A Princely Downfall In Margaret Atwood’s totalitarian regime, Gilead, almost every person’s civil rights have been severely suppressed, especially the rights of women. However, even though the Gilead regime wields the ultimate power, several characters in the novel demonstrate their resistance to it, in ranging success. Moira, the main character’s best friend, exhibits nonconformity to the status quo from the very beginning of The Handmaid's Tale, and is always shown to be armed with knowledge as the story progresses, until the Gilead regime eventually breaks down her resolve, transforming her into an unsuccessful prince. As demonstrated in Offred’s nostalgic memories, Moira had always been a confident and rebellious person. Her
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Her intelligence aids her not only in strengthening her reputation as a cunning and capable woman, but in her ability to regain some freedom, albeit temporarily. Moira was able to escape the horrors of the Red Center by causing the toilet in the bathroom to overflow, which “isn’t too hard to do if you know how, and Moira had mechanical ability, she used to fix her own car, the minor things” as Offred recounts in a later part of the story (Atwood 131). Coupled with her confident nature and knowledge, Moira’s successful escape was almost assured, as even the Aunt she held hostage dared not to cry for help because “she knew Moira meant what she said [threats]; Moira had a bad reputation” (Atwood 131). Despite being forced to act as a Handmaid for a substantial period of time, Moira was able to simply walk past the guards into relative safety; “[she] stood up straight and looked firmly ahead. She drew her shoulders back, pulled up her spine, and compressed her lips. This was not our usual posture. Usually we walked with heads bent down, our eyes on our hands or the ground” (Atwood 132). She pretended to be an Aunt so convincingly, that the guards did not become suspicious of her, and assumed she was who she portrayed. Thus, Moira truly seems like a viable contestant for a successful Machiavellian prince due to her passion for defying the status quo, and her equipment of various
Her intelligence aids her not only in strengthening her reputation as a cunning and capable woman, but in her ability to regain some freedom, albeit temporarily. Moira was able to escape the horrors of the Red Center by causing the toilet in the bathroom to overflow, which “isn’t too hard to do if you know how, and Moira had mechanical ability, she used to fix her own car, the minor things” as Offred recounts in a later part of the story (Atwood 131). Coupled with her confident nature and knowledge, Moira’s successful escape was almost assured, as even the Aunt she held hostage dared not to cry for help because “she knew Moira meant what she said [threats]; Moira had a bad reputation” (Atwood 131). Despite being forced to act as a Handmaid for a substantial period of time, Moira was able to simply walk past the guards into relative safety; “[she] stood up straight and looked firmly ahead. She drew her shoulders back, pulled up her spine, and compressed her lips. This was not our usual posture. Usually we walked with heads bent down, our eyes on our hands or the ground” (Atwood 132). She pretended to be an Aunt so convincingly, that the guards did not become suspicious of her, and assumed she was who she portrayed. Thus, Moira truly seems like a viable contestant for a successful Machiavellian prince due to her passion for defying the status quo, and her equipment of various