The Handmaid’s Tale’s Gilead Was Never About Solving The Baby Crisis

Summary:

• The Handmaid's Tale is Hulu 's dystopian drama based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name.
• The show focuses on life in Gilead, a totalitarian patriarchal theocracy in place of the former United States.
• While Gilead's main political agenda was to solve the birthrate crisis, in reality it was an excuse to establish a totalitarian regime.

One of the main things that has made audiences so receptive to The Handmaid's Tale is a concept that looks like every woman's greatest fear. In today's reality, it is becoming easier to imagine the dystopian future described in the show as a real, threatening possibility.

Looking at the way the Republic of Gilead was set up, one might begin to believe that their methods were necessary to keep the population alive.

With the entire world facing a birthrate crisis, people had to look for as many different solutions as possible. The Gilead regime, as frightening as it was, proved to be effective.

Or did it?

While some viewers try to find the voice of reason in Gilead's harsh policies, others are certain; the birthrate issue was just an excuse for the most cruel and greedy people to take power for themselves.

Why Couldn’t They Use IVF In Gilead?

One of the reasons Gilead has subjected hundreds of women to the cruelty of constant assault to carry a child is religion.

First and foremost, Gilead is a religious organization that honors its own interpretation of the word of God more than it honors the cause of solving the population crisis.

If there were a real concern about the birthrate, the government wouldn't care so much about the circumstances into which the children were born, but would simply encourage any eligible woman to have a child through the methods available to her.

The institution of surrogacy would have been made more ethical and better paid, while the wonders of modern medical technology like IVF would have been made more accessible. In the reality of Gilead, however, anything that went back to God's plan was strictly forbidden and considered sinful, which didn't help the cause at all.

The main agenda in which Gilead really flourished was excessive control over all women, no matter what their position in society. All the abuse that came with it was nothing more than a tool to instill more fear in those who dared to disagree.

Although Gilead's effectiveness was supposedly proven, in reality it was the data that was carefully crafted and approved by their own government. Given the need to maintain all power and influence, they simply couldn't accept any other outcome.

Fortunately, such a regime is not meant to last forever, and fans of The Handmaid's Tale really want to see it fall in the final season 6.

If you, too, would like to dance on the ruins of Gilead, keep an eye out for more news and updates on Season 6's production status and release date.