What are the necessary components of a functioning and fair society? - Ray'Jhean O"Neal

One the necessary components of a functioning and fair society is freedom in many aspects of life. People need and want to have freedom of speech so they can speak what they believe, and people should have the freedom to make decisions on their own without a higher power telling them what they can and cannot do. Another component is differentiation. There should be no strict rules about the clothes you wear, where you live, and how you chose to live your life. Also, people should have the right to have ownership of different properties. The should have the right to have their own house, car(s), etc. If people have freedom of speech, decision making, and differentiation, that will allow the people to have a functioning society that will allow everyone to be happy. These things are not present within the society in The Handmaid's Tale. People are taken away from their freedom because they have to follow government rules or be killed. They are taken away from their differentiation because everyone wears the same clothes and have the same daily routine. People no longer have ownership because the characters were stripped from their homes and families. The people in the book are not happy with the lifestyle even though it is beginning to feel "normal" to them. However, it is known that they are not happy because where they live is made so that they will not be able to kill themselves, and some people end up finding ways to commit suicide.