Margaret Atwood’s dystopian tale has re-entered the public more than three decades after its 1985 premiere, thanks to a praised Hulu series. The red dress and white hat have become recognisable in resistance movements all across the world as a result of recent legal crackdowns on reproductive freedoms.
However, Atwood’s story contains more than just a warning about the threat to reproductive rights. The globe is in the midst of a historic climate disaster, and UN scientists warn that mankind only have a decade to prevent the devastation and create a livable Earth. Environmental crisis is the backdrop of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian storyline. “The air got too full, once, of chemicals, rays, radiation, the water swarmed with toxic molecules,”
The handmaids tale show a dystopian tale about the condition of the human world amidst climate change. The series talks a tale about reproductive injustice at it worst. But just like our society, the issue is not a stand-alone issue. The issue is rooted in racial and environmental inequalities. The story should serve as a warning to readers that reproductive justice and climate justice are interconnected issues, and that politicians cannot tackle climate change by sacrificing human rights.