The Testaments by Margaret Atwood was one of the most highly anticipated novels of the year, serving as a direct sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. It follows three narrators whose accounts weave together the demise of Gilead, the fictional region from the first novel, and are used to flesh out the insidious world built by Atwood.
the Handmaid’s Tale is a classic in dystopian literature, said by its author to be speculative fiction rather than science fiction. Atwood drew only from actual events in human history to create the atrocities that occur at the hands of the Republic of Gilead’s religious, totalitarian government. This further permeates the chilling realization that events from the story have happened before, and they could happen again.
The system forces women into servitude in every way imaginable. Under Gilead rule, women are assigned segregated roles in society, and those of child-bearing age are designated as Handmaids who undergo ritualized rape to bear children to high-class families.
Launching from this is The Testaments, following Aunt Lydia, a character from the first book who’s responsible for indoctrinating Handmaids; Daisy, a Canadian teenager who witnesses anti-Gilead protests; and Agnes, a well-to-do Gilead teenager. Rather than focusing on the inward, subtle acts of resistance by Gilead women, The Testament shifts its attention to the louder, larger idea of rebellion. Mayday, an organization that smuggles Gilead women into Canada, is in full effect, and there are many familiar characters who have their hands in it.
The sequel, although well-written, most likely won’t be heralded like its predecessor. It’s captivating, wielding three different plotlines that feel natural when they intertwine, but it falls flat in that it lacks the mystery of the first novel. ***The Testaments spells out the inner workings of Gilead rather plainly whereas readers were previously thrust into a world shrouded with mystery, seen through the eyes of Offred. Knowledge is power, and her world was dismally claustrophobic, equally as confusing to us as it was for her. The plot twists are predictable with prior knowledge from The Handmaid’s Tale, lessening the impact of the ending despite how satisfying it is.
Furthermore, Offred’s relatability as a protagonist isn’t replicated in The Testament. The narratives offer a glimpse into the mind of a villain in Aunt Lydia and otherwise entertains us with the perspective of two young, immature adults. It makes for an intriguing plot line, but it fails to confront readers with the possibility that the protagonists could be anyone. Offred wasn’t an outright hero. She wasn’t a feminist activist like her mother nor was she outspoken and brash like her friend Moira. She was an average woman who remained anonymous throughout the entirety of the novel, never openly resisting the Gilead regime. However, all three of The Testament’s characters are significant to the corrupt government system, reducing the powerful connection that readers had to characters of the first novel.
The Handmaid’s Tale was written in 1985 during a heated period of feminist movement involving campaigns and political progress toward the recognition of women’s rights. It served as a foreboding warning against allowing the opposition to gain traction. Similarly The Testaments feels relevant amidst current worldwide tensions.
The United States is witnessing an impeachment inquiry against a president who glorifies traditional values and publicly shares misogynistic views on online platforms. Furthermore, although North Korea is frequently discussed in regards to its nuclear readiness, less focus has been on how similar its government is to the ones in 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale. Namely, every aspect of citizen’s lives are controlled and watched, defectors risk their lives to escape, and there are public executions. The emergence of another tale from Gilead serves as a reminder to readers that its premise might not be as improbable as we’d like to think.
The Testaments doesn’t add anything meaningful to the message of its preceding novel other than fleshing out how Gilead functions and granting followers of the previous novel a satisfying conclusion. What The Testaments does offer is more content for hungry fans. Although it’s compelling, it lacks the full body blow packed by The Handmaid’s Tale that shook readers into rethinking the world around them. With the shifting political climate though, it’s possible that both novels may become more relevant than is comfortable in coming years.
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
