Unorthodoxy In The Handmaid’s Tale In a world where everything is in order, individuality will not go unnoticed. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is set in a totalitarian theocracy called the Republic of Gilead. The main character and narrator, Offred, presents her story as an audio diary, which is transcribed into book form by Professor Pieixoto. Offred tells of her life before Gilead, when she has a steady job and a loving family; during the revolution, when she loses her job, money, and family; and under the control of Gilead, when she becomes a Handmaid whose sole purpose is to have babies in a world where fertility rates are extremely low. The book explores many real life issues such as sexism, social caste systems, and the manipulation
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One of the Commander’s unorthodox acts is hosting private meetings with Offred in his office. The Handmaids are never supposed to be alone in the presence of a man, especially in a Commander’s office, where women are not allowed at all. When reading one of the Commanders magazines, Offred comes across a faux-Latin phrase that is also carved into her closet, “nolite te bastardes carborundorum” (Atwood 186). After discussing the sentence with the Commander, Offred realizes what the previous Handmaid truly means. Offred is nothing more than a toy for the Commander. This is how she describes her situation: “If your dog dies, get another” (Atwood 187). Obviously the Commander has had previous unorthodox relationships with his Handmaids and continues to do so without consequence. If the situation gets dangerous, the Commander can easily replace his Handmaid. This kind of relation is strictly forbidden and is completely unorthodox. Another incidence of unorthodoxy is when he takes Offred to Jezebel’s, a brothel. The Commander explains to Offred that “nature demands a variety, for men” (Atwood 237). According to the Commander, in a monogamous society where women wear the same thing every day, it is understandable that men require prostitutes. It might not be officially permitted, but visits to Jezebel’s are allowed to go under the
One of the Commander’s unorthodox acts is hosting private meetings with Offred in his office. The Handmaids are never supposed to be alone in the presence of a man, especially in a Commander’s office, where women are not allowed at all. When reading one of the Commanders magazines, Offred comes across a faux-Latin phrase that is also carved into her closet, “nolite te bastardes carborundorum” (Atwood 186). After discussing the sentence with the Commander, Offred realizes what the previous Handmaid truly means. Offred is nothing more than a toy for the Commander. This is how she describes her situation: “If your dog dies, get another” (Atwood 187). Obviously the Commander has had previous unorthodox relationships with his Handmaids and continues to do so without consequence. If the situation gets dangerous, the Commander can easily replace his Handmaid. This kind of relation is strictly forbidden and is completely unorthodox. Another incidence of unorthodoxy is when he takes Offred to Jezebel’s, a brothel. The Commander explains to Offred that “nature demands a variety, for men” (Atwood 237). According to the Commander, in a monogamous society where women wear the same thing every day, it is understandable that men require prostitutes. It might not be officially permitted, but visits to Jezebel’s are allowed to go under the