Is The Handmaid's Tale a feminist novel?

Feminism is one of the most politicised cultural issues today, and Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' - for better or worse - has gained a reputation for being the 21st century 'feminist gospel' par excellence. This is despite Atwood's own protestations to the contrary, but in any case, it's worth examining how feminism, womanhood and gender politics are integral themes in the novel. Along the way, perhaps I'll be able to convince you with specific textual examples that the novel isn't perhaps so 'feministic' as popular culture would have us believe...
TIMESTAMPS:
03:25 - Satire of 'womanhood' and the neutering of the female body
10:48 - Challenging the poster 'feminist' archetype
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