The Handmaids Tale by Atwood critiques certain elements of feminism but at the same time, conveys certain underlying messages that support the notions of feminism. An example of how The Handmaids Tale may be a feminist work of literature is when Atwood points out that the handmaid’s “every step, every mouthful of food, every move is observed, reported, circumvented or approved”. This highlights how women’s behaviour in Gilead is “controlled so that male dominance, which had been threatened in pre-Gilead society, can be re-asserted”, according to Alanna A. Callaway. This is because women’s “great triumphs of the 1970s” were taken away by Gilead, for example, “widespread access to contraception, the legalization of abortion, and the increasing political influence of female voters—have all been undone in Gilead”. All of these elements emphasises how The Handmaids Tale is ultimately a feminist work of literature as it illustrates the challenges and conditions that women in Gilead have to go to, and contrasts them to pre-Gilead times. In doing this, Atwood is able to “illustrates the lack of female solidarity as contributing to the failed feminist revolution and supporting the subsequent backlash of the religious right.” However, Atwood also critiques certain elements of feminism in The Handmaids Tale. For example, towards the start of The Handmaid’s Tale, it is evident that the aunts have made an effort to reeducate and support the Handmaids, more specifically Offred. However, because of the different classes in the social hierarchy of Gilead, the aunts were reluctant in offering too much support for the Handmaids as they may have been caught. This emphasizes how Atwood had represented the support that women have for each other in the world of Gilead, which supports the notions of feminism, but at the same time, critiques the fact that women are unable to support each other. Another example of how Atwood critiques feminism in The Handmaids Tale can be seen when the Handmaid’s identities are stripped by removing their name and giving them the same uniform. This emphasizes that the only commonality that the Handmaids have with each other is their gender, as all Handmaids are female. However, because of the laws in Gilead, Handmaids are not permitted to have proper conversations or offer support to each other(other than shopping), and Atwood highlights this to critique the notions of feminism. Therefore, by using the plot of The Handmaids Tale, Atwood is able to critique certain notions of feminism but support it at the same time by emphasizing the details of the Handmaid’s day to day lives.