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, Gilead’s leaders use violence and surveillance to maintain authority over all citizens who do not bear governmental power. Gilead’s secret police, infamously called “The Eyes” constantly patrol the streets to maintain compliance, displaying how punishments and public executions are used as an intimidation technique. Offred’s own experiences as a Handmaid highlight this fear of punishment like following Gilead’s 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 “The Eyes of God,” and fear of being hanged to “The Wall,” mirror somewhat similar issues of surveillance in modern-day society. “The Eyes of God” 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 “The Eyes” and sentenced to death to “The Wall”. “The Wall” 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 Gilead’s oppressive society. This behaviour of state surveillance and public punishment, such as extreme monitoring and censorship is found in countries such as China, where individuals are constantly being recorded under surveillance, online activity is tracked and logged, and citizens are commonly publicly shamed for critizing the Chinese government. Mirroring the Chinese government actions, 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 Gilead’s commanders and military generals mirror in the TV show. She said, “People in power want to stay in power” (Atwood) 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, Gilead’s oppressive methods might be fictional, but they include real-world issues that persist today.
