Gilead, the imaginary dystopia depicted in Margaret Atwood's (1986) The Handmaid's Tale, is run by a totalitarian regime through a rigid hierarchy. All weapons of oppression used by fascist regimes in the real world are employed in Gilead: death, arrests, torture and brainwashing (Atwood, 1986, p. 32). Spies in secret roles are scattered among the population to report crimes and arrest people for their religion, beliefs and past activity. In addition, Gilead's destruction of clothes, books and institutions of learning, are reminiscent of the Communist takeovers of China and Vietnam. Totalitarian leaders destroy these things in order to take over not only the physical beings of people, but also their minds. Thus, they wipe out all other sources of information or reminders of a different lifestyle.
However, in spite of the consistent and austere fatade and rules that are imposed on the general population, Gilead's Commanders are exempt from these rules. For example, they have access to forbidden products, such as seductive clothing and magazines that should have been burnt (Atwood, 1986, p. 219). They also have a secret club where they have access to arrested women who serve as prostitutes, though they do not officially exist in the hierarchy (Atwood, 1986, pp. 236). There is also a black market where Commander's Wives have access to illegal products such as alcohol and cigarettes. The existence of these places that violates the official rules testifies to the hypocrisy of the regime. Although they purport to have a traditional and purist ideology that bans products and acts that encourage sin, such as alcohol and prostitution, they allow themselves to surrender to their human urges in secret and without risk of punishment. Gilead is ultimately an utopia for the degenerate people in power.
Gilead's rigid hierarchy with its clear delineation of rules, roles and functions allows the leaders to exert complete control over the lives...