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Coping Mechanism In The Handmaid's Tale

469 Words2 Pages

‘Coping’ refers to conscious strategies used to reduce unpleasant emotions. In Margaret Atwood's novel ‘The Handmaid's Tale,’ the protagonist Offred employs various coping mechanisms to navigate her oppressive reality. This essay will explore Offred's acts of rebellion, her use of internal monologue, and the significance of the night sections as coping mechanisms. Offred refuses to succumb to the objectification desired by the regime, and so, she uses acts of rebellion as a coping mechanism. Initially subtle, her defiance escalates throughout the novel. For instance, she ‘refuse[s] to say my’ when referring to her assigned room, asserting her dominance. This defiance signifies her resistance against becoming a mere object in Gilead's oppressive …show more content…

By reflecting on her situation, she retains a sense of self and individuality within the confines of Gilead. One example of this is when she lists the objects in her room, such as ‘A chair, a table, a lamp’. This exercise allows her to ground herself in the present moment and retain a sense of normalcy amidst the oppressive environment. The night sections in the novel hold great psychological importance for Offred. They provide her with moments of freedom, allowing her to escape the oppressive events of the day. Offred treasures these moments as her own time, emphasizing their significance in maintaining her sanity and emotional well-being. During these night sections, Offred engages in nostalgic reminiscence, reflecting on her daughter and husband Luke. These memories serve as reminders of her past life and the immense loss she has experienced, highlighting the drastic change in society. In addition to all this, Offred also attempts to form connections with others with the goal of solace and support. She forms relationships with individuals like Ofglen and Moira in turn allowing her to share her experiences and exchange information. These connections support her emotionally and give her the strength she needs to

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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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The author also uses rhetorical questions such as “Why tempt her to friendship?” to emphasize the lack of even the possibility of a meaningful connection between Offred and the Marthas. This use of figurative language highlights the inescapable suffering and isolation that Offred encounters while interacting with others, and achieves a hollow, detached tone. In factual recollections of the events occurring, diction and syntax are also crucial in the construction of this isolated, resigned tone While describing exchanges between herself and the rest of the household, Offred uses short, precise sentences, void of intricate words or complex structure.

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Gilead values obedience to their core beliefs and use many tactics to maintain it. The citizens often spy on one another and Eyes are spread throughout the society. Offred’s depression and fear is what controls the way she behaves even around Ofglen, who later on became one of her closest companions. “She may be a real believer, a Handmaid in more than name. I can’t take the risk.

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Offred struggles between her attraction to Nick and remaining faithful to Luke. In the end of the novel, Offred ends up giving in to her attraction to Nick, however she does not feel that she has betrayed Luke in any way. Both gentlemen fulfill needs of Offed at different times of her life. Luke only exists in her past life, and most of Offred’s memories with him are fading away as she struggles to remember certain details of her past. Offred thinks, “The fact is that I no longer want to leave, escape, cross the border to freedom.

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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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Offred records tapes, telling the story of her time in Gilead. These tapes, while they do not say whether or not she was united with her daughter, do help lead to Gilead’s collapse. Offred found justice for both herself and her daughter in a way she never expected; she was able to help make sure no women or child went through what she did. This search for justice her goal throughout the novel, and while she was successful, it was in a way in which she never expected. Before her escape from Gilead, Offred saw justice with different eyes; justice to her was being reunited with her daughter and the idea of bringing the state of Gilead never seemed to cross her mind, until she began to realize just how deep Mayday ran.

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Moreover, for Offred, recording her stories is the only way to send a message to the world outside Gilead in hope that one day it will be delivered. She does not try to be accurate about the history and society of dystopian Gilead, yet she is precise in describing her feelings and emotions, knowing that she is not alone: there are other handmaids with similar stories and there are her believed

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