Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you'd be boiled to death before you knew it.
In "The Handmaid's Tale," Margaret Atwood illustrates the concept of gradual change through a powerful metaphor about a slowly heating bathtub. This imagery emphasizes how people can overlook or be unaware of harmful transformations in their environment until it is too late for them to react. The process is so subtle that one may not recognize the danger until they are in a precarious situation.
This idea serves as a warning against complacency in the face of gradual societal shifts. Just as a person might not realize they are being cooked in a bathtub until it's fatal, individuals may fail to notice when their freedoms and rights are eroded little by little. Atwood’s message stresses the importance of vigilance and awareness of changes occurring around us to prevent dire consequences.
Rate the Quote
User Reviews
Other quotes in book quote
All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
