Writing with Writer's Block – There's No Time to Waste
Review of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments Nan A. Talese / Doubleday New York 2019
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is a continuation of The Handmaid’s Tale. The main voice in this novel, that of Aunt Lydia’s statue, has Atwood’s irony, as well as her great skill as a storyteller. Aunt Lydia’s statue only reveals a little truth at a time, mingling facts with plots and deceptions, concealing her true character until the end. This society is different from that of The Handmaid’s Tale; the handmaids are not valued for their service to the community; in fact, they are called sluts. The hierarchy in this world consists of: the Military (men only), the Aunts (unmarred woman with lots of secrets and power), the non-military white-collar men and their wives and children. Next are the Pearl Girls, who travel Outside to recruit new followers. After that are the Economen and women and their children, followed by the Marthas, or the maids, and finally, the handmaids, or child-bearing but disposable women. Every aspect of people’s lives is controlled, down to the clothing they wear.
This world is a separate country, known as Gilead, with Canada above, and what’s left of the United States below. Gilead is a strict Bible-worshipping society; that is, the Bible as interpreted by the leaders. Most people are kept illiterate, so they cannot argue. What this society represents is obvious. Maybe that’s why the US as we know it does not exist, though some states are mentioned. We are not told in this novel what happened.
The title refers, I believe, both to the Testaments in the Bible and the testimonies of several of the characters, which is how the plot is relayed. Three voices tell the story, that of the Ardua Hall Holograph, that is to say Aunt Lydia’s statue, and those of two children, one in Gilead and one in Canada. Either I couldn’t put this novel down, anxious to find out what would happen next, or I couldn’t pick it up, fearful of learning what would happen next.
All in all, The Testaments provides an entertaining read, even with the pointed dystopian theme. An accusing, satirical finger is pointed at the United States, its Bible belt, and its hypocrisy. However, Canada is not spared; it is seen as ineffectual. Atwood has not lost her touch. Margaret Atwood and Ursula K. LeGuin own the genre of literary dystopian fiction.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is a continuation of The Handmaid’s Tale. The main voice in this novel, that of Aunt Lydia’s statue, has Atwood’s irony, as well as her great skill as a storyteller. Aunt Lydia’s statue only reveals a little truth at a time, mingling facts with plots and deceptions, concealing her true character until the end. This society is different from that of The Handmaid’s Tale; the handmaids are not valued for their service to the community; in fact, they are called sluts. The hierarchy in this world consists of: the Military (men only), the Aunts (unmarred woman with lots of secrets and power), the non-military white-collar men and their wives and children. Next are the Pearl Girls, who travel Outside to recruit new followers. After that are the Economen and women and their children, followed by the Marthas, or the maids, and finally, the handmaids, or child-bearing but disposable women. Every aspect of people’s lives is controlled, down to the clothing they wear.