The Eye of Power: Surveillance and Control Devices in Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale

Abstract

Margaret Atwood’s works are worldwide-known pieces in science fiction literature. So much so that her name is recalled as part of the canon in this genre. In her works, dystopias are abundant, as they show universes which constitute metaphors of ours. In particular, this essay briefly analyzes the novel "The Handmaid’s Tale" from a philosophical perspective on literature, making reference to the foucaultian concepts of surveillance and control as devices of exercise of power and domination over women.