Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Atwood Says The Handmaid’s Tale Now Feels ‘More and More Plausible’

In a BBC Radio 4 appearance, she cited post‑2016 shifts alongside recent rollbacks in reproductive rights.

Overview

  • Speaking on Desert Island Discs, Margaret Atwood said the novel’s scenario has grown closer to reality in recent years.
  • She clarified that she does not expect the story’s distinctive red cloaks and white bonnets to appear in real life.
  • She argued that theocratic experiments tend to become chaotic and unsustainable.
  • She cautioned against writing off the United States, calling it diverse and resistant to being bossed around.
  • The book’s cultural footprint endures through a TV adaptation starring Elisabeth Moss and a Booker‑winning sequel, The Testaments.