church and state?”(Chron). Eventually the school board did vote on a final decision. The final result? A 5-2 vote which led to the unbanning of the book. What content did the book have that would lead to such division inside the Judson School district? And was it really worth both the ban and the unbanning?
It is now no secret that Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, has stirred up quite its controversy throughout the years, but just what is it that makes it so controversial? The answer can vary depending on the reasons for specific controversy and bans. The Judson School District’s banning is a case worth examining. The reason for the banning was its sexually explicit content and its portrayal of Christianity that can be seen as offensive. An example of sexually explicit content is a scene that describes Offred being forced to try and get pregnant. Offred tells us “My skirt is hitched up to my waist, though no higher. Below is the commander f----g” (Atwood 94) . The reason why this quote would raise discomfort in a parent whose child is reading this is no surprise.In another similar part involving sexual activity, the reader is let into the thoughts of Offred, as she tells us about her thoughts during a conversation before the act gets done. She says, “I get paid, you get laid, I rhymed in my head” (262). While of course this is not as graphic as the quote before it, its vulgarity is placed right in the open with no holding back. These two quotes are of course not the only ones, throughout the book we are exposed to these sexually explicit narratives. Now that those are out of the way, which quotes could have been the ones which brought the parents of the 17 year-old to believe this book was offensive to Christians? While the book does portray Christianism in a negative light as it was the basis of the oppressive government in this story, there are still specific quotes that can be found offensive to Christians. On page 194, “What we prayed for was emptiness, so we could be worthy to be filled : with grace, with love, with self-denial, semen and babies”(Atwood). This quote can be considered offensive and even be seen as blasphemy against God. Some would see this as very unchristian, and it is no doubt it's one of the reasons this book can be considered “unchristian”. While these quotes an idea as to why the book would be banned the ultimate question has arisen, Is it deserving of a ban in school settings?
While The Handmaid's Tale does have its controversies, one cannot say its raw sexually explicit scenes and portrayal of Christianity can bring upon its deserving of a ban, but it can be deserving of a potential censorship for minors under 17. One of the ultimate reasons for this being important themes expressed in the novel such as, the dangers of monogamous thought, power of keeping a people uneducated, and the problems of oppression a society to the point self, sexual, and outer identity are non existent. The second reason being while there is a lot of sexual activity throughout the book, it is often portrayed as a natural act which is used to reproduce. It is not something that can be avoided a whole lifetime. All the Handmaid's tale did was put this reality in the fictional world of Offred. The final reason being that although this can be considered offensive to Christians, it still has the right to be read by others. Of course, it is alright to argue against and even refuse to read the book, but one must remember, in order to maintain God’s gift of free will there must be a choice. In true freedom is choice without restriction. As Margaret Artwood said, “A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible” (forward forty). A banning of the book would refuse not only the author the gift of her voice but the potential reader of their freedom.
Many books are often challenged due to the lack of conformity to society and of course, its portrayal of subjects dear to certain readers, as was in the case of The Handmaid's Tale. While it may be seen as very sexually explicit and anti-Christian, it does not provide enough reason to ban and restrict someone's reading choices, of course a potential censorship to younger audiences is advised but not a full on ban. In the end, if some do decide to bring upon a ban on the book it should be on the basis of a democracy and not the decision of just one individual.
Works cited :
ATWOOD, MARGARET. HANDMAID'S TALE. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT, 2021.
Banned Library. “The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.” Banned Library, Banned Library, 4 Mar. 2018, www.bannedlibrary.com/podcast/2017/5/14/banned-96-the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood.
Press, Associated. “San Antonio Area School Board Reverses Ban on Handmaid's Tale.” Chron, Houston Chronicle, 12 Aug. 2011, www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/San-Antonio-area-school-board-reverses-ban-on-1897069.php.
Stav Ziv On 4/28/17 at 1:47 PM EDT, et al. “Challenges and Bans of 'The Handmaid's Tale' Aren't Really Just about Sex or Profanity.” Newsweek, 3 May 2017, www.newsweek.com/challenges-and-bans-handmaids-tale-arent-really-just-about-sex-or-profanity-591907.
Ever since it’s release, The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged multiple times. It has been challenged all across the country, from New York, to Iowa, to California. There is one specific case of this book's banning that especially brought a lot of controversy, that case being in San Antonio, Texas, more specifically in the Judson School District. In 2006, a parent brought a complaint to the school board. The complaint? She felt the book placed on her 17 year olds advanced placement class was “sexually explicit and offensive to Christians” (Chrons).The complaint was brought up to the Superintendent Ed Lyman. He agreed on the banning of the book as he believed “the book does not meet community standards” (Chrons), and it was also added that he would not like his own children to read the book. This decision went against the school committee’s decision, which was not to place a ban on the school. Eventually, the committee decided to appeal the decision to the school board. They placed a hearing in which most of the participants were in favor of the unbanning of the book. One of the senior students argued in favor of the unbanning arguing “If we do ban The Handmaid's Tale because of sexual content, then why not ban Huckleberry Finn for racism? Why not ban The Crucible for witchcraft? Why not ban The Things They Carried for violence, and why not ban the Bible and argue separation of church and state?”(Chron). Eventually the school board did vote on a final decision. The final result? A 5-2 vote which led to the unbanning of the book. What content did the book have that would lead to such division inside the Judson School district? And was it really worth both the ban and the unbanning?
It is now no secret that Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, has stirred up quite its controversy throughout the years, but just what is it that makes it so controversial? The answer can vary depending on the reasons for specific controversy and bans. The Judson School District’s banning is a case worth examining. The reason for the banning was its sexually explicit content and its portrayal of Christianity that can be seen as offensive. An example of sexually explicit content is a scene that describes Offred being forced to try and get pregnant. Offred tells us “My skirt is hitched up to my waist, though no higher. Below is the commander f----g” (Atwood 94) . The reason why this quote would raise discomfort in a parent whose child is reading this is no surprise.In another similar part involving sexual activity, the reader is let into the thoughts of Offred, as she tells us about her thoughts during a conversation before the act gets done. She says, “I get paid, you get laid, I rhymed in my head” (262). While of course this is not as graphic as the quote before it, its vulgarity is placed right in the open with no holding back. These two quotes are of course not the only ones, throughout the book we are exposed to these sexually explicit narratives. Now that those are out of the way, which quotes could have been the ones which brought the parents of the 17 year-old to believe this book was offensive to Christians? While the book does portray Christianism in a negative light as it was the basis of the oppressive government in this story, there are still specific quotes that can be found offensive to Christians. On page 194, “What we prayed for was emptiness, so we could be worthy to be filled : with grace, with love, with self-denial, semen and babies”(Atwood). This quote can be considered offensive and even be seen as blasphemy against God. Some would see this as very unchristian, and it is no doubt it's one of the reasons this book can be considered “unchristian”. While these quotes an idea as to why the book would be banned the ultimate question has arisen, Is it deserving of a ban in school settings?
While The Handmaid's Tale does have its controversies, one cannot say its raw sexually explicit scenes and portrayal of Christianity can bring upon its deserving of a ban, but it can be deserving of a potential censorship for minors under 17. One of the ultimate reasons for this being important themes expressed in the novel such as, the dangers of monogamous thought, power of keeping a people uneducated, and the problems of oppression a society to the point self, sexual, and outer identity are non existent. The second reason being while there is a lot of sexual activity throughout the book, it is often portrayed as a natural act which is used to reproduce. It is not something that can be avoided a whole lifetime. All the Handmaid's tale did was put this reality in the fictional world of Offred. The final reason being that although this can be considered offensive to Christians, it still has the right to be read by others. Of course, it is alright to argue against and even refuse to read the book, but one must remember, in order to maintain God’s gift of free will there must be a choice. In true freedom is choice without restriction. As Margaret Artwood said, “A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible” (forward forty). A banning of the book would refuse not only the author the gift of her voice but the potential reader of their freedom.
Many books are often challenged due to the lack of conformity to society and of course, its portrayal of subjects dear to certain readers, as was in the case of The Handmaid's Tale. While it may be seen as very sexually explicit and anti-Christian, it does not provide enough reason to ban and restrict someone's reading choices, of course a potential censorship to younger audiences is advised but not a full on ban. In the end, if some do decide to bring upon a ban on the book it should be on the basis of a democracy and not the decision of just one individual.
Works cited :
ATWOOD, MARGARET. HANDMAID'S TALE. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT, 2021.
Banned Library. “The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.” Banned Library, Banned Library, 4 Mar. 2018, www.bannedlibrary.com/podcast/2017/5/14/banned-96-the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood.
Press, Associated. “San Antonio Area School Board Reverses Ban on Handmaid's Tale.” Chron, Houston Chronicle, 12 Aug. 2011, www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/San-Antonio-area-school-board-reverses-ban-on-1897069.php.
Stav Ziv On 4/28/17 at 1:47 PM EDT, et al. “Challenges and Bans of 'The Handmaid's Tale' Aren't Really Just about Sex or Profanity.” Newsweek, 3 May 2017, www.newsweek.com/challenges-and-bans-handmaids-tale-arent-really-just-about-sex-or-profanity-591907.
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