Sexual Violence as a Way to Make Gain Power and Control
Critically, both texts link to Parsons' functionalist view of the family that men have an ‘instrumental role’ as the breadwinner whereas women have an ‘expressive role’ as the caretaker of the family. Although this ideology can be linked to both texts, the extent to which it relates in both texts varies. For example, both novels, The Handmaid’s Tale and A Thousand Splendid Suns present a patriarchal view that men are always in power and control. Atwood challenges the idea that these women are only being able to ‘express’ their role to a certain extent where their only job is to give men the sexual satisfaction and the excitement of starting a family. Although, the men are still stripping the identity of these women.
Atwood presents the character of Offred as a woman who is oppressed by men and is kept down by unjust force by the commander and the regime. Ideas related to restricted freedom for all women in the text are important but Offred’s narrative is specific to her life experience. The definite article in the title emphasizes that it’s a lifestyle of a specific Handmaid which Offred is representing through her narrative as a Handmaid which is further illustrated when she states “my name isn’t Offred, I have another name which nobody uses now because it’s forbidden”. The fact that ‘Offred’ is a ‘handmaid’ with the given name of “Offred” in the title is Atwood’s way of reminding the reader that since the start of time women have been perceived as inferior to men. Simply because she is ‘Of Fred’ indicating her existence is a permanent reminder that she is a man’s property. This is perhaps a biblical reference to ‘Adam and Eve’ because Eve was made from Adam’s ribs as written in the bible: “God took a rib from Adam’s side and made a woman.” However, feminist theorist Elaine Storkey disagrees with this idea of women being created from a man’s rib, arguing that “both male and female were made from the same material”. By not giving the women a name of their own highlights how Atwood feels that women’s identity did not matter in the 1980s and still doesn’t today. Equally, stories such as ‘The Merchant’s Tale’ are significant as it links in to what Atwood is trying to communicate to the reader, that these women are writing about their personal victory and that their story counts just like the men's.
Even though many of these stories just focused on the men it still shows that a voice of a female still matters. This is further supported by the quote “I tell myself it doesn’t matter… but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter.” The phrase “it does matter” clearly implies that Atwood is intentionally giving Offred a voice, suggesting that women know their minds and have the ability to think. The religious imagery linked to the Garden of Eden is created by the word “forbidden” which proposes that these women were not allowed to have an identity. Also, the short but powerful phrase “It does matter” presents the mental battle that Offred is facing, and how she is only gaining power in society by accepting her position as a sexual instrument and the simple fact that she is nothing more than a child-rearing machine. This links to Attwood’s context because the battle is real for her. Atwood states that “Offred’s past is our now” because of how women’s identities didn’t matter in the 1980s and unfortunately still do not in parts of the world today. In western countries, men are still dominating while women are restricted from doing many things such as employment and education. Regretfully, this can be still seen in today’s society where once a woman is married she has to take the name of her husband. But, if it was the other way around then it would seem unusual.
Similarly, in A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini portrays Rasheed as a patriarch who believes men should be the ones who protect the pride and honor of the family. In this case, women are therefore powerless, like the Handmaids. Unlike The Handmaid’s Tale, which is a first-person narrative using flashbacks, Hosseini adopts a third-person perspective which is completely different to The Handmaid's Tale. In Atwood’s novel, we connect with Offred more, as her narrative is personal and relatable to women whereas in Hosseini’s novel, an omniscient narrator tells the story for its own sake. Unlike the definite article in the first novel, the use of the indefinite article ‘A’ in ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ presents that there is no meaning behind Mariam’s life because ‘A’ promotes the idea of many and not a specific person. Simply, this allows the reader to see that Hosseini’s intentional title name is to express the fact that there are many women who have a similar story and not just one. As well as this, the writer’s use of sibilance within the title ‘Splendid Suns’ is a connotation of positivity but not the most appropriate term to describe Mariam’s life as it is a contrast. Hosseini has created events for Mariam that are a contradiction to the title as she faces difficulty living as a woman who is controlled by her husband. The writer effectively includes this through the dialogue when Rasheed says to Laila “I am your husband now, and it falls on me to guard not only your honor but ours.” Clearly, this can be interpreted from Parson’s Functionalist perspective, however, Hosseini does not just present Rasheed as a ‘breadwinner’. The phrase ‘guarding honour’ is significant because Rasheed represents a typical Afghani man whose main role is not just to put food on the table but puts family honor and respect above everything else.
Sex plays a major part in both novels. Both writers demonstrate the power of sex by making it a key theme in their stories. However, it is pleasurable for men but not for women because they are controlled by men’s sexual desires and need to have children. Atwood challenges this idea by making Offred watch old pornographic films where women are sexually abused. Evidently, this is presented through when Offred says “she showed me an old porno film. Women kneeling, sucking penises or guns” revealing this idea that the body of women is a tool to play with. Atwood unveils that sex has no value or emotion attached to it through these inhuman acts such as “sucking or “kneeling.” Additionally, a reference to this is when the Commander says to Offred “you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.” This everyday reference to cooking is a metaphor that illustrates how the Commander is reminding Offred of her duties that her sole purpose is to be inseminated by him and bear him a child which displays how men control women’s bodies in Gilead. The “egg” symbolizes birth and fertility and this solid reminder that their virginity is breaking just like how an “egg” breaks once cracked. The reader would feel that these women’s bodies are being used as sexual instruments as they are treated as nothing more than a set of ovaries and a womb.
In the same way, in A Thousand Splendid Suns Hosseini extends the sexual control men have when Rasheed “slid under the blanket beside her” suggesting that Rasheed is using Mariam as an inanimate object. The sneaky verb ‘slid’ reveals Rasheed as a snake-like character as he is reducing these females to objects of pleasure and giving them severe punishment. Hosseini creates tension for the reader when the forceful character of Rasheed insists that his wife accepts the cultural duties of being an honorable wife which unfortunately means having unwanted sex to appease him.
Although we don’t know who the narrator is, the third-person perspective is quite factual which makes the sexual contact between husband and wife as being a cold, cringing, and unnatural experience. Hosseini displays this when Mariam “lets out a whimper” suggesting that he is being aggressive and causing her extreme pain. The writer’s effective verb of “whimper” creates this sense that these women are expressing their fear and pain as this is the only way to gain some freedom in their life. Ultimately, the writer proposes this functionalist idea of the family “where the working man can return and be de-stressed by his wife” which means that it is expected for a man to have sexual gratification from his wife. Unfortunately, this just highlights Mariam’s life because the writer is forcefully reshaping her female identity as someone who is forced to take care of her husband’s needs before hers.
The writers of both novels convey their attitudes to the sexual violence that women face at the hands of men. Sex and violence are two ways in which men dominate and overpower women. In both novels, violence against women is a prominent theme; another reason male control is made stronger. Atwood shows the reader that men objectify women and view women as a tool to play with. For example, Hosseini intentionally brings to our attention that men’s violence against women has no boundaries and doesn’t just stop at rape. This is evident when Rasheed physically “shoved two fingers into her mouth and pried it open then forced the cold, hard pebbles into It.” because he is angry at Mariam’s miscarriage and blames her. The writer creates a brutal image for the reader that emphasizes the danger that women face in violent relationships. This event foreshadows his own death at the end of the novel as the writer conveys how much can women take after mentally and brutally being tortured. This disturbing action of “shove” is the writer’s way of reminding the reader that these men only commit such type of behavior only to receive this name in society. Alternatively, it is clear that he is providing Mariam with several punishments as she did not give him this traditional family with a child. Critics such as Natasha Walter emphasize this by saying that “Mariam’s miscarriage becomes a prison.” suggesting that she is not considered as a human being until she has given birth to babies.
Arguably, in Atwood’s novel, sex and violence are apparent in the central institution of the novel. Critics such as Slonczewski sympathize with this idea by saying that “they are raped all for the sake of bringing new life into the world.” symbolizing that their fertility and motherhood can be exploited. An example of this is shown at the ceremony where the Handmaids are pressured to have sex with their commanders reducing them to objects of pleasure. This is further illustrated through the appearance of Offred as it foreshadows her actions of having sex with commanders. Atwood, especially explains the symbolism when Offred says “the color of blood, which defines us” but there is more to it than just that. The jarring use of the term “blood” symbolizes the harsh reality of Offred’s life, how she is only made to reproduce babies as “blood” associates with the menstrual cycle and womb. Elements of political and social protest writing agree with this idea that “women wear a color that identifies who they are”. Therefore, the repeated reference to the color “red” allows us as readers to see that she is part of an army of women who wear the same uniform which is a symbol of oppression. Ironically, “red” is a sign of danger yet a perfect term to describe lust and overpowering passion. Importantly, it creates this dystopian image in the reader's mind as the functions of these handmaids are ignored they belong to the commanders and their lives are not their own.
However, this sexual violence isn’t just shown through protagonists. Atwood explores this idea of sexual violence through the dystopian setting of Gilead. Certainly, Gilead is presented as a place where sexual activity was permitted but as a way to keep people in control. The writer demonstrates this idea when Gilead is used as a place where “the screams and grunts and shrieks of what it is supposed to be either extreme pain or pleasure.” Simply, the writer’s use of the violent verb “scream” is suggesting the pain during sexual activities as a tool to stop people from doing this. Atwood’s aim is to allow the readers to see that this is unpleasant and it shouldn’t be done.
In both texts, women are brainwashed into being only domestic goddesses only to be good at domestic labor; this is deliberate to challenge the gender roles that men have created to continue the patriarchal society. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood exposes the harsh reality that women are being forced to leave their families behind and become handmaids. This is portrayed through antagonists such as the aunts because even they have accepted the fact that they are only here to produce babies for the commander and his wife. An example of this is presented when aunt Lydia says “Give me children or else I die.” and then further explains “There’s more than one meaning to it.” Intentionally, Atwood presents Aunt Lydia’s acts as a form of propaganda for Gilead because she is constantly telling Offred that she is valueless or worthless if she doesn’t fertile and produces babies. The repeated use of “children” suggests that it is a duty to fulfill and is prominent to them. Equally, in chapter 13 Offred refers to her body as a device where she says “I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation.” Regretfully, this is a sad reality for the readers because there is no hope and lightness for these women as they are forced to accept that they have no value and their hierarchy in society is below everyone else.
Similarly, Hosseini illustrates this idea of domestic labor where the women are also persuaded to believe that their position in society is not as superior as the men. Hosseini focuses on this idea more when the character of ‘Nana’ is preparing her daughter to expect nothing less than abuse from men. From the offset of the novel, ‘nana’ gives this powerful reminder to Mariam that “Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that.” Hosseini’s use of the simile ‘Like a compass needle’ suggests that women are the scapegoat for men in which they have to take full responsibility of any dilemma presented and face the consequences by men. The writer uses cruel phrases such as a ‘needle’ which already foreshadows Mariam’s future of only being tortured by her husband Rasheed. Hosseini promotes this idea that these women are going through severe pain as they are not only physically attacked by men but mentally by women. This is due to Mariam's mother giving her daily reminders on the reality of life to warn her on what lies ahead in the future.
To conclude, both novels take advantage of sexual violence as a way to make characters gain their power and control. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini uses the power of a family to strip a female's identity whereas in Atwood’s novel females are controlled through the power of a regime. Nevertheless, both writers use these characters as a way of giving these women their freedom. This is referenced in Hosseini’s interview when he stated that “the women in Afghanistan had begun to speak for themselves” suggesting that they are giving their own justice. This is probably why Hosseini ensures that at the end of the novel in A Thousand Splendid Suns Mariam kills Rasheed as the writer wants to communicate to the reader this is the only way for them to let out their emotions. From a modern readers perspective, Atwood’s novel impacts the most because Offred’s freedom is completely restricted as from the start of the novel she is already given the title ‘Of Fred’ symbolizing that she is forever a man’s property which still can be seen in today's society where women take the name of their husband once they are married.
