The Handmaid’s Tale

My favorite character from The Handmaid’s Tale was, Offred, the story’s main character and narrarator. Offred is a woman who is given the role of Handmaid in the dystopian society of Gilead. This new society was created after a rebellion against the US government, and her sole role as a handmaid is to produce children for this society. Offred was a very quiet and closed off character who generally  follows the rules of the oppressive environment , but she only does so in order to survive. When she is given power to rebel by characters with more power than her she takes it. Throughout the story, Offred has flashbacks from the past where she misses her old life with her husband and daughter whom she is not even sure if they are alive anymore. Because of the tight restraints on her life by the government her character is quite static in terms of not making much action; however she over time is more tempted to join the rebellion against the oppressive government. Some examples of her dynamic actions are her starting an affair with Nick which is illegal, and when she agrees to go out with the commander to a club. I personally connected with Offred because I can relate to the pressures society puts on people especially women to act or appear a certain way. For Offred this pressure was more serious as it had to do with life or death and for our current society these pressures are more subtle and enforced through social norms. My favorite aspect of the character Offred, were her flashbacks because they allowed us to see how  the horrors of her environment were created and enforced; Furthermore, her flashbacks from a time when her life was just like ours it brought up the themes of true freedom and the power of communication.