Book (Mis)Treatment in "The Handmaid’s Tale": Manipulation, Burning, and Censorship

Lucía Ramírez García

doi:10.18172/jes.6667

Autores/as

Lucía Ramírez García Universidad de Málaga https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8046-4400

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18172/jes.6667

Palabras clave:

libros, distopia, manipulación, censura, Margaret Atwood, El cuento de la criada

Resumen

Este artículo comparte la teoría de que los libros contienen ideas, ideologías y alternativas, y que la restricción y destrucción de libros puede significar la pérdida de éstas. Este artículo analiza el (mal)trato de libros en El cuento de la criada en tres líneas temporales: durante el régimen de Gilead, así como el antes y el después. Los recuerdos de Defred ofrecen una perspectiva esclarecedora sobre la libertad de un pasado que ya mostraba signos de las restricciones futuras. En el presente, las Criadas no pueden leer y los libros son símbolos de poder; lo que aparece reforzado por las Tías y los Comandantes. El futuro de las Notas Históricas muestra el impacto negativo que la falta de alfabetismo ha tenido en la historia del país. En definitiva, en El cuento de la criada los libros representan herramientas de censura que sirven para controlar la narrativa.

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Citas

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