From the beginning, women have been excluded. The common phrase, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” on which our nation is founded, excludes women and says “all men,” not all men and women. America emphasizes “equal rights,” but throughout history, women have fought for equal rights. Starting with Puritan women, black slaves, and Iranian women, women's rights were suppressed. Women have always been diminished. In today's modern society, women have gained respect, but to what extent is this respect guaranteed? In today's modern society, women can be self-centered and often unaware of their surroundings. That being said, perhaps their rights are still being taken away without their consent. In “The Handmaid's Tale,” Margaret Atwood sees the world as a dangerous place for women. Throughout the dystopian society, Atwood warns women [especially] not to ignore historical events that happened in the past, because if they do, "the bastards will grind [you] up." “The Handmaid's Tale” depicts a world in which women are wives, Marthas, or handmaids. Men are superior to them, so they must obey the rules and accept who they are in this society or face the consequences. A dystopia illustrates a horrible society in which no one would want to live. Society is “controlled by philosophical or religious principles.” ideology often imposed by a dictatorship or a theocratic government” (Wright). In a dystopia, “oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained by fear” (Wright). There is no hope of improvement in a society like this. Citizens of a dystopian society 'are seen as being under constant surveillance while the natural environment...... middle of paper ...... Conte.' (Margaret Atwood). Utopian Studies 8.2 (1997): 66t. Literary Resource Center. Internet. February 17, 2011 Neuman, Shirley. “'Just a Backlash': Margaret Atwood, Feminism, and The Handmaid's Tale. » University of Toronto Quarterly 75.3 (summer 2006): 857-868. Rep. in contemporary literary criticism. Flight. 246. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Information Resource Center. Internet. February 7, 2011 Perkins, Wendy. “The Handmaid’s Tale Preview.” Novels for students. Gale 1998. Literary Resource Center. Internet. February 15, 2011 Sterling, Bruce. “Major themes in science fiction: utopias and dystopias.” Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Internet. January 26, 2011 www.britannica.comWright, Juntus. “Dystopias: definition and characteristics. » Read Write Think. NCTE, 2011. Web. January 25. 2011.