In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, power is not only enforced through laws or violence. It works because people are afraid, and because they learn to obey without needing to be forced all the time. Gilead is not only controlled by those at the top. It is sustained by the people living inside it.
Power in Gilead is carefully structured, but it is also quiet. The Commanders clearly hold authority, but they are not the only ones maintaining the system. Women like the Aunts are just as important. Their role shows that control does not always come from direct force. Instead, Gilead relies on people accepting and repeating its rules. Over time, those rules begin to feel normal, even when they are extreme.
Fear is what keeps everything in place. Punishments exist, but they do not need to happen constantly. The idea that they could happen is enough. Public executions, the Wall, and constant surveillance create a sense that no one is ever truly safe. Offred does not need chains to follow the rules. She already knows the consequences. Fear becomes something that lives in her mind, shaping her choices without anyone needing to step in.
Obedience grows out of that fear. At first, the rules of Gilead seem shocking, but they slowly become part of daily life. Offred adapts, not because she agrees, but because survival depends on it. This shows that obedience is not always about loyalty or belief. It can come from pressure, exhaustion, or the feeling that there is no other option. When resisting feels impossible, following the rules becomes the easier path.
The system also stays strong by dividing people. Women are separated into strict roles like Handmaids, Wives, and Marthas. These divisions stop them from forming strong connections with each other. Instead of working together, they are pushed to compare themselves or stay in their assigned place. This weakens any chance of resistance and helps maintain control.
What makes Gilead so effective is that it teaches people to control themselves. Fear becomes internal, and obedience becomes automatic. This is what makes the society feel so realistic and unsettling. It shows how power can exist not just through force, but through habits and beliefs that people come to accept.
In the end, The Handmaid’s Tale shows how power can grow when fear is constant and obedience becomes part of everyday life.