General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: So, I binge watched the 1st 2 seasons of The Handmaids Tale [View all]peggysue2
(10,828 posts)when Atwood first published. I think Atwood was picking up on religious extremism--the rise of the Christian Right, for instance--and went into the 'what if' mode from that start line. I read the book when it came out never thinking the storyline would become terrifyingly real.
If you're up-to-date with the episodes, The Last Ceremony when June--after being savagely raped by The Commander--is reunited with Hannah then you know those scenes absolutely nail the parent/child separation trauma. The episode couldn't be more timely or heartbreaking.
And yes, you're right, the fictional characters never saw the complete horror coming. Double yes, evil cannot be appeased or reasoned with and true ideologues ultimately end up like Serena--hollow and endlessly vindictive. All for the Cause, the True Faith for which they've surrendered everything. Even their souls.