The speaking person in the novel and the authoritarian discourse of religious fundamentalism: The Handmaid’s Tale under dialogical lenses

Abstract

As we reflect on the interaction between the world of art and the world of life, The handmaid’s tale (ATWOOD, 1986) summons us to reflect on the creation of a totalitarian society represented in the novel. To understand this representation, this paper is based on Bakhtin’s theory, especially the concepts of speaking person in the novel and authoritarian discourse, as well as the concept of fundamentalism according to Armstrong, Oz, Sloterdijk, and Harari. Thus, it sought to understand, in the novel, the role of the authoritarian discourse of fundamentalist religion in the creation and development of authoritarian regimes founded on religion. Our analysis showed that the natural or compulsory assimilation of the fundamentalist authoritarian discourse gave rise to violent conflicts and made the introduction of oppressive policiespossible. Therefore, the novel asks the reader to reflect on the advancement of authoritarian discourses based on fundamentalist religious discourse in current societies.