Rebellion In The Handmaids Tale

Rebellion; the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention. The Handmaid’s Tale written by Margaret Atwood is a novel. The novel takes place in Gilead a dystopian society. Everyone in Gilead has an important role to play within the society, however, it seems as if none of the characters seem content with their role, due to the restrictions they face. In the novel, the lack of freedom leads to rebellion as shown by the characterization, interior dialogue, flashbacks, and foreshadowing. In the novel, the main character Offred tells her tale as a handmaid and, how her and the other characters rebel towards the oppressive government. Offred, the only source of information, therefore the reader only knows what she tells them.

Serena Joy barely even leaves her house as a wife’s duty consists of staying home. She is a very unhappy character. Her life before this new government was a celebrity in television singing gospels and making speeches fighting for the life she has now which she hates. The only attention she receives is from when she fakes ill and all the other wives come visit and nurture her. However, if she were to get “pregnant” it will bless her ,the household,and wives will envy her. She knows that there are laws, but she is so desperate that she is willing to break them by suggesting this to Offred, “Maybe you should try it another way”(Atwood 204). She encourages Offred to break the law and have sexual intercourse with another man and plant it as the commander’s child. Her desperation make her take desperate actions and how she achieves to rebel against the government. The Commander the one above all and on top of the official classification of Gilead-Men. He has power and in control of the household.He has the duty to impregnate his handmaid Offred. He plays a hypocritical character because even though he creates the rules he breaks them. For example, the place he takes Offred wearing a lingerie, “‘What do you think of our little club?’”(Atwood 236). It was more of a brothel and he only took her to the so he could have the freedom to have sexual intercourse with her without having to restrain himself from showing pleasure and without his wife invading the room. Him having to act like he doesn’t take pleasure in having sexual intercourse made him take these measures. This shows how none of them are happy even they have a sort of power because they don’t completely have the freedom to live their