In Chapter 28, Atwood goes back to Offred’s life Pre-Gilead to illustrate how Coup d’etat happened, which was aided through computers. Since money is no longer a tangible object, but instead has turned into a code on a plastic card, Atwood proves that people’s privacy no longer existence, even before Coup d’etat occurred. Taking over was easier because the Government had everyone’s information and money, all they needed to do is obtained that information from the Government. What better way to do that than to assassinate the President and kill all Congressmen. The Government, with their advances to technology allowed it to happen because they owned everybody’s information, and thus making it convenient for that information to get in the hands of any criminal.
The civilians also helped make the Coup d’etat happen because people like Offred waited for direction, instead of taking action of her own, and did not do anything to protest their rights. Because Offred did not do anything, she did plenty to help the Coup d’etat occur much smoother. Looking out for the best interest of herself, her husband and her child, which was to stay at home and be safe; she neglected to help everyone in the long run. She did not think of the greater interest of the people, which was to make sure that everyone, whose credit card had an “F” for female, did not lose their rights. She lost her and every woman’s right of ownership because she waited for someone else to guide her and follow, through media for example, which was clearly censored and altered for the Coup d’etat to take over.
Given that this fictional story that Atwood writes was suppose to have happened in the late 1980s, Magret Atwood is trying to articulate with the advances in technology, in computers and media, and it’s affect on the Government, America should not lose sight of the people’s right to ownership and privacy. Not everything can be replaced by computers. In her futuristic American fiction about Gilead, Atwood is purposes the idea that if the Government loses the value of tangible money, then America might lose the value of a tangible identity. People will no longer belong to themselves, but to the greater power, that assumes control of American civilians.
The possibilities that elements of Gilead could happen today is somewhat likely, if people continue to lose sight of what’s important. While technology has helped made life more convenient and has saved space, it cannot solve all of life’s issues, and people’s voices need to be heard for the greater good, even if it will not benefit one person directly. In the 80s, President Reagan was almost assassinated, if that were to actually occur the possibilities of killing all of the congressmen is unlikely, but if it happened and all of the Government’s confidential information concerning everyone’s identity was stolen then Gilead could happen unless people protested.
If there was a gathering of all of the American women, alone, then they would overrun the people taking over by resistance. Fighting against the resistance, Gilead would not occur, but considering everyone’s reliance on the media as a resource of direction, then it could happen. Because people like Offred did not bother to investigate what they could not understand, because technology had been so convenient to spoon feed them information, they did not do anything. In the protest for women’s voting rights in 1921, they purposed that unlike men, women will not vote for anything they do not understand, since women like Offred was confused on the situation of Gilead, she did not do anything to resist it. In confidence that women in America are generally more determine to understand change and do something about it themselves, Gilead will never happen in real life.