Hope In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

In a world of war and oppression, exposure to danger is what divides one from an image of hope. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, hope is not found. The world of Gilead is an extreme patriarchal society. Women are victims to the political structure that requires the control of their freedom to torture and murder for disobedience of laws and religion to satisfy the men in charge. Offred, the protagonist handmaid, demonstrates the forced purpose of the fertile women class to produce babies as slaves in the Republic of Gilead. Through the voice of Offred, she finds ways to achieve freedom after the revolution from pre-Gilead by having an affair with the Commander, meeting her friend in the club, and exploring buried memories

The Commander proposes a risky idea to take Offred to the club outside of the gates. At the club, Offred says “Then I see her, Moira. She’s standing with two other woman, over near the fountain. I have to look hard, again, to make sure it’s her; I do this in pulses, quick flicker of the eyes, so no one will notice.” (Page 300). Under the circumstances of the Republic of Gilead, women are separated from their loved ones when entering the community. Moira is Offred’s friend from pre-Gilead, therefore, meeting her in the club makes her feel just as free as she did before. This is beneficial for Offred since Moira has disappeared from Gilead and this may be her only chance to catch up with an old friend that she trusts. She is taking the risk of getting caught, however, she desires the freedom she is getting. As Moira notices Offred’s presence in the club, Offred says “This time her eyes snag on me. She sees me. She knows enough not to react … Our old signal. I have 5 minutes to get to the women’s washroom” (Atwood 301). Offred is able to connect back to the life she had before, even if Gilead banned it from her by oppression. As they meet at the club, she is able to break free from her everyday life as a sex slave and instead, enjoy time with her friend. Offred feels comfort when she says “ … and Moira hugs me … I still can’t believe it’s her.” (Atwood 304-305). Women in Gilead are not encouraged to take care of themselves other than what will help them conceive a baby. Offred’s meeting with Moira gives her a sense of safeness because Moira is a familiar face from her past. Offred feels free safe and comfortable around Moira, especially after Offred’s devastating loss of Luke and her daughter. Offred rebels against oppression by taking a risk when she meets with Moira in the club in order to obtain