Coleman Prize for English

By Seoyeon Kim Class of 2026

Editor’s Note: The Coleman Prize is awarded to the student who, in the judgment of the English Department, submits the most outstanding original essay written during this academic year.

The Process from Rebellion to Resignation, Examined through Michel Foucault’s Lens

Through the lens of Michel Foucault’s theories on power and knowledge, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale illustrates how Gilead systematically breaks down resistance, turning the fiercest rebels into docile bodies that serve the regime’s needs. Moira, once the icon of rebellion and hope, epitomizes this transformation. She was the legend who escaped the Red Center, tricking Aunt Elizabeth and inspiring Offred with her daring spirit. Offred often recalls Moira’s defiance in times of plight — “Chickenshit, Moira would say” and “Idiot, says Moira” (Atwood 232-233). But when Offred encounters Moira at Jezebel’s, wearing an absurdly demeaning outfit of black satin and net stockings with a tail and two ears, the image of rebellion collapses. Moira has become resigned, broken by the system she once fought. How did Gilead manage this overturn? Through Moira’s fall and the breakdown of rebellion among women more broadly, Atwood reflects Foucault’s theory of biopower, disciplinary power, normalization, and knowledge and power, which dismantle rebellion and create obedient, docile bodies that serve the ruling class.

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