The theme of The Handmaid�s Tale is the structures of power within the society.  Power is the ultimate form of controlling people in this society.  The one who has power is the one who will dominate the others.  This is also the case in The Handmaid's Tale.  In this story power is controlled through sexual desires and access to scarce resources.  With power certain privileged people dominated the weaker.  So in the end power is everywhere.  It is between men and women.  This power also fuels the sexism that is evident throughout this novel.  Women were of the weaker sex.  They were used for satisfying sexual desires.  Within women there was also power.  Their amount of power is determined by their social status.

            Sexism and power work together.  In the novel men have more power over women, so they control them and use them for sexual reproduction.  The handmaids were used to produce children.  Once they gave birth, the child would be given to the wife and it would become the wife's child.  This is sexism and power.  In today's society this is somewhat still true.  Women still do not have all the rights that men do.  In certain cultures they are still viewed as the weaker sex.  Thus, they are giving the men more power over them.  Once again power gives dominance over the weak.

           With power one can truly control another.  For example, in   The Handmaid's Tale  the commanders control the lower class by regulating sexual activities.  Thus their desires were not met if they rebelled.  If they were loyal they would be promoted wives.  Consequently, by having the power to control the route to satisfying desire, the commanders secured their power.  This is the most basic form of power:  using power to control.  This is also common today.  For example, parents have the power to order children to do chores; teachers have the power to assign homework to students.  Children or students have the right of not doing what is told.  However, the consequences may be that the children get blamed by their parents and students get bad grades.  Thus, they must work hard.  So it is evident that power is everywhere.  From all corners of society, power rules as an important trait of humanity.

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