The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

Throughout history, there have been countless coups, invasions, and wars that result in a governmental overthrow. Entire countries have their governments changed, however, the people under those governments also change both physically and mentally. Many are brainwashed and forced to obey the new laws of the land, leaving them in a damaged mental state. Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale, follows the thoughts and actions of Offred, a key member of the alternate society known as the Republic of Gilead. Gilead divides women into different classes, each serving their respective purpose. The women are heavily suppressed and brainwashed to believe that their highest purpose is reproduction, which heavily contradicts their previous life in America.

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, created his theory upon the idea that the human mind is divided into three components, the id, the ego, and the superego. Freud believed that unconscious developments and primal urges shaped the id, ego, and superego to create a mature personality. Offred’s thoughts and actions firmly display the concepts of psychoanalytic theory. Offred’s unconscious flashbacks strongly exhibit principles of her primitive urges. The human mind has natural, unconscious desires that influence one’s thoughts, however, the intensity of these desires is suppressed under comfortable living conditions because one can easily achieve what they want. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred’s living conditions are far from comfortable, which allows her unconscious desires to become apparent through her flashbacks. For instance, Offred commonly has flashbacks to her husband, Luke, which demonstrates her desire for

The second component of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory revolves around the ego, or one’s conscious thoughts or actions. The ego demonstrates one’s perception of reality. Offred’s ego is clearly depicted when the Commander, the leader of the household, illegally requests Offred to see him privately in his room. Offred stands outside the Commander’s door, thinking: “My presence here is illegal…I could become an Unwoman. But to refuse to see him could be worse. There’s no doubt about who holds the real power” (Atwood 136). Although Offred has fear in accepting the Commander’s request, she remains compliant to him because she knows he holds power over her. The reality of Offred’s life is that she is oppressed and holds little power over others. Offred’s action of compliance shows that she is conscious of her reality, which manifests the egotistical aspect of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Offred’s compliance is once again shown when she is entering the Commander’s Wife’s house: she “...didn’t say anything to her. Aunt Lydia said it was best not to speak unless they asked you a direct question” (Atwood 14). Offred complies with the teachings of Aunt Lydia, a superior to Offred that teaches all handmaids how to think and behave. Offred consciously behaves this way because she understands that she must behave a certain way to stay alive, therefore connecting herself with her ego. The ego is one’s most rational way