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What Is The Treatment Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale

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In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred, one of the main characters lives in the Republic of Gilead. The Republic of Gilead is a regime where fertile women are used for their ovaries to reproduce children. Known as handmaids, these women are treated like prisoners and are forced to have sexual relationships with their Commander.
Before Offred entered the Republic of Gilead she was the wife of Luke and the mother of a daughter and her life was complete. “Our happiness is part memory. What I remember is Luke, with me in the hospital, standing beside my head, holding my hand, in the green gown and white mask they gave him” (Atwood 126). When the regime took over, she and Luke attempt to flee into Canada, but they were caught. She has been separated from her husband and her daughter since that time. She was given the name “Offred”, when she entered The Republic of Gilead. She was given this name to make it known that she was a handmaid to the Commander and his wife Serena Joy. Serena Joy tells Offred that she needs to fall in love with Nick, the family chauffeur. Eventually Offred falls in love with Nick. Offred receives treated differently …show more content…
“Then Offred lies on Serena’s bed between her legs while the Commander tries to impregnate her. She senses his detachment and Serena’s anger” (Napierkowski 3). After the sexual encounter, Serena Joy tells Offred to get up and leave. Normally the handmaids are supposed to wait a certain amount of time before getting up to improve their chance for pregnancy. It does not seem to bother Offred that Serena Joy is angry with her and at times seems as if she is trying to make Serena Joy angry. Offred does not have any sympathy for Serena Joy because of her anger towards Offred. Eventually Offred is unable to become pregnant by the Commander so Serena Joy suggests she sleep with Nick and pass the child off as the

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