Control and Conformity
Fear is the most powerful tool used by Gilead as a part of their manipulation tactics to stay in control. In the TV show, the government uses violence and surveillance to maintain authority. Gileadâs secret police, infamously called âThe Eyesâ constantly patrol the streets to maintain compliance, displaying how punishments and public executions are used as an intimidation technique. Offredâs own experiences as a Handmaid highlight this fear of punishment like following Gileadâs harsh laws or failing to comply in general.
Citizens of Gilead are under constant surveillance and are subject to harsh punishments for disobedient behavior for the government to remain in complete control. Similar ideas, such as harsh military surveillance such as in âThe Eyes of God,â and fear of being hanged to âThe Wall,â mirror somewhat similar issues of surveillance in modern-day society. âThe Eyes of Godâ are sworn-in spies in Gilead who enforce the rules of the government. The citizens of Gilead fear the government as they could be turned in by one of âThe Eyesâ and sentenced to death to âThe Wallâ. âThe Wallâ is used as another tactic to keep the country in constant fear, as if one of them misbehaves, they are used as an example to the rest of the country. The tactics used by the military such as the wall being used to create constant fear ultimately keep the higher-up officials in absolute control. Fear keeps the community from going out of line and fighting back, exemplified in Gileadâs oppressive society. Rooted through uncertainty and perfectionism, Gilead utilized fear as a tool to keep control despite the harsh environment it put the country through.
In one of her articles, Atwood discussed how modern political leaders often will use fear and insecurity to gain power and control over the population, much like how Gileadâs commanders and military generals mirror in the TV show. She said, âPeople in power want to stay in powerâ (Atwood, Battle Between Action and Belief) in this interview she added that the people in power will use any tool they have, including fear and surveillance to remain in control. This idea can be seen in our current global political climate, where governments are using fear and surveillance more and more to control civilizations. Moreover, Gileadâs oppressive methods might be fictional, but they include real-world issues that persist today.
