Investigating Female Resistance and Governance in Challenging Patriarchy for Sustainability in Margret Atwood’s The Testaments (2019)

Abstract

This paper aims to explore female resistance against patriarchy in Margret Atwood’s The Testaments (2019), specifically focusing on themes of governance and sustainability. Incorporating methodology of Anarcha-Feminism and the concept of paradigm shift, it puts focus on the ways these women adopt to fight against the patriarchal system and the measures they took to work for gaining justice. Theorists from past and present indicate continuous, mass struggle, even in 21st century. The female characters of Atwood’s novels fight authoritarian regime through developing sisterhood, by creating space for liberation, by influencing the system and by developing counter-knowledges that weakens and challenges state narratives and state-authorized histories. Through the exploration of several resistive forms, this research breaks new ground on feminist studies and women’s writing, incorporating discussions societal change. It is recommended that policy makers prioritize initiatives promoting feminist political theory, providing strategies to dismantle authoritarianism and promote gender equality, democracy, and human rights globally.