Assignment #2 Mrs. Graham's 3rd period class
Margret Atwood portrays Offred in her fictional novel “The
Handmaid’s Tale” as opportunistic for all women kind and helps tell the meaning
of the novel as a whole by exploring her feelings and thoughts about Gilead’s
society. Gilead is a society that views
women as an object more than as a whole individual. Brainwashing the minds of
the women at the lowest level to say that the world will never be as before;
that the life they’re living is a privilege not a punishment. Offred is a girl
who sees the place she’s living in as a derogatory place for women because all
that women can do in the eyes of the world is reproduce without that ability
they are nothing. Offred states this while standing in front of a mirror “I
don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely” (ch. 12 pg.
63). The “something” she is referring to her body because as she is
standing in front of the mirror naked and vulnerable she remembers how she use
to wear bikinis, not to impress men, but to have fun at the beach. Showing her
how filthy they treat women and how worthless they make them feel. This relates
to the meaning of the novel because it shows how Offred thinks differently from
what the other girls do. This gives insight to how Offred really feels about
what her society does. Even people around the area believe its alright to do
what they are doing. Aunt Lady says “…this may not seem ordinary to you now,
but after time it will” (ch.6 pg. 33). This explains how Offred is not use to
the way she’s living and Aunt Lady is saying how she will eventually get used
to it. However Offred would never get used to it because she has her mind set on a better more free world than what
she is living now. With thoughts like this it shows Offred would never be like
the other girls because she wants equal rights and the right to do what she pleases
without the approval of men. This relates to the meaning because it shows the
real feelings and thoughts of Offred and helps the audience realize that she
will not change her point of view for just anyone. Offred has dreams of places
with free rights for everyone, not just men. “I would like to believe this is a
story I’m telling. I need to believe it,” (ch 7 pg 39). This quote explains
Offred thoughts on the society how she believes it’s a story she is just
telling to someone. She can’t wrap her head around the fact that this is
her life now; when the world can be so much better. The quote relates to the
meaning because Offred will not let herself be consumed by the world around
her. She knows there is something better out there and all of the Gilead society
was a horrible dream. The meaning of the whole novel is to show through Offred
by her constantly talking about her emotions and never letting Gilead take
full control of her and corrupt her mind. She will fight for what she believes in and she will not stop until women are treated with respect rather than
getting treated like sex objects.
