The Loss Of Balance In The Handmaid's Tale

Deep sadness overwhelmed Minimus as grief and guilt settled in him over the death of his older brother. All throughout his childhood he looked up to Maximus. He had always admired his strength and beauty and truly believed that one day he would become like him. Memories flooded his mind of the years they spent together. Even though Minimis never got much attention from any of his brothers, the few special moments he had with Maximus he had grasped onto.

He recalled one of his earliest and sweetest childhood memories where they were play-fighting in the courtyard of the castle- in the days before maximus was perpetually busy doing prince things. It was spring time and they reveled in the nice weather. After sparring for some minutes, Minimis managed to slide his sword between his brothers …show more content…
He realized what the effects of fame and power can have on a young man. With everybody always praising and never criticizing Maximus, he was bound to take on a sociopathic mentality. When one is treated as if the world revolves around them they begin to believe it. This is no mindset for a great king to have. Suddenly the prophecy made sense. His life made sense. He was meant to share an underlying truth about balance. No one should be praised too much or ignored too much. As with everything in life, balance is essential. This was the message he was to share.

With this new insight, he felt revitalized and remembered the purpose of his whole journey: to bring the medicine to his father. He realized how far he had come and if he gave up now, all would be for nothing. This was his only chance for redemption from his mother's death, his brother’s death, and his weaknesses. Refocused, he sped up toward his hometown. Finally he entered through the gates of the kingdom. People were cheering and excited but he thought they shouldn’t celebrate too soon. This is good sign though, it means his father is still alive. But he had to