Gilead And Powerlessness

One of the many prevailing themes in literature is that power is gained and can be manipulated when restraints are placed on natural desires of the individual. This passage is significant because it is an example of this theme, for it shows how power and manipulation have completely changed and restricted the people, especially women, of Gilead. Due to this, the passage reveals the shared anger that the Handmaids possess, and the cruelty that has been brought upon the society. The use of similes, diction, syntax, and illustrate the impact that this event had on Offred, for she feels such anger towards the unknown man and the crime he has supposedly committed. These literary and rhetorical devices additionally serve to make this event seem as

The emotions that the commander suppresses are brought to light when the commander attempts to enlighten Offred on the vitality of Gilead as opposed to the previous society. The commander claims that society needed the ideals that are in present day Gilead because in the past “the main problem was with men” (210) as “there was nothing for them anymore” (210). He asks Offred for her opinion, a freedom that a typical handmaid is not allowed, and she expresses it strongly, even though she realizes that “this lack of fear is dangerous” (210). Though she spends her time with the commander, a name that implies regulation, the experiences she shares with him teach her to go against the regime and its

This ability speaks of his power with society. As a handmaid, Offred is limited in her language ability as she has been stripped and reprogrammed according to Gilead standards. As such, she complies through fear: the fear of being caught, accused, and killed. People who are determined to be traitors are hung for all to see. His use of fear to force her compliance suggests he, too, is fearful of discovery. Thus, a gap exists in the power construct. This leads Offred to realize she may have power over the Commander. All she need do is speak and his power will fail. This dynamic translates to power throughout all of Gilead. Where power is exerted in force, fear is the primary source of the exertion. By these standards, it is easy to see the value placed on the safety of patriarchal and the subordination of other groups, e.g. gender, social class, and cultural groups (Hourihan

Offred is the protagonist and narrator of the “The Handmaid’s Tale”. As one of the rare fertile women in this dystopian world, she is put at the bottom of the social hierarchy as a Handmaid, where her sole purpose is to provide children for the Commander and his Wife. Despite being the protagonist, Offred is a passive character who generally conforms to the social stereotypes in Gilead due to her cowardice. Despite this, there are some moments where the reader is able to acknowledge the degree of power she holds within this society.

Offred is aware that Gilead is manipulating them by selecting certain lines and perhaps even making it up. Manipulation is another tool that is used by the government to take away power from women by encouraging them that they will be rewarded in their after life.

This gives us a hint on the totalitarian society of Gilead that Offred lived through, where she had no control over her own life. She wishes she had control over what would have happened to her. Overall,

Offred narrates by describing her daily routine, in which she talks about her new life in Gilead. Often times she slips into flashbacks and glimpses of what her life once was. In the society previous to Gilead, Offred had engaged in a situation, in which she had an affair with a married man by the name of Luke. As their affair continued on, Luke left his wife in order to marry Offred. Once Luke and Offred were together they had a child together. Offred reveals the events that led up to the society of Gilead through her flashbacks. From the narrative unveiling of events, Offred explains to the reader that prior to Gilead, the society was one in which pornography was readily available, pollution and other hazardous waste spills affected fertility rates, and prostitution was prominent. Then a group of people were able to get the

The Republic of Gilead is a dictatorship in which men are the superior sex. Men are often in charge, much like the Commander, and are assigned women, one of these being the main character, Offred. Offred is a Handmaid, meaning her goal is to become pregnant, since if she is unable to she could be killed or sent off to the colonies and become what is called an Unwoman, this is yet another sign of power. Furthermore, women are constantly being watched and are often isolated from others due to the lack of freedom, this in turn makes women feel more inferior.

However, she wishes that she could imagine her new life as a story, and does not want to accept the reality. The Handmaid’s Tale contains various elements that significantly affects the hero, Offred through her struggles to accept the Republic of Gilead. One of Atwood’s most prominent element she uses to show significant changes towards Offred is the theme of feminism shown by the various characters. Religion is the driving force for the creation of the Republic of Gilead, which in turn significantly affects

While observing her body, she thinks, “My nakedness is strange to me already. My body seems outdated. Did I really wear bathing suits, at the beach?” (63). While most of the women around her are resisting the Gilead rules, Offred never seems to rebel. Even during the most traumatic experiences, such as the Ceremony or beating a man to death, her moral judgments cease to exist, as if she has accepted her fate as a handmaid. It is only until her knowledge of the resistance when she finally decides to participate and even then, it is still kept on the down low. She gives into discreet affairs only under the request of her Commander and Serena Joy. She participates at the Jezebel club under the request of her Commander. Her most daring acts of rebellion are her stealing butter, the thought of stealing from the living room, or her talking to Ofglen. During all of this mutiny, she still binds herself to the color red and her duty as a

Offred's memories are a way for her to escape a society riddled with hopelessness. The authoritarian society of Gilead prevents her from

Professor Drummond brings up the endowment effect in her paper which states that “we tend to overvalue what we already have” or “we prefer what is to what might be.” This is observed with the behavior that Offred exhibits such as always being willing to please, staying compliant, and giving up her body to Gilead. In the end, Offred says “I have given myself over into the hands of strangers, because it can’t be helped” (295). This horrible place has become her safehouse, her comfort zone and she will do anything to keep it that way. “The attraction of the status quo is that it allows us to remain within our comfort zone” (Drummond). Offred is aware of her own compliance as she states that “I have failed once again to fulfill the expectations of others, which have become my own” (73). This infers that the expectations of Gilead have become her own. She has become a part of Gilead and is unable to leave now that she has completely given herself up to it. While it would seem like Offred should be upset by this it is actually the opposite. Yes, it is a sad situation, but Gilead is her comfort zone and any chance of escaping it scares her.

“Waste not, want not. I am not being wasted. Why do I want?” (Atwood 7). From stealing butter for lotion to playing Scrabble with the Commander, plainly, Offred is unorthodox. The Republic of Gilead controls how much knowledge each caste is allowed; this is one way of controlling people and keeping order. Despite being condemned to this society and commanded not to read, Offred reads anyways. Offred’s actions show her dislike of

Offred's character is required because she gives flashbacks to the time before Gilead, giving the reader an idea of the events leading up to the beginning of the novel. How bad the world before Gilead sounds, the world of Gilead is much worse.

Offred, not her real name but the name given to her by her occupation, is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. The Republic of Gilead is a