“Não deixe que os bastardos te reduzam às cinzas”: representações de gênero e resistências femininas em The Handmaid’s Tale

Abstract

In this research, we aim to analyze the first and second seasons of The handmaid's tale series (O Conto da Aia, in Portuguese) – based on the homonymous book by Canadian Margaret Atwood –, shown by the streaming network Hulu. While dystopia, the work builds warnings for the danger of a chaotic future, especially with regard to setbacks in the achievements of women. Based on this assumption, we analyzed the gender representations attributed to women, through symbols and discourses used in the serie, which was also observed in far-right governments throughout history, especially in the 20th century. From the emergence of neoliberalism, such representations were endorsed again, a context in which the author wrote the book and which exerted influence on her work, also reflected in the series. We also identified the resistance tactics against the Gilead regime – the authoritarian and patriarchal government that took power in the United States in The Handmaid's Tale –, tactics that, when approached by the serie, influenced several feminist and resistance movements around the world in recent years. As a methodology, we adopted the semiotic analysis and the production of meaning, as well as a bibliographical review on feminist epistemologies, Nazi-fascism, neoliberalism and resistance tactics, allowing us to delve deeper into the motion-picture and discursive elements of the series.