Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning is licensed under A Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.
0 International License.
Gender and Power Relation in Margaret Atwood's Novel The Handmaid's Tale Khairunnisa Tambunan.
Deliana Deliana.
Rahmadsyah Rangkuti.
ARahmah Fithriani.
Alemina Br Perangin-angin.
Nilma Zola.
A .
Universitas Sumatera Utara.
Indonesia E-mail: khairunn992@gmail.
Universitas Sumatera Utara.
Indonesia E-mail: deliana413@gmail.
Universitas Sumatera Utara.
Indonesia E-mail: rangkuti@usu.
Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara.
Indonesia E-mail: rahmahfithriani@uinsu.
Universitas Sumatera Utara.
Indonesia E-mail: alemina@usu.
Department of Guidance and Counseling,Universitas Negeri Padang.
Indonesia E-mail: nilmazola@fip.
nC Correspondence Author Keywords: FCDA.
gendered spheres A Copyright: 2025.
Authors retain copyright and grant the JETL (Journal of Education.
Teaching and Learnin.
right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License Abstract This study examines the intersection of gender ideology and power relations in The HandmaidAos Tale, a novel by Margaret Atwood that portrays a dystopian society governed by patriarchal control.
Employing Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) as the methodological framework, this research investigates how gender ideology is embedded and reproduced through the novelAos language and social structures.
Specifically, the study addresses three research questions: .
What elements of gender ideology are depicted in the novel? .
How are gender ideology and power interrelated? .
Why are these themes central to the narrative? Utilizing a qualitative approach, the analysis focuses on narrative and discursive elements to uncover representations of gender inequality and the systematic repression of womenAos autonomy.
The findings indicate that the novel reflects real-world patriarchal ideologies by illustrating how language and institutional norms uphold gendered power imbalances.
This research contributes to feminist literary scholarship by demonstrating how literature can expose, critique, and resist oppressive social structures through discourse.
INTRODUCTION
A novel is a powerful medium through which societal norms, ideologies, and inequalities are both reflected and critiqued.
Unlike short stories, novels offer a comprehensive exploration of complex themes, often grounded in social, political, and cultural realities (Leavy, 2.
As mirrors of their time, novels have long addressed issues such as mental health (Krieger, 2.
, developmental disabilities (Brenna, 2.
, and gender inequality.
Themes of womenAos marginalization, oppression, and resistance frequently emerge in literary works, echoing real-world disparities and inviting critical JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 214 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 The HandmaidAos Tale by Margaret Atwood is a quintessential example, portraying a dystopian society where womenAos rights are stripped under a patriarchal regime.
Through the story of Offred, the novel highlights the systemic subjugation of women, representing a broader critique of gendered ideologies and power structures.
Gender ideology refers to a set of beliefs about the appropriate roles, responsibilities, and rights of men and women in a society (Kroska, 2.
These ideologies often legitimize power disparities and reinforce male dominance across various social domains, including the household, economy, and Davis and Greenstein .
identified six elements of gender ideology: the breadwinner role, gendered spheres, the impact of women's work on relationships, motherhood and identity, household utility, and acceptance of male privilege.
In many societies, these ideologies are embedded in institutional structures, perpetuating womenAos subordinate status and limiting their autonomy and access to opportunity.
Language plays a critical role in the construction and maintenance of these ideologies.
Historically, men have controlled language as philosophers, politicians, and public figures, embedding patriarchal values into discourse (Weatherall, 2.
Language, therefore, is not neutralAi it can be a tool of domination or resistance.
Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA), as proposed by Lazar .
, integrates gender critique into Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) by focusing on how language challenges gendered power relations.
It examines how discourseAiwhether in literature, media, or everyday communicationAiconstructs gendered identities and reinforces or disrupts power dynamics.
Several scholars have employed FCDA to examine representations of gender in literature and For instance.
Siboro and Sinar .
analyzed gender ideology in The Stoning of Soraya M, revealing how language and law uphold patriarchal norms.
Zhou .
explored the evolving roles of women in Chinese online novels, while Ayub et al.
examined the gendered expectations embedded in Elif ShafakAos 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.
These studies demonstrate the utility of FCDA in exposing how language perpetuates inequality and suggest literature as a potent site for feminist inquiry and advocacy.
This study adopts a qualitative approach and uses FCDA to analyze The HandmaidAos Tale, aiming to uncover how gender ideology and power imbalance are discursively constructed in the fictional yet politically resonant Republic of Gilead.
Unlike previous FCDA studies that often emphasize character roles or societal expectations, this research focuses specifically on the linguistic and ideological mechanisms through which gender hierarchy is justified and enforced.
In doing so, it contributes to the growing body of feminist linguistic research that advocates for gender equity by interrogating the language of power.
Ultimately, this research is anchored in the principle of analytic activism, a core tenet of FCDA.
By critically analyzing the discourses of power in AtwoodAos dystopian vision, this study not only sheds light on the persistent relevance of gender ideology in contemporary contexts but also advocates for a reimagining of gender relations based on equality and mutual respect.
The HandmaidAos Tale serves not merely as a cautionary tale, but as a call to actionAia narrative reminder of what is at stake when language becomes a tool for subjugation rather than liberation.
METHODS
JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 215 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 This study adopted Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) as the primary method to examine how gender ideology and power are constructed in The HandmaidAos Tale.
FCDA, an extension of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), views language as a social practice that produces and reinforces power imbalances, particularly gender-based ones (Lazar, 2007.
van Dijk, 2.
FCDA was chosen due to its focus on exposing patriarchal ideologies within discourse and its capacity to analyze gendered power relations in both textual and socio-cultural contexts.
The data were drawn from selected words, phrases, and sentences in the novelAos narration, dialogue, and Using deductive content analysis, the researcher categorized findings based on six gender ideology elements from Davis & Greenstein .
, focusing on how these elements manifest in the lives of women under GileadAos regime.
The research followed three stages aligned with the research questions: identifying six elements of gender ideology, analyzing the complexity of power relations, and interpreting how ideology operates as a central theme.
Close reading and data reduction were used to identify key patterns.
The historical and feminist contextAiespecially second-wave feminism and 1980s conservatismAiframed the analysis of AtwoodAos dystopia.
As a work of speculative fiction grounded in real-world events, the novel reflects how gender ideology and authoritarian power intertwine.
FCDA enabled a deeper understanding of how languages shape female identity, reinforces social roles, and perpetuates structural inequality (Habibie, 2016.
Moghadam, 2.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Elements of Gender Ideology in The HandmaidAos Tale Primacy of Breadwinner In The HandmaidAos Tale.
Atwood subverts traditional gender norms by portraying women as unexpected economic providers within GileadAos rigidly patriarchal society.
Although Gilead is designed to suppress women's autonomy, the necessity of survival forces women into roles of economic significance.
Offred reflects.
AuI never thought I'd be the one bringing home the bacon.
But here I am, working as a Marth, earning my keep and ensuring our survivalAy to which Moira responds.
AuIn this upside-down world, we've become the breadwinners, the providersAy (Chapter .
Their exchange illustrates how gender roles are redefined out of necessity, not ideology.
Further.
Serena Joy acknowledges this economic shift: AuIn Gilead, women are the backbone of our economyA Our ability to provideA is our greatest source of powerAy she tells Offred, while also addressing male discomfort: AuSome .
eel emasculate.
, but others recognize the value of partnershipAy (Chapter .
These interactions reveal how female labor, though unofficial, is crucial to sustaining GileadAos society.
Thus.
Atwood critiques how authoritarian systems exploit womenAos work while denying them institutional power.
Belief in Gendered Separate Spheres The belief in gendered separate spheres is foundational to GileadAos societal structure.
Men and women are strictly segregatedAispatially, socially, and functionally.
Women are confined to domestic environments, while men occupy roles in leadership, military, and This division is enforced through surveillance and policy, as shown when Guardians instruct one another.
AuMake sure the Handmaids are safely back in their rooms JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 216 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 before nightfall.
We wouldn't want any unnecessary interactions between them and the menAy .
At the Red Center, women return to their designated spaces while men depart to perform duties outside .
, emphasizing spatial boundaries.
The CommanderAos Wife affirms the belief system during the Ceremony, whispering to Offred.
AuThis is where women belong, fulfilling their duty to God and countryAy .
, reinforcing religious justification for gender confinement.
This ideology permeates everyday life.
Offred observes how women crowd domestic spaces like marketplaces, while men stride with purpose through the streets .
symbolizing the public-private divide.
Marthas discuss domestic tasks with urgency AuWe must ensure the Commander's supper is ready by sevenA and the Handmaid's chamber must be prepared for the CeremonyAy .
Aidemonstrating the assignment of household responsibilities by gender.
Even childbirth is ritualized through the Birthmobile, where Handmaids march under watchful male Guardians .
At elite gatherings, women sit quietly in separate rooms while men discuss politics and power .
These examples collectively underscore how Gilead enforces traditional gender hierarchies through spatial, behavioral, and symbolic segregation.
Working Women and Relationship Quality Working women in Gilead experience fractured interpersonal relationships because of societal expectations that prioritize state-defined roles over emotional connections.
OffredAos longing for lost intimacy is reflected in her remark.
AuI miss my friendsA even the ones I hatedAy .
, which shows that under the regime's suppression, even negative relationships offered a form of connection.
The oppressive environment breeds a complex mixture of solidarity and rivalry, as captured in her comment.
AuWe are each otherAos best and worst companions, bonded by our mutual struggle and sufferingAy .
Her bond with Serena Joy is described as a Austrange camaraderieA born out of necessity rather than genuine affectionAy .
, showing that power dynamics distort even shared womanhood.
Pre-Gilead.
Offred recalls lighthearted gossip and laughterAinow replaced by silence .
Aia stark reminder of lost freedom.
Yet, even within the hostile setting, women attempt to build connection through small acts: AuIn whispered conversations and stolen glances, we find fleeting moments of solidarity and understandingAy .
Tensions still simmer beneath the surface, especially with the Marthas, where an Auunspoken rivalryAy emerges as women compete for favor in a stratified household system .
These insights reveal that gender ideology not only polices behavior but also reshapes the very nature of human relationships, where intimacy is both feared and desperately sought.
Wife/Motherhood and the Feminine Self Atwood powerfully critiques how patriarchal societies define femininity through the roles of wifehood and motherhood.
Gilead reduces womenAos worth to their reproductive functions and loyalty to their husbands.
Offred reflects on her past with sorrow and defiance:
AuI was a good motherA and a faithful wifeAy .
Her identity, once defined by love and choice, is now determined by state control.
When she recalls the loss of her child.
AuI bore a child onceA and it was taken from meAy .
, her pain reveals how deeply motherhood is entwined with autonomy and grief.
JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 217 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 Interactions with Serena Joy further illuminate this theme.
She scolds Offred.
AuDo not dwell on the past, but focus on your responsibilities to the futureAy .
, affirming that a womanAos duty is biological, not personal.
Aunt Lydia echoes this in the Birthmobile scene:
AuWe are vesselsA for the future of GileadAy .
, reducing women to mere reproductive OffredAos bittersweet memories of Luke.
AuI was his wife, and he was my husbandAy .
Aioffer a counterpoint to GileadAos erasure of romantic and emotional bonds.
JanineAos whispered grief.
AuI miss my babyA I want to hold her againAy .
Aiand RitaAos resigned words.
AuI do what I mustA for my familyAy .
, reveal the deep emotional toll imposed by enforced gender roles.
OffredAos reflection on her mother.
AuShe taught me resilienceA and the importance of holding onto hopeAy .
Airepresents a generational continuity of resistance, love, and identity.
These depictions show how gender ideology robs women of self-definition but also how memory and emotion become tools of quiet rebellion.
Household Utility Gilead assigns strict domestic functions to women based on traditional gender roles, enforcing a system in which household utility defines a womanAos value.
Offred observes a Martha who exemplifies Audomestic efficiencyA ensuring that every aspect of the household runs smoothlyAy .
, emphasizing how competency in housework becomes a form of silent In reproduction as well.
Offred notes.
AuI am but a vesselA fulfilling my duty to the stateAy .
, a statement that captures both resignation and dehumanization.
Despite these conditions, women form quiet bonds through shared labor.
Offred notes.
AuWe are united by our shared experiencesA bound together by the invisible threads of domestic servitudeAy .
, expressing solidarity even amid institutional subjugation.
She further reflects.
AuWe are but cogs in the patriarchal machineAy highlighting how utility and submission are interlinked in the household hierarchy .
Serena JoyAos insistence.
AuYour duty is to fulfill your role as a HandmaidA ensuring the continuation of the human raceAy .
Aireinforces how every domestic or reproductive task becomes political, deeply tied to the regimeAos survival.
These representations illustrate how GileadAos gender ideology commodifies women's labor and transforms household roles into tools of control.
Acceptance of Male Privilege The normalization of male privilege is a defining feature of GileadAos social structure, where womenAos subordination is both overt and internalized.
Offred observes the CommanderAos position as absolute: AuHe is the epitome of male authority, his power unquestioned and his position unchallengedAy .
Even Serena Joy echoes this dynamic when she tells Offred.
AuYour duty is to obey, while mine is to commandAy .
, affirming the hierarchy within both gender and class.
Offred later laments.
AuI am confined by the expectations of my sex, my autonomy and agency stripped away by the oppressive regime of GileadAy .
, underscoring the psychological dimensions of male privilege.
Yet resistance simmers beneath the surface.
Moira.
OffredAos defiant friend, asserts.
AuWe will not be silenced, our voices will be heard, and our rights will be reclaimedAy .
, a bold declaration of feminist resistance.
These moments highlight the tension between institutionalized male dominance and the individual will to resist.
Through these portrayals.
JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 218 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 Atwood not only reveals the pervasiveness of male privilege but also suggests that its acceptance is socially constructed, challenged, and, ultimately, fragile.
Elements of Gender Ideology in The HandmaidAos Tale The Constitution GileadAos Constitution is the ideological backbone of the regime, embedding religious justification into governance and framing gender inequality as sacred duty.
Through the words of Commander Waterford.
AuIn the eyes of God, it is a woman's duty to bear children for the greater good of societyAy .
, womenAos subjugation is reframed as spiritual By invoking divine authority, the regime morally compels women to accept their roles as reproductive vessels.
This strategy is echoed by Aunt Lydia, who states.
AuDo you not understand.
Offred? As a Handmaid, your purpose is to fulfill God's will and bear children for the CommandersAy .
Her tone reinforces the regimeAos fusion of law and theology to remove agency from women, presenting their roles not as societal constructs but divine commands.
These excerpts reveal how religious discourse in the Constitution is weaponized to justify the gender hierarchy and maintain systemic oppression.
The Civil Code The Civil Code of Gilead codifies male dominance into everyday life through laws that institutionalize womenAos subordination.
Aunt Lydia asserts.
AuThe Civil Code of Gilead explicitly grants men the right to marry multiple wivesAy .
, a clear articulation of gendered legal inequality.
This provision legitimizes polygamy for men while denying equivalent rights to women, thus reinforcing male control over female sexuality and family Furthermore.
Commander Fred emphasizes that AuUnder the Civil Code of Gilead, women are subjected to the authority of their male guardians, who have the power to dictate their livesAy .
This reflects a legal system that removes womenAos autonomy and assigns them perpetual dependency.
Together, these legal assertions underscore how GileadAos Civil Code enforces a patriarchal order under the guise of law and morality.
The Penal Code The Penal Code functions as a coercive tool to reinforce obedience, disproportionately punishing women while protecting male privilege.
When Offred is accused of impropriety, a male authority figure states.
AuOffred, two men in this room have accused you of behavior unbecoming of a Handmaid.
Can you prove they're not telling the truth?Ay .
This question illustrates the burden of proof being unjustly placed on women and the presumption of guilt rooted in gender bias.
Similarly, the statement.
AuWe have unanimously decided that the accused.
Offred, shall be punished according to the law, and her sentence shall be carried out by the morningAy .
demonstrates the speed and certainty with which judgment is passed, often without due These examples highlight how the Penal Code enforces power hierarchies, turning legal proceedings into instruments of gendered control rather than justice.
Elements of Gender Ideology in The HandmaidAos Tale Gender Ideology in The HandmaidAos Tale JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 219 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 GileadAos gender ideology operates not only through external laws but also through internalized control.
As Aunt Lydia proclaims.
AuThe Republic of GileadA knows no bounds.
Gilead is within youAy .
, the regime seeks to embed its doctrine within womenAos consciousness, making obedience a matter of belief as much as coercion.
This internalization ensures that the patriarchal order is sustained from within.
Central to this ideology is the reduction of women to reproductive vessels.
Offred captures this dehumanization when she reflects.
AuWe are two-legged wombs, that's all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalicesAy .
In Gilead, religious narratives are selectively interpreted to justify the use of womenAos bodies for state-sanctioned reproduction, stripping them of autonomy and reinforcing their subjugated roles.
Power Dynamics in The HandmaidAos Tale Power in Gilead is maintained through deliberate inequality and systemic coercion.
The CommanderAos remark.
AuBetter never means better for everyone.
It always means worse, for someAy .
, openly acknowledges the regimeAos structured hierarchy, where the comfort of the elite is built upon the subjugation of others.
This imbalance is not a flaw but a feature of GileadAos design.
To sustain such control, the regime redefines key concepts like freedom.
Aunt LydiaAos statement.
AuThere is more than one kind of freedomA Freedom to and freedom fromAy .
, illustrates how the state manipulates the idea of liberty to rationalize By reframing protection as restriction.
Gilead masks oppression as moral order.
Discussion Elements of Gender Ideology in The HandmaidAos Tale This study reveals that The HandmaidAos Tale reflects traditional gender ideology through the construction and enforcement of rigid gender roles.
Gender ideology refers to individualsAo beliefs about how sex should shape the roles of men and women in society (Somech & DrachAaZahavy, 2.
In Gilead, these beliefs are institutionalized, where men occupy dominant roles as breadwinners and decision-makers, while women are confined to domestic, reproductive, and subordinate positions.
Using the six elements of gender ideology proposed by Davis & Greenstein .
, the analysis found that Gilead emphasizes male primacy in economic and social power.
The belief in genderedseparate spheres is evident, where women are systematically excluded from public life and positioned within the household or reproductive roles.
Working women are stripped of autonomy, and relationships become strained due to inequality and imposed roles, aligning with broader research on how traditional expectations negatively impact relationship quality and satisfaction (Spierings & Zaslove, 2.
Motherhood and femininity are framed as the core of a womanAos identity, while household utility reflects strict gender divisions in domestic responsibilities.
Finally, the acceptance of male privilege is pervasive, with women denied access to education, work, and self-determinationAimirroring realworld patterns of female marginalization across patriarchal systems (Offiong et al.
, 2.
These findings support both the interest-based theory, which posits individuals adopt gender ideologies based on perceived benefits, and the exposure-based theory, which emphasizes the role of socialization in transmitting gender norms (Bolzendahl & Myers, 2.
In The HandmaidAos Tale, gender ideology is not only reinforced by legal and religious institutions but is also internalized, shaping beliefs and behaviors in ways that perpetuate systemic inequality.
JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 220 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 Complexity of Gender Ideology in Relation to Power This section examines how The HandmaidAos Tale portrays gender ideology not only as a social belief but as a structural mechanism deeply embedded in legal, religious, and institutional systems.
In Gilead, patriarchal power is enforced through a combination of overt control and subtle internalization of gender roles, reflecting LazarAos .
claim that power in modern societies is both visible and discursive.
The legal framework of Gilead, including its Constitution.
Civil Code, and Penal Code, constructs and maintains gender-based oppression.
WomenAos roles are defined by their reproductive functions and subordination to men, as seen in the character of Offred, whose identity and body are regulated by law.
The regime uses religious justification to reinforce male authorityAiCommanders are positioned as both legal and spiritual leaders, granting them unchecked control.
This echo KazemiAos .
observation of post-revolution Iran, where legal reforms regressed womenAos rights and empowered male dominance through religious courts and civil codes.
The novel also reflects how patriarchal gender ideology is institutionalized, as argued by Lazar .
, and embodied in daily interactions and norms.
For instance.
GileadAos penal code punishes women for behaviors deemed impure, often tied to sexuality or disobedience, further blurring the line between religious law and human rights.
As Burns et al.
note, masculinities and femininities are constructed through societal interactionsAinot merely personal traitsAiand in Gilead, these constructions are state-enforced.
Moreover.
GileadAos system legalizes male privilege in ways that mirror real-world contexts.
Moghadam .
notes in post-revolution Iran, laws allowed men multiple marriages and gave them disproportionate power in family matters.
Similarly.
Gilead grants men authority over womenAos mobility, marriage, education, and legal status, all under religious pretense.
In sum.
The HandmaidAos Tale illustrates how gender ideology, when institutionalized, becomes a powerful tool for sustaining inequality.
Power in Gilead is not only visible in laws and punishments, but also internalized and reproduced through culture, religion, and daily practicesAimaking resistance complex and costly.
Gender Ideology and Power as Central Themes in The HandmaidAos Tale The third research objective aimed to explore how ideology shapes the themes of gender and power in The HandmaidAos Tale, employing Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (Lazar, 2.
AtwoodAos dystopian world of Gilead, gender ideology is used as a central tool of domination, reinforced through legal, religious, and cultural institutions.
These ideologies operate across key domainsAipatriarchal culture, education, marriage, and employmentAilimiting womenAos agency and positioning them as subordinates to male authority.
As Kroska .
explains, gender ideology defines the roles and responsibilities assigned to men and women, often privileging males.
In Gilead, this manifests in women being valued only for reproduction, excluded from literacy and education, and denied legal autonomy.
Such depictions reflect real-world gender politics, particularly those emerging after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, where womenAos rights regressed under a religious-nationalist regime.
AtwoodAos portrayal of Gilead is also shaped by the sociopolitical climate of the 1980s, including the rise of conservative movements in the United States.
Influenced by efforts to limit reproductive rights and promote traditional family values.
Atwood constructs Gilead as a cautionary tale.
Through JETL, 10.
Special Issue | 221 Gender and Power Relation inA.
Tambunan, et al.
Journal of Education.
Teaching, and Learning Volume 10 Number 2, 2025 Special Issue.
Page 214-223 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 its rigid enforcement of traditional gender roles and theocratic law, the novel critiques how ideology can be weaponized to justify power imbalances.
Ultimately.
The HandmaidAos Tale demonstrates how gender ideology, when institutionalized, sustains systems of control, and suppresses dissent.
By examining these themes through a feminist lens, the novel reveals the dangers of conflating religious morality with political authority, especially when it targets womenAos bodies and freedoms.
CONCLUSIONS
This study explored the intersection of gender ideology and power in The HandmaidAos Tale through the lens of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA).
The findings affirmed two core principles: first, that gender is an ideological structure that categorizes individuals into hierarchical and second, that gender and power share a complex, mutually reinforcing relationship.
Using Davis & Greenstein .
framework, six key elements of gender ideology were identified in the novel, including the primacy of the male breadwinner, belief in gendered spheres, and acceptance of male privilege.
These elements revealed GileadAos patriarchal system, where power is embedded in law, religion, and language, reflecting broader societal norms that perpetuate inequality.
Although the Constitution of Gilead claimed to uphold equality, religious laws and the Penal Code were manipulated to legitimize womenAos subordination echoing real-world post-revolution contexts such as Iran.
Margaret Atwood's narrative serves not only as a dystopian cautionary tale, but also as a critique of systems that use ideology and discourse to institutionalize oppression.
Future research may apply Feminist CDA to a broader range of texts or media to uncover how gender ideology is reproduced or challenged in different sociopolitical settings.
A comparative study between pre- and post-revolution narratives or between AtwoodAos novel and contemporary feminist literature may also reveal evolving discourses on gender and power.
As emphasized by Kayany and Dar .
, discourse plays a pivotal role in shaping identity and power dynamics.
deconstructing such discourse remains essential for revealing and resisting inequality.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST STATEMENT
Regarding this study, the author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Study concept and design: Khairunnisa Tambunan.
Acquisition of data: Rahmadsyah Rangkuti.
Analysis and interpretation of data: Rahmah Fithriani.
Drafting the manuscript: Alemina Br Perangin-angin.
Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Deliana Deliana.
Statistical analysis: Khairunnisa Tambunan.
REFERENCES