By Jackie Bocanegra/reporter
Edwardo Perez, NE English professor, presented a rhetorical analysis March 20 on how “The Handmaid’s Tale” has become a popular TV series for the way it responds to the fourth wave of feminism in contemporary society.
Based on the Margaret Atwood novel, the plot envisions a dystopian society in the U.S. after a second civil war where fertile women are pressed into service as child bearers. In this theocracy, where the church and male dominance had achieved complete control, women were dehumanized and treated as objects for the sole purpose of reproduction.
“Campaigns such as #MeToo and #TimesUp on social media have had such an impact on society that women appear at social protests wearing handmaid apparel,” Perez said, referring to red cloaks and white hoods.
The fourth wave of feminism campaigns began in the early 2000s when social media was taking off, Perez said. This movement encouraged women to advance into leadership roles and positions in politics and business.
Many people think of the 1960s when they think of the term feminism. However, the second wave of feminism came in the ‘80s. It was a time when women made gains in the workplace and in their sexual and reproductive lives, Perez said.
The upcoming seasons of the series will reflect what is going on in today’s society where women are seeking leadership roles and positions of power, Perez said.
“Society is still oppressing women on a larger platform,” he said.
Although feminism has given women more power, social media gives anyone power, Perez said.
“Men will leak photos so that women can’t further their career,” student Isaiah Williams said. “The internet lives on forever, and we can see it happening to women all the time.”
