Surveillance A Comparison Of Gilead And Winesburg

Surveillance: A Comparison of Gilead and Winesburg An eerie dystopian society, where a woman s sole purpose is to procreate, versus a small midwestern town in the early 1900’s. What could possibly be in common between these two vastly different ways of life? Surveillance. The Handmaid s Tale by Margaret Atwood, is an exceptional novel that focuses on a newly formed society known as Gilead. Throughout the novel, Atwood dives deep into political, social, and moral issues through the eyes of a female main character, known by the name Offred. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, is another riveting novel, instead focusing on the grotesques of individuals of a small midwestern town through encounters with the town reporter, George Willard.†¦show more content†¦By The Eyes continuously keeping tabs on Offred as well as the society as a whole, it means their actions are being monitored at every step. The â€Å"Eyes† are not the only source of surveillance in Gilead, but the Martha s act as form of surveillance as well. Martha s are servants for high ranking families and their duties are much of a maids. Due to these individuals duties â€Å"Martha s know things, they talk among themselves, passing the unoffical news from house to house†¦ they listen at doors, no doubt, and see things even with their eyes averted (Atwood 11).† There is no source of privacy in this society, and if living in such a society, it would most certainly affect one s behavior. Everyone in Gilead seems to know what one another is up to, and in Winesburg it is not much different. Like the environment in The Handmaid s Tale the individuals and townspeople in Winesburg, Ohio are also being surveillanced but in a much less drastic way. Due to Winesburg being such a small town, and like any small town, it is not unusual for everyone to know everyone, including their problems. George Willard, the young town reporter, acts as a vessel for everyone s problems. Much like the â€Å"Eyes† in The Handmaid s Tale, George Willard is constantly observing the townspeople of Winesburg. While the â€Å"Eyes† in Gilead observe more in secrecy and the hopes to ensure order, George observes rather