A dystopian novel is a story of a society that clearly is in contradiction to the author´s ethos, such as mass poverty, a police state or oppression. Dystopian literature provides a fresh perspective on real-life problems in real societies that claim to be ethical. In The Handmaid´s Tale the main character has to endure many ordeals - <em>this will not happen to me</em> - and finds out that she is a puppet in a play that only allows for insignificant changes.