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Compliance And Rebellion In The Handmaid's Tale

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One of the major questions in life is whether to comply with the governing legislature, or rebel against it. This is debated in the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, illustrating the pros and cons to both compliance and rebellion. Ultimately, the novel ends with Offred, the protagonist, saying, “And so I step [up into van], into the darkness within, or else the light” (295). This van either will take her to freedom or to a prison. It is left for the readers to make the ultimate decision whether entering the van is an act of compliance with the government of Gilead, or a last attempt at rebellion. After all, Offred could have committed suicide before entering the van, thus escaping whatever fate lies within. Atwood leaves the novel with no conclusion drawn by Offred.Thus, The Handmaid’s …show more content…

The Handmaids are taught to be grateful for what they have, and not long for more. This theory is proven when Offred says, “If I have an egg, what more could I want?” (111). Offred’s satisfaction with a single egg shows that the regime has been effective in making the handmaids grateful for their minimalistic lifestyle, instead of jealous of a more luxurious one. Furthermore, her basic needs (food, water, shelter, etc) are met by those who control her, as she is given meals and a house. Not only is compliance practically beneficial, but spiritually as well. The epigraph of The Handmaid’s Tale outlines this, saying, “And [Rachel] said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her” (Genesis 30:3). The epigraph of the novel shows the religious basis for the Handmaids. By being a handmaid, the women are religiously and spiritually fulfilled. Furthermore, the religious aspect of the Handmaid’s prevent rebellion, as it would be considered sacrilegious. Thus, complying with the role of Handmaid, although unfair, would fulfill the needs of

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Outward conformity along with inward questioning, that is what the main character, presented in Margaret Artwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, has to undertake in order to survive in a theocratic society. Stepping out of line in any way risks your life, so in a place where freedom of speech and basic human right’s no longer apply, Offered must comply with whatever rules they have in place and pretend to agree with the system, but in the inside, she cannot help but think about her past life, her husband, her daughter, before everything began. Flashbacks are integrated in the novel to not only compare the old society with the new one, but to also demonstrate this fake conformity Offred has to display to others and her internal struggle with giving up on escaping the Republic or just accepting her fate and playing by

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In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the protagonist, Offred, expresses her wish that her “story [is] different,” that it is “happier,” or at least “more active, less hesitant, less distracted” than it is ultimately portrayed (267). However, as her story is told, these characteristics are evident in the way she talks and acts, especially around those with authority. Hesitant to express her true thoughts and feelings, and distracted by memories from her previous life, Offred attempts to piece together her role in the society that has taken her freedom. The result is a compilation of moments, of memories, both from her present, her past, and even speculation about her future.

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Consequently, Atwood shows the negative impacts of not protesting when Offred is taken by the van. Her desperateness left her in

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Firstly, Offred's inner reflections on her past life from the disparity between her former freedoms and her current restrictive reality, attest to her resilience in handling the oppressive regime. Alone in her room, Offred’s mind starts to reminisce about her old life, stating “I want Luke here so badly. 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” It is evident that Offred misses her past life, situations and relationships, particularly her moments with Luke. These thoughts further encapsulate the emotional toll of Offred living under Gilead's regime, as she is aware she is not seen with value.

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For instance these Upper class men, commanders, use handmaids to reproduce because their “wives” can no longer reproduce. In Gilead, women are only faulty and so if they cannot become fertile or produce a viable child then they get shipped off even though the men could

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Offred is suspicious of what the handmaid 's did. She looks at their hands, and a clue is given to her when she sees “black gloves”(Atwood 275). She ponders what they could have possibly done to have warranted such action from the authorities. Her speculation shows how the society of Gilead functions. The government of Gilead wants the handmaids to see that the prisoners are being hanged, as their suspicion is how Gilead gains control of them.

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Offred initially feels a sense of loss due to her position as a fertile woman since the independence and individuality she once enjoyed has since been stripped from her by the Republic of Gilead. It is only through rebellion that Offred is able to slowly regain her sense of self and reject the role that Gilead forces her into. By rebellion, however, it is often more dangerous for the perpetrators than to the government’s grip on the people. Offred’s societal role as a handmaid in Gilead forces her to first obey, then causes her to question, which finally allows her to realize her

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