Significance of surveillance in The Handmaid’s Tale
Introduction In Atwood’s 1983 speculative novel, the use of surveillance denotes the
dystopian nature of Gilead, implementing control and distance from the
self over its surveilled citizens and quashing rebellion through the constant
presence of a persecutory Panopticon. In this way, the motif of the eye is
ever present throughout Atwood’s novel in the same way that surveilling
forces are throughout Gilead and the dictatorships from which it is derived.
1: Control Quotes: “she is my spy as I am hers”, “see things with even their [the
Marthas] eyes averted”, this internal surveillance is “lateral” (Hinchfield)
“there was no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any
es
given moment” (1984)
The Handmaids and citizens of Gilead are controlled by internal tensions
and hegemonies. By gaining some power from lateral surveillance,
ot
citizens feel to some extent empowered by this oppression. This dual
surveillance is best embodied through doubling motifs, when Ofglen and
Offred oppress each other via their gaze, and therefore Offred cannot join
en
in on Mayday’s efforts due to this parallel surveillance. The Marthas are a
perfect embodiment of this as they voice their hatred for women above
and below them in the power hierarchy, yet spend their time waiting for
ur
snatches of information in order to climb up this hierarchy. Foucault’s
assertion that the key ingredient to discipline is oversight. Telescreens in
1984 watched the internal goings-on of households. When there is a lack
at
of surveillance, i.e. a “power failure” in Chapter 40, Offred feels safer in
the darkness, where her action cannot be judged, and the power here also
fails because control is lost.
er
2: Distance “Unconscious imprisoning of ourselves by ourselves” (Latterer), “Visibility
from the self is a trap” (Foucault), “to be seen is to be penetrated”, “what I must present
lit
is something made”. “She's like my reflection… a mirror from which I am
moving away” “You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman”
el
(Atwood)
Offred is constantly mechanised through the motifs of a doll or objectified
ev
by images of a shape. Therefore the self is rendered less human by the
gaze of surveillance and Offred must compose an external facade in order
to be seen as acceptable to the state of Gilead. Language itself becomes
al
foreign as they must recite set phrases, and those who express outside of
the set expressions (Moira, Ofglen) are punished. Therefore, Offred
doesn't share her name, but narratively she also has to make sure she
cannot be identified, so the effect is lasting. Her visits to the doctor
seperate her into torso and mind, which draws a parallel to Romanian
medical surveillance under decree 770. The self becomes self-disciplining
due to the panopticon of surveillance which renders one in constant fear
of retaliation.
Introduction In Atwood’s 1983 speculative novel, the use of surveillance denotes the
dystopian nature of Gilead, implementing control and distance from the
self over its surveilled citizens and quashing rebellion through the constant
presence of a persecutory Panopticon. In this way, the motif of the eye is
ever present throughout Atwood’s novel in the same way that surveilling
forces are throughout Gilead and the dictatorships from which it is derived.
1: Control Quotes: “she is my spy as I am hers”, “see things with even their [the
Marthas] eyes averted”, this internal surveillance is “lateral” (Hinchfield)
“there was no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any
es
given moment” (1984)
The Handmaids and citizens of Gilead are controlled by internal tensions
and hegemonies. By gaining some power from lateral surveillance,
ot
citizens feel to some extent empowered by this oppression. This dual
surveillance is best embodied through doubling motifs, when Ofglen and
Offred oppress each other via their gaze, and therefore Offred cannot join
en
in on Mayday’s efforts due to this parallel surveillance. The Marthas are a
perfect embodiment of this as they voice their hatred for women above
and below them in the power hierarchy, yet spend their time waiting for
ur
snatches of information in order to climb up this hierarchy. Foucault’s
assertion that the key ingredient to discipline is oversight. Telescreens in
1984 watched the internal goings-on of households. When there is a lack
at
of surveillance, i.e. a “power failure” in Chapter 40, Offred feels safer in
the darkness, where her action cannot be judged, and the power here also
fails because control is lost.
er
2: Distance “Unconscious imprisoning of ourselves by ourselves” (Latterer), “Visibility
from the self is a trap” (Foucault), “to be seen is to be penetrated”, “what I must present
lit
is something made”. “She's like my reflection… a mirror from which I am
moving away” “You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman”
el
(Atwood)
Offred is constantly mechanised through the motifs of a doll or objectified
ev
by images of a shape. Therefore the self is rendered less human by the
gaze of surveillance and Offred must compose an external facade in order
to be seen as acceptable to the state of Gilead. Language itself becomes
al
foreign as they must recite set phrases, and those who express outside of
the set expressions (Moira, Ofglen) are punished. Therefore, Offred
doesn't share her name, but narratively she also has to make sure she
cannot be identified, so the effect is lasting. Her visits to the doctor
seperate her into torso and mind, which draws a parallel to Romanian
medical surveillance under decree 770. The self becomes self-disciplining
due to the panopticon of surveillance which renders one in constant fear
of retaliation.
