I believe you are talking about "The Handmaid's Tale." In this case, the setting of this work shows how all countries, regardless of the degree of modernity and democracy they have, are likely to be victims of totalitarian governments with absurd ideas regarding the population. These ideas are mainly aimed at reducing the value and power of social minorities that are already devalued in democratic governments, such as women, for example.
It sounds like Nantai doesn't want anything to do with his old culture, and he wants to become just like the modern white men. He is very attached to the ways of them.
