The novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, takes place in the present day United States, although it has been overrun by a new society called the Republic of Gilead. The society is run by oppressive conservatives that have assigned all citizens into classes. When the main character, Offred, is assigned the role of a Handmaid, her individuality is taken away from her. Handmaids belong to men of a higher ranking class called Commanders, who use them the sole purpose of conceiving a child. In the new society, Offred becomes viewed as something less than a human. The character Offred in Margaret Atwood 's novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is dehumanized by leaders of the society of Gilead when they take away her name, alter her position and value in society, and
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Her actions and words become premeditated and restrained because she no longer has a choice to say what she feels. Ignoring her situation is the only choice she has. The suppression of her actions is depicted in the following quote: “I wait. I compose myself. My self is a thing I must now compose, as one composes a speech. What I must present is a made thing, not something born” (Atwood 20). Offred has to work at behaving in a different way than what is natural to her because she is scared of acting otherwise. Her oppressors want her to act this way because it makes her seem less human and more like an object. Therefore, she is more easily treated as such, so her feelings are disregarded. The Republic of Gilead prohibits any bonds Offred has with others. When asked by her Commander what they overlooked in forming the society, Offred replies, “Love, I said. Love? said the Commander. What kind of love? Falling in love, I said” (Atwood 220). Love has now disappeared from Offred’s life. Even when she has feelings for other characters, she tries to let them go because she knows they are dangerous. She has been separated from her daughter, husband, and best friend, but is unable to show any discontent about, or even mention the separation. Offred formed an identity and a life through her connections with these people. Without them, she has lost a piece of her that makes her a
Her actions and words become premeditated and restrained because she no longer has a choice to say what she feels. Ignoring her situation is the only choice she has. The suppression of her actions is depicted in the following quote: “I wait. I compose myself. My self is a thing I must now compose, as one composes a speech. What I must present is a made thing, not something born” (Atwood 20). Offred has to work at behaving in a different way than what is natural to her because she is scared of acting otherwise. Her oppressors want her to act this way because it makes her seem less human and more like an object. Therefore, she is more easily treated as such, so her feelings are disregarded. The Republic of Gilead prohibits any bonds Offred has with others. When asked by her Commander what they overlooked in forming the society, Offred replies, “Love, I said. Love? said the Commander. What kind of love? Falling in love, I said” (Atwood 220). Love has now disappeared from Offred’s life. Even when she has feelings for other characters, she tries to let them go because she knows they are dangerous. She has been separated from her daughter, husband, and best friend, but is unable to show any discontent about, or even mention the separation. Offred formed an identity and a life through her connections with these people. Without them, she has lost a piece of her that makes her a