The Handmaid's Tale Vs. To Kill a Mockingbird

So when I elected to write this piece for Associated Content, little did I know how difficult it would be to select a favorite fictional novel. I was able, after much consideration, to narrow it down to two novels; however, I found that I could not, in good faith, make one first, while the other became a second place by a mere smidgeon of an inch.

To Kill a Mockingbird was written by (Nell) Harper Lee in 1960 and won the Pulitzer Prize, and was an instant hit, at least in the United States. The plot and characters are loosely based upon Ms. Lee's own biography - namely, her family and the town that she grew up in in the deep south during the 1930's. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama over the course of three years during the Great Depression and is told in the voice of 6-year Scout Finch, a young girl that is growing up with an older brother (Gem), her father (Atticus) and Calpurnia, the black woman that takes care of the home and the children while Atticus is working as a lawyer. Gem and Scout befriend a young boy named Dill (loosely based upon Lee's friend Truman Capote - yes of In Cold Blood fame), who lives there during the summers, and the children have a healthy fear of their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley, whom they never see. The story perhaps comes to a head when Atticus is appointed to represent Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping Mayella. Atticus agrees and represents Tom to the best of his ability, although this makes him unpopular in the white society that comprised Maycomb.

This book was important to me for a number of reasons. Firstly, I think that it is brilliantly written. Harper Lee somehow was able to keep Scout's voice as a child's voice but also managed to imbue her with adult insights; she was very perceptive and as such, taught us a lot about the points that Lee was trying to make. This is not an easy task to do and Harper Lee did it masterfully. Secondly, Atticus is a character that I hold up as a model in my work as a lawyer and, specifically, as a public defender. He took his job seriously and did it professionally, morally, ethically and well, in spite of its making him unpopular. Atticus exemplified compassion and professionalism and everything a lawyer should be and his character motivated me and continues to motivate me.

The Handmaid's Tale was written by Margaret Atwood and was published in 1985. It is a dystopian novel set in the not so distant future (we don't know the exact dates, but we do know that it is fairly soon) and in which a totalitarian theocracy has taken over the United States government. The regime was instituted by the Sons of Jacob after they staged a terrorist attack in which the President is killed. They oust Congress and take over the government, suspending the Constitution under the guise of restoring order. They freeze the assets of all women and other undesirables and then institute a new society based upon strict constructions of the Old Testament. The story is told from the viewpoint of Offred ("of Fred" literally is her name, symbolizing that she serves a man named Fred). Offred is a handmaid - a class of woman that are concubines that serve as "breeders" literally for the ruling class. The handmaids exist to reproduce for the families that they serve. Offred participates in the monthly ceremony by which she is expected to get pregnant; however Fred's wife manages to arrange elicit meetings between Offred and Nick in the hopes that Offred will conceive because all believe that Fred is sterile.

This book had a tremendous impact on me. The themes of human sexuality and gender were particularly powerful. In Gilead, sex existed only for reproductive means, not to enhance a relationship or show love and certainly not for pleasure. It was highly regulated. As far as the gender roles, women were obviously treated as the possessions of men in both the pre-totalitarian state and more egregiously so in the post-Totalitarian state. Men controlled everything about women from their bodies and their reproduction to their brains, money and education (or lack of it). Women were non-humans and non-entities. I admired Atwood for writing this novel and demonstrating the backlash against feminism. It was a completely extreme novel yes, but Atwood was attempting to combat the extreme right and as such, opted to fight extremism with extremism. It was gutsy and strong and she put it out there, knowing that she might be criticized heavily for it, and that was admirable and inspiring to me. She wasn't afraid to write something that showed her opinion and gave a critique of something.

These books aren't for everyone but I hope that you will at least give them a shot.