The patriarchal nature of human society has existed for thousands of years. From the early Greeks and Romans to the great nation of America, oppression exists that gives men the upper hand. Margaret Atwood uses her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, inspired by WWII and resembling George Orwell’s 1984, to give readers an idea, a warning, of what is to come if this trend continues. The deeper question that arises when considering the material is who is truly at fault for the current system. Does the control of men reach so far at this point in history that women have no chance on their own of overturning it? Or is some of the responsibility on the women themselves to do anything they can to make up the difference? A mixture of both is appropriate …show more content…
The little scratched writing then becomes her mantra through most of the novel. She also finds a friend in Ofglen who is a part of the rebellion, giving her more hope and power. She realizes that there really is an “underground” of sorts, a network of information and a group of people who has the same views as her. It’s almost a dream come true. She replays the memories of her previous life in her head, keeping it alive and vibrant. Since one of the goals of the regime is to snuff out the life of before, it is another little rebellion to hold onto those memories, and another sin altogether to speak of them, which is seen when New Ofglen chastises Offred for speaking of Mayday. Offred infuses her story with many of her wild ideas; she has thoughts of burning the house down with the match Serena Joy gives her, of hanging herself as a way of taking control of her own body. There are many snippets and tidbits of information and opportunity at Offred’s disposal. It is obvious that she is shackled by the new patriarchal society of the former United States and she gives her story a sense of building, of looking for ways to break her bonds. Unfortunately, due to her own character flaws, her inability to see the big picture, she fails to do so. Offred begins to fall apart towards the end of the story and the clarity of her narration is muddled. Her memories used to function as a source of hope and purpose, but they end up contributing to Offred’s
In the Handmaid’s Tale, it becomes clear of what at the time is occurring in the beginning of the chapter. Offred is explaining how she is stuck in this new kind of caste system where she has to follow certain rules. She describes herself as someone that is trying to look for a future. She intends by describing how she must not talk or look directly at people. These particular rules make her feel like every day is the same in which she must continue to bare what occurs in the caste system. As she continues on by telling her story she describes how the caste system works and the people that are affected by it. Along her way in surviving the system where men are superior to women, she becomes friends with a girl that oppose the new caste
Offred struggles with her new life, stating, “I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I am not; I want to be more than valuable. I repeat my former name; to remind myself of what I once could do, how others saw me” (Atwood 97). Offred is emotionally run down. She misses her husband Luke and the way he made her feel. Offred spends most of her days wondering about her husband Luke, and daughter. She wonders if her husband is dead, made it across the Canadian border, or was captured. Although Offred never finds out Luke’s life status, Serena Joy offers to tell Offred some information regarding her daughter. Consequently, Offred must sleep with Nick and conceive a child in spite of receiving the information. As long as the Commander believes he is the father of Offred 's child, no problems will arise. Offred 's decision is unconventional and risky, both for herself and Nick. If Nick and Offred are caught, they will be executed. However, her unorthodox decision pays off. Serena Joy obtains a photograph of Offred’s daughter and informs Offred that her daughter is now around eight years old and has been adopted by a family loyal to the regime. Offred is informed that her daughter is alive and in safe care. The new information provides Offred with a sense of relief.
Offred's Narrative in The Handmaid's Tale "Writing is an act of faith; I believe it's also an act of hope, the
The Handmaid's Tale, a film based on Margaret Atwood’s book depicts a dystopia, where pollution and radiation have rendered innumerable women sterile, and the birthrates of North America have plummeted to dangerously low levels. To make matters worse, the nation’s plummeting birth rates are blamed on its women. The United States, now renamed the Republic of Gilead, retains power the use of piousness, purges, and violence. A Puritan theocracy, the Republic of Gilead, with its religious trappings and rigid class, gender, and racial castes is built around the singular desire to control reproduction. Despite this, the republic is inhabited by characters who would not seem out of place in today's society. They plant flowers in the yard, live in suburban houses, drink whiskey in the den and follow a far off a war on the television. The film leaves the conditions of the war and the society vague, but this is not a political tale, like Fahrenheit 451, but rather a feminist one. As such, the film, isolates, exaggerates and dramatizes the systems in which women are the 'handmaidens' of today's society in general and men in particular.
As Offred and Ofglen, stand before the Wall that contains bodies of those who have been hanged by Gilead, they are appalled by the sight. However, Offred forces herself to replace her horror with an emotional “blankness
She is kept alive for purely that reason in the first chapters, as the story progresses and she is invited into the Commander's office, where they play Scrabble and he reveals to her hidden or contraband aspects of the new society, such as fashion magazines and cosmetics, which he allows her to read, an activity otherwise prohibited for women. In these meetings Offred is treated more humanely than she has in years. She's treated more like a human should instead of a slave to her own body and “Commander”, which is suggested in her name in of its self, which means “of Fred”, conceding the point that the Commander's name is
Throughout the novel, Offred demonstrates unorthodox behavior through her actions and her thoughts. One action that proves she is an unconventional character is when she meets the Commander in his office. Handmaids and Commanders are supposed to have strictly a business relationship. When Offred breaks that code of conduct, her life is left hanging in the balance. Not only did Offred commit this offense once, but multiple times: “The second evening began in the same way as the first. I went to the door, which was closed, knocked on it, was told to come in” (Atwood 155). Once Offred enters the room, the commander and she play games and start to get to know each other. Offred also has many unorthodox thoughts. During Offred’s walks accompanied by Ofglen, they exchange some information about the Underground Femaleroad: “’ It’s a beautiful May Day, ‘ Ofglen says. I feel rather than see her head turn towards me, waiting for a reply” (Atwood 43). Offred replies and she explains that as she sees Ofglen leave, Offred feels as though she is looking in a mirror. Offred and Ofglen are the same person. Offred shares many of her unorthodox activities with the
Neologisms and Biblical Language help to give new meaning to words that were heard before and are scattered throughout the novel, from beginning to end. With language resulting in so much of the woman’s freedom, the story quite frankly could go two ways. After Offred has her child (assuming she has one), she may find a new perspective in all of this and find her place in society, something that she has been searching for since she became a Handmaid. This would result in no social change, but would end the story as her
Offred's memories are a way for her to escape a society riddled with hopelessness. The authoritarian society of Gilead prevents her from
Her belief gives her a false sense of security as well as her unwillingness to rebel due to fear of the Eyes. Her conversations with others are "Praise be," "Blessed be the fruit," and "May the Lord open" it is difficult for Offred or any women to really have a meaningful conversation for fear that anyone is a spy. Everything that Offred does is now part of the norm of society. She doesn't question her duties just does what is expected of her. As Offred begins a secret relationship with Nick she believes she has reclaimed a tiny piece of her past. She becomes addicted to the small amount of companionship from Nick, causing her to turn a blind eye to the injustices going on around her. She feels empowered because it was her own choice. When in reality she did what was expected of her. Using her body in order to produce a child.
Although Offred accepts the standards and criterions of her society, she keeps her individuality and refuses to forget the past. She remembers having had an identity of her own and strives to hold on to it as best as she can. She puts a claim on her temporary room in her Commander's house; it becomes a sanctuary for her true self. Her room becomes a place of
“All the Chilling Parallels Between 'The Handmaid's Tale' and Life for Women in Trump's America” explores the idea that women’s roles in society are being limited in a way that provides a current analytical perspective of women’s oppression by the men involved in the government in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Women’s economic independence being controlled by the government, which consists of predominantly males, is strikingly similar to the way men regulate women’s economic autonomy in The Handmaid’s Tale. In today’s society, discrimination against women involved in the workforce is obvious considering “the median income of women working full-time, year-round in the U.S. was just 79 percent of what men earned” and the wage gap is
the novel is a role model for Offred and serves as a part of Offred’s conscience. The
Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred recalls her past life before and during the creation of the Republic of
As the female narrators reads the story to the audience we realize that she often has flashbacks to former times, when the United States was still a nation. She recalls the happier times she had with her mother, her close friends, and her lover and husband Luck. In the Pre-Gilead period, she also had a little daughter, June, with Luck. Offred's mother was a single mother and feminist activist. Her best friend was Moira, who was also fiercely independent.