The Meaning Of Life In The Handmaid's Tale

Throughout the journey of life one of the constant struggles that any individual is bound to face, at some point, relates to the meaning of that individual's life. For the most part life consists of mundane everyday activity with no excitement, thrill or pleasure and often times these activities lack any true meaning or purpose. It is during these times that life may seem trivial and an act of vanity altogether but it is also during these times that one possesses the strongest desire to strive for more and achieve some feat which would provide them with feelings of contempt and fulfillment. Margaret Atwood, in her book The Handmaid's Tale, attempts to convey the message that the struggle to add purpose into one's life is constant but must only …show more content…
The narrator, Offred, faces a constant struggle and wishes to be valued, to be significant and to hold some form of power in this cruel society. There comes a time in her life when Offred is presented with the perfect time and opportunity to obtain at least a slightly more satisfying life, one that offers her more than running errands for the household and hoping that she will be able to procreate. This perfect opportunity is when the Commander wishes to see Offred in his study, privately. Offred uses this opportunity to not only escape her usually restricted and boring life but the situation altogether fills her with a sense of power. It gives Offred a sense of joy knowing that she has the ability to expose her Commander at any given time, by responding to the Commander’s request swiftly and appropriately she has gained access to not only luxuries such as being able to read and write but also this power. Through this example one can deduce that when an opportunity presents itself at the proper time and in the correct manner it may allow for one to better their life in a small yet significant