Classism in Handmade Tale.
Classism is a sense of sharing a similar social and economic status in society.
In our society, classism come from human prejudice and discrimination on the self-evaluation of social class. Classicism is a sense of superiority complex by mankind, very similar in a lot of ways to want to be different from others. It is a kind of sense of belief that we are better than others in variations of wealth, material possessions, and furthermore, racism, sexual expression, as well as many other forms of oppression. The artificial oppression in all class societies is classism. Classism fundamentally come from the intentional economic exploitation of one group of people by another people who has authorities and powers of control through the planning of protection of their own benefits. All kinds of oppressions have been made intentionally and are created as means of supporting the exploitations
Is Classism in Canadian society a beauty or beast?
Man-made classism as the beast makes humans not only is a self-destructive system but also represents brutal human instincts openly. Artificial classism completely destroy our humanities. Social and political, economic occupational, racial hierarchies, skin color deprive us of human dignity. Especially, racial hierarchy is intrusion with blasphemy to divine boundary.
Economic occupational classism. Many people perceive that there is an enormous classism in wealth, assets, and power. Authorities by economic occupation is classism. According to this fact, there would also be differences of gap in access to education, and health care and leisure time. So, economic inequality, affect people’s access to quality and affordable education, and health care, sufficient food, as well as leisure conditions. Unfortunately, life chances at education and jobs are extremely influenced by the classism. But fortunately, the increasing unequal disparities can be controlled by government. In handmaid tale there are many classism, aunts, handmaid, wives, economies. Marathas work as servants, and housekeepers. Their job is clean houses, go shopping, and cook and serve meals. Most Marathas are infertile, low-ranking, and unmarried women, some widows, feminists, lesbians, and all women who are incapable of social contribution within the Republic’s strict gender divisions.
Even Gilead expel Unwoven to “the colonies “. Handmaids are a class in the republic of Gilled are perhaps the most important role but happen to also be the most oppressed, as they are working with breeding machine to supplying Gilead with more children for keeping population. Wives are usually married to high ranking men in Gilead, such as commander and Angels who has power in their society.
Social and political classism is another aspect that is revealed in this book. In Marxism, the societal hierarchy and classism is decided by the social political classism. But in capitalist society, the hierarchy is created by money and the individuals function in society. The growth of capitalism along with industrialization is economic system in which businesses are privately owned and governed by endless competitions. All men are above all women. The social hierarchy is divided by two sections, men and women. In handmade tale, the meaning of “the Guardians aren’t real soldiers. They’re used for routine policing and other menial functions, digging up the Commander’s Wife’s garden, for instance, and they’re either stupid or older or disabled or very young, apart from the ones that are Eyes incognito.” (handmade 9) represents a social and political classism.
And in the conversation, “Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I repeat this to myself but it conveys nothing. You might as well say, don’t let there be air; or don’t be. I suppose you could say that.” unstable foundation of classism for society is revealed.
The political classism by power can transform natural human reaction into ordinary without criticism.
“Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will, it will become ordinary”
Local and racial hierarchies. Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale has long been regarded as a critical feminist book, but, when reading it, most characters are the white. The same race that happens to be the mainstream ethnicity that dominates the culture and racial hierarchy in Canadian society. This story was written in 1985, and minor and major setting is only United States not in Canada. The novel The Handmaid’s Tale is set in United States where the theocratic Christian authoritarian regime of Gilead has replaced the old order, not in Canada. The book does not explain clearly why other racial characters are not showed in Gilead. America is also multi-racial country. This story implicates interest in only white babies which is racist. Why only white babies when there are babies of other colors? The society is racist because it prefers non-minorities with characters being mostly composed of white people.
Conclusion,
Classism involve inequalities and prejudices between members of the different groups. Although there are many different types of classism, racial classism is the most difficult and significant problem in the world. In every part of the world, there have been a lot of efforts in eradicating racism especially in Canada and U.S A. They are a slowly making a difference but abolishing the racial hierarchy is still a long-term aim. Racial hierarchy in Canada and in USA still exists and hides in the minds of a lot of people. Social and political, economic occupational, racial hierarchy is critical problem to keep sound society. Especially racial hierarchy because it seems like an incurable disease that is difficult to handle. This is especially true as racial hierarchy disease is deeply hidden in human minds. It is not easy to fix something that is dormant in the deep minds of people. For curing this disease, Canadian society needs to be more opened minded and have more exposure to different cultures. Once people understand that we are all the same even with different skin color, maybe then people can come to unite together as humans rather than as different race. Then we will eventually come to eliminate classism and the problem that it causes to society and the people.
