The last section of Handmaid’s Tale made me think that, as a society, as all as it may seem, we are never that far from some radical idea being put into place. In the back of most people’s minds are thoughts about what to do if everything goes to shit. Gilead, seems to be an example of a place which existed because of its strict rules in order to preserve life in some form. It is easy to judge Gilead’s oppression without taking in consideration its context in history. Despite its controversial manner of operation, this seems to be a white christian tribes way of establishing population longevity during a time when their own numbers were dwindling.
(Back to Book) I wanted to highlight the glimpse of hope we get at the end of the book. Although Offred was to be punished, their is a possibility that Nick helped her escape her surroundings to a free place. Throughout the novel we are exposed to more people existing secretly in opposition to the republic of Gilead. By the end, it becomes believable that there is an underground railroad out of such a community. This leads me to think that Atwood, despite her continuous dystopian scenery, injected an idea of human beauty and hope in any rotten implemented society.
I like that your optimism about the open ended conclusion of the novel ties back to Atwood’s introduction from 2017. Before we even begin to read about the horrors of Gilead, we hear from Atwood that this is not a world that she forsees, rather it is a world that she is trying to stop from happening, and hopes and thinks that human decency will prevail over cruel totalitarianism.