The Handmaid's Tale Comparision

Book to Movie Comparison
It is well known to many book fanatics that the book is most likely always better than the film. In the case of The Handmaid’s Tale this judgment would be correct. Text versions of a story allow the reader to get deeper into the story. This helps the reader to develop a more personal relationship to events and characters. Films can lack this personal connection. Movies also tend to change things around in order to catch more of the audience’s attention. However, to the readers it changes the whole meaning of the story. The film of The Handmaid’s Tale alters symbolism in the text, the order of events and the first person perspective of Offred.
One major symbol in the book was the meaning behind the white wings that were worn by the Handmaids. The white wings were a type of headdress that restricted a Handmaid’s sight. The headdress was to be worn at all times except in private. Her vision was not completely covered but taken away just enough to belittle her. Handmaids were nothing more than a womb and ovaries to the higher status, and that was how they were treated. They were demeaned of any powers and luxuries. That was exactly what the white wings were designed for. Seeing was a privilege that Handmaids were not to have. The film’s version of the headdress was a scarf that was worn around the Handmaid’s hair. Not only was it not covering their face at all times, but it was also see through. Totally degrading the meaning and purpose the book describes.
The order in which the story is told in the book is greatly different than the movie. The text version of The Handmaid’s Tale jumps from one event to another often confusing the reader. Flashbacks seem to come out in the middle of an event. The flashbacks are difficult to catch and understand when in text form. Also, there seems to be more of these recollections in the book than in the film. The order of events in the movie made more sense to me. I was not left to make sense of the events like I was in the book. Given that the events were in better organization in the film it was easier to understand what was going on. Guessing as a reader only leaves me unsure of my interpretations.
The text edition of The Handmaid’s Tale is a first person narrative. This style of writing allows the reader to see and experience things through the main character’s eyes. However in the film the first person perspective is not present. Not being able to know Offred’s thoughts and feelings takes away from the story. Not having Offred’s insights makes the story less meaningful. Being able to hear her thoughts in the book had a greater effect on me than not knowing them while watching the movie. As a reader I was able to develop a bond with Offred, this bond was not there during the film.
Like most books that are made into movies The Handmaid’s Tale follows the pattern of the book being better than the film. It was not necessarily a bad film, but it took away from the meaning of the story. Changing the headdress worn by the Handmaids was a big change in the movie. Also not knowing Offred’s thoughts made it less personal than the book. One thing that did better the story was making more sense of the order of events. A movie is meant to entertain for a few hours while a book allows the reader to become part of the story.