In Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, Ofglen undergoes a medical procedure known as female genital mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision. This procedure is part of the oppressive regime’s control over women’s bodies, meant to strip them of their sexual autonomy and reduce their pleasure in sex.
The practice reflects the extreme measures taken by the society of Gilead to ensure that women focus solely on reproduction, as they are forced into the roles of Handmaids to bear children for the ruling class. Ofglen’s experience illustrates the harsh realities faced by characters in the story and emphasizes the themes of bodily autonomy and oppression.