Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian theocracy. This thesis analyzes dystopian elements in Atwood’s novel. It explores the Gileadan social hierarchy, emphasizing the imbalance between different social structures in the Republic of Gilead. It describes how the regime uses its power to limit one’s freedom, comparing the Atwood’s work with the classic slave narrative. Additionally, it explores the mechanics of fear in the novel, i.e. different methods the totalitarian regime uses in order to oppress its citizens. Since Atwood’s novel is a representative of the female dystopia, the position of women in the Republic of Gilead is discussed in detail. The paper focuses on different interpretations of women and their position in the overall society, relying on the principles of the second-wave feminism, as well as Plato’s understanding of women in The Republic. Further on, it debates whether sex is an act of compliance or rebellion. It compares the sexual repression present in Atwood’s novel with the one explored in Orwell’s 1984. This paper explains the influence of religious fundamentalism on the rise of the misogynistic regime in the Republic of Gilead. It compares Gileadan regime with the fundamentalist groups, listing several prominent fundamentalist features present in Atwood’s novel. The paper explores the notion of language in the Handmaid’s Tale, exemplifying how it can be used both as the means of oppression and act of rebellion.