Acrobat

In The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, a society exists where woman are treated with respect but lack all freedom. Through devices like syntax, detail, and point of view (just to name a few), the song "Acrobat" by U2 shows a clear connection to lifestyle that is led by the women in the society within the story.

The lyrics in the song describe a stuggle between a woman in choosing whether to fight for her rights or to sit back and just take watch them get taken away. The song describes a girl that used to have a firery spirit. She appears to be the type of person that never let anyone tell her what to do. However something drastic happens that brings her down to the level of almost being a ghost, "...you had fire in your soul/ what happened to your face/ of melting in snow/ now it looks like this..." The girl has the inner struggle of wanting to break free but something is holding her back whether it be fear or something else. The same story line takes place within The Handmaid's Tale. Offred, the main character, goes along with what the society preaches. She never disobeys or rebels. However, it appears that internally she struggles. Memories and emotions of the past cause her to reminisce to what she considers better times. She secretly desires everything to return back to the way it used to be. But instead of thinking of ways to make a change, she instead blocks out everything with the thought of how silly the idea is. She also demonstrates this inner desire to get out by reflecting on Moira, her high spirited friend. Moira is someone Offred wishes she could be. (bastard-syntax)

Another thing that is simiar is the way men are portrayed in each. Through the repitition of the line "so don't let the bastards grind you down," one gets the sense that men are the ones forcing the girl to endure the struggle she is going through. Likewise in the story. Offred's society is one run solely by males. All of which who have established the lack of freedom for the woman.

In the end, both the song "Acrobat" and the novel The Handmaid's Tale portray an internal struggle where the women are left to make a difficult decision: sit back and watch the freedoms taken or do something to make a change for the better.