Semantics of Seed: An Ecofeminist Analysis of Language and Androcentrism in “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Abstract

Ecofeminists endeavour to address the environmental and feminist issues that have gained significant momentum in our current globalised society. Despite its late start in the 1970s, ecofeminism has provided unique insights and perspectives and enriched the academic sphere with significant contributions. Fundamentally an ecologically grounded political movement, ecofeminism posits that the exploitation of nature and the oppression of women are interconnected strata orchestrated by the male-dominated capitalist worldview. Within this framework, this paper attempts to dissect Margaret Atwood’s dystopian fiction, The Handmaid’s Tale, from an ecofeminist standpoint. By doing so, it also aims to uncover the multifaceted aspects of androcentrism in the dystopic novel on the linguistic and metaphorical level. Additionally, it seeks to explore the contentious phenomenon of aligning nature with women, drawing parallels between the exploitation of women and the despoliation of the natural world. The ultimate goal of this paper is, thus, to encourage readers to acknowledge the interwoven oppressions that prevail in their societies at large and to galvanise public opinion into activism that aims to address and heal these divides.