The Handmaid's Tale Argumentative Essay
The Handmaid’s Tale written by Margaret Atwood is a story about a totalitarian dystopia, called the Republic of Gilead, which came to fruition when the United States of America collapsed due to a chemical disaster. The consequence of this disaster made it so that most women were unable to get pregnant. The reader follows the life of Offred, a Handmaid in Gilead, whose sole purpose is to bear a child for her Commander since his wife, Serena Joy, is infertile. Each month, Offred must offer her body to her Commander while his wife holds her hands and watches. In addition to Offred and her Commander, everyone in Gilead is constantly being watched by The Eyes, an undercover police force. The Eyes spy on everyone to make sure they do not break any rules. The Handmaids have many limitations on what they can and can not see. As a result of this, they are stipped of all individuality. Atwood uses the theme of vision throughout the novel to highlight a tension between how Gilead restricts their sight, by forcing them to watch protestors be tortured, and how Offred’s forbidden identity is an opportunity for her and the Handmaids to rebell. Atwood makes this point to shine a light on how this restrictive government is similar to modern day society.
Atwood argues that visual displays of power including the Wall, where dead bodies of nonconformists are hung on display, are used as a repressive force on the Handmaids. This visual monstrosity symbolizes the power of the government and is a constant reminder to the citizens that no one is safe, particularly those who show individual thought. The Eyes know how dangerous it is for the Handmaids to have curiosities so they impose paranoia to ensure that they do not have the opportunity to start a revolution. On a daily basis, Offred and Ofglen, another Handmaid, pass by the Wall. “The Wall is hundreds of years old too; or over a hundred, at least. Like the sidewalks, it’s red brick, and must once have been plain but handsome” (31). Atwood uses vision, literally, in this scene and Offred explains that “We’re supposed to look at the bodies. It doesn’t matter if we look. We’re supposed to look: this is what they are there for, hanging on the Wall. Sometimes they’ll be there for days, until there’s a new batch, so as many people as possible will have the chance to see them” (32). In this quote, Atwood puts the reader in the head of Offred. She uses repetitive language with the word “look” to show a contradiction between Offred’s thoughts. Offred can not decide whether the Wall is normal and she is supposed to look or if it is an obscure presentation and she should look away. This is similar to how the Salvagings, or public killings, is supposed to represent power and the Handmaids are supposed to acknowledge the deaths. The worst part about the hangings are that the bodies are meaningless and have no identity. “It makes the men like dolls on which the faces have not yet been painted; like scarecrows, which in a way is what they are, since they are meant to scare. Or as if their heads are sacks, stuffed with some undifferentiated material, like flour or dough.” Atwood compares the lifeless bodies hanging on the Wall to a scarecrow, suggesting that they should symbolize fear and, thus, make the inhabitants of Gilead fearful of rebellion and a similar demise. There is no justice or empathy for the bodies on the Wall. When Offred explains the heads like flour, she is emphasizing the absence of affinity between two humans. Atwood uses the Wall to illustrate the uncertainty and oppression that exists in Gilead.
As Ofglen and Offred are leaving the Wall, Ofglen says the proper goodbye, “Under His Eye” (45). This saying used between the Handmaids is a routine phrase that they communicate to show their commitment to the new republic. This has established the idea that everything they do is always “Under His Eye” and whatever they do could be used against them. The Eyes are an instrument that Gilead uses that act as God’s eyes. It is not explicit that Atwood is referring to God, but in this religious environment, the Eye’s purpose is to watch over everyone to make sure that they do not engage in any unorthodox behavior. If the Handmaids do not follow the rules, they are taken by a black van with a white winged eye on the side. They would then be shipped off to the colonies, where the radiation leaks occurred in the past. This is the worst form of punishment because their future is unknown and the colonies are a comparison to hell.
Atwood uses a ritual in Gilead known as the Salvagings to show how restricting the Handmaid’s sight in the ceremony is a way to mentally abuse them. The visual act of the killings are intended to manipulate the Handmaids into subservience. The Salvaging is a ceremony for women only that takes place and Offred notes that “There is less need for them. These days we are so well behaved.” The Handmaids gather “at the front, where everyone can keep an eye on us. We don’t sit on chairs, but kneel, and this time we have cushions, small red velvet ones with nothing written on them, not even Faith” (273). The Handmaids are blinded by the inhumane structure of the ceremony. “I’ve seen it before, the white bag placed over the head, the woman helped up onto the high stool as if she’s being helped up the steps of a bus, steadied there, the noose adjusted delicately around the neck, like a vestment, the stool kicked away” (276). By covering the victims, it is meant to keep the Handmaids from seeing who is under the bag. Atwood intentionally makes all of the Handmaids wear the same outfit so that they are left worriedly guessing as to who could possibly be hung. This is again a ploy that Atwood uses to illicit control over the women in hope to maintain their focus on the power of the regime and their personal calling. Denying the women the right to see the victim is an invasion of human rights and Offred realizes this when she tries to look away. She knows it is wrong and there is no justice for the three women. In this quote, Atwood emphasizes that the Handmaids are always at the so called “bottom of the totem pole.” They are the ones to suffer the most during the Salvaging because they are forced to sit “at the front, where everyone can keep an eye on us.” Offred tries to distract herself when she says, “I don’t want to see it anymore. I look at the grass instead. I describe the rope.” This scene connects to the larger point of the book that their sight is distorted by a higher power. It is another example of how the Handmaids are controlled and lose sight of hope.
Atwood creates a tension during the scene that directly follows the Salvaging, called the Particicution, to show how Gilead enforces rebellion through sight where the the Handmaids are encouraged to physically attack a rival for alleged crimes against women. The victim in this ceremony is a Guardian, whose job in Gilead is to assist the Wives in their gardens and to keep watch on the Commander’s homes. This Guardian was accused and convicted of rape and sentenced to death. Offred describes the atmosphere as chaotic; “There’s an energy building here, murmur, a tremor of readiness and anger. The bodies tense, the eyes are brighter, as if aiming” (278). Offred does not know who the man is and starts examining the body to determine if it is Luke, her past husband, or Nick, a Guardian whom she has a relationship with. “I try to look inside him, inside the trashed face, see what he must really look like” (279). Atwood suggests that the Guardian is unworthy to be seen by obscuring his vision by placing a bag over his head. When the women start attacking the victim, Offred thinks about the man and the kind of torture he is going through. She infers that maybe, “He has become an it.” (280) Atwood uses language like “it” to emphasize that the Guardian is a meaningless object. By highlighting the concept of personhood, it further supports Atwood’s argument that vision is a reason to revolt and a way that Gilead intentionally creates an uproar. After the execution, the Handmaids appear immune to the mistreatment since it happens so often. In the same way how the victims in the Salvagings are covered, the Guardian’s sight is distorted by Gilead.
Another way Atwood demonstrates oppression through sight is with the Soul Scrolls. Soul Scrolls are printed versions of five different prayers; health, wealth, a death, a birth and a sin. The prayers are a way for the Handmaids to talk to God. Although, typically, prayer is a form of personal worship, it is something that Gilead regulates. When the Handmaids attempt to use the Soul Scrolls, they are instructed to “pick the one you want, punch in the number, then punch in your own number so your account will be debited, and punch in the number of times you want the prayer repeated” (167). This system of reading and receiving prayers is very strategic and repetitive. It is a tangible way for their prayers to be seen. However, when Offred thinks about the Soul Scrolls she observes that “You can’t hear the voices from outside; only a murmur, a hum, like a devout crowd, on its knees. Each machine has an eye painted in gold on the side, flanked by two small golden wings.” The importance in this quote lies with the process in which the Handmaids can express their beliefs. Even in a time of reflection and prayer, they are being watched and listened to. This leads to a conversation about God. Ofglen asks Offred the question “Do you think God listens to theses machines?” The women need to whisper because if they proclaim that God, in fact, does not listen, then they could be tried for treason and killed. However, Offred shares with Ofglen that God does not listen to her or anyone else’s prayers. This is one way that vision can demonstrate resistance because Offred feels as though she is not “seen” by the people in Gilead or even God. Religion is a part of one’s identity and since Offred does not think that God sees her, she lacks connections with her past and future. The Handmaids do not have the freedom to express a need for a higher power because it is forced upon them that their Commanders are who they should look up to most with respect.
Atwood demonstrates how a mirror can distort a Handmaid’s identity by enforcing how they are supposed to view their bodies. During Offred’s time at the Re-Education Center, the Aunts program the Handmaids to embrace the ideals of the new society. The Aunts fear that the Handmaids would shatter the mirrors and use the glass as a weapon and a device to kill themselves. Atwood’s decision to implement only a few scattered mirrors in the Red Center is to remind the Handmaid’s that they are secluded “breeders”. In one scene, Offred is walking through the halls and noticed a mirror on the wall. “There remains a mirror, on the hall wall. If I turn my head so that the white wings framing my face direct my vision towards it, I can see as I go down the stairs, round, convex, a pier glass, like the eye of a fish, and myself in it like a distorted shadow, a parody of something, some fairy-tale figure in a red cloak, descending towards a moment of carelessness that is the same as danger. A Sister, dipped in blood” (11). When Offred looks into a mirror, she sees a vague image of red. In this quote, Atwood uses the color red to portray blood. The blood is a symbol for their menstrual cycle. When the Handmaids have their menstrual cycle, it is a sign of failure because it shows that they are not pregnant. This ultimately mean that they did not do their only job. Another way that Atwood argues that the mirrors are a risk for questioning identity is because if the Handmaids stare at themselves in the mirror, it is believed that they would long to have their old bodies back. Atwood also uses the conservative dresses to reflect how they are taught to act: modest and unassuming and the mirrors are a constant reminder that everyone looks the same. This results in the Handmaids feeling unimportant and leads to a demolished self image. Atwood uses the mirrors as a symbol of the regime’s control over the character’s identities and to make the Handmaids feel used.
Atwood uses Offred’s past, and her constant flashbacks of her relationship with Luke and her daughter, to show how Gilead is attempting to destroy her identity and manipulate her. Before the revolution, Offred was involved with a married man named Luke. She eventually married him and they had a daughter. In one scene, after Offred returns from her daily walk, she has a flashback. She was reminiscing on how she would “like to have Luke here, in this bedroom while I’m getting dressed, so I could have a fight with him. Absurd, but that’s what I want. An argument, about who should put the dishes in the dishwasher, whose turn it is to sort the laundry, clean the toilet; something daily and unimportant in the big scheme of things. We could even have a fight about that, about unimportant, important. What a luxury that would be. Not that we did it much. These days I script whole fights, in my head, and the reconciliations afterwards too” (200). Since becoming a Handmaid, Offred pays close attention to details. In her relationship with Luke, she glanced over him and did not study him the way she does with Nick’s body. Atwood compares Offred’s relationship with Luke to hers with the Commander. In both relationships, Offred is a mistress. She longs for Luke but shows no attachment to her Commander. She is desperate to feel love and when she has sex with Nick, at the request of Serena, it is as if she is reunited with love, and also the forbiddenness of it all. Atwood uses this trade between Serena and Offred to show that Serena will take desperate measures to get Offred pregnant. Selfishly, Serena knows that Offred’s daughter is important to her identity gives her hope. However, when Offred looks back on the time she spent with Luke, she does not have fond memories because she used rely on him for a lot and she felt taken advantage of. Now that she does not have Luke in her life anymore, she craves attention and even wishes she could re-live a fight that they had. Atwood uses these visions to show that Offred hasn’t moved on and her past is a major part of her current identity, despite the attempts of Gilead and the Eyes to control all facets of her being.
Atwood uses Aunt Lydia’s lecture during the Birth Day to drill the importance of self image into the Handmaids. She wants the women to “Think of yourselves as pearls.” Aunt Lydia continues talking while “We, sitting in our rows, eyes down, we make her salivate morally. We are hers to define, we must suffer her adjectives.” Offred thinks about pearls. “Pearls are congealed oyster spit” (114). In this quote, Atwood emphasizes the expectations set by the Aunts and the regime. Atwood uses pearls to suggest that Offred and the other Handmaids should be a representation of beauty and purity. However, Offred quickly minimizes the description to something more ordinary and vulgar. When Atwood writes “eyes down”, she is describing the condescending way that the Aunts speak to the Handmaids. This shows how Offred is being brainwashed in the way that she tries to ignore her thoughts and attempts to understand how the Aunts want her to be perceived to the world. The Aunts are trying to teach the Handmaids how to be modest women that contribute to society. As a result of these standards that are in place, the Handmaid’s identity is ultimately defined for them. Within these strict guidelines, it is impossible to feel any sense of uniqueness.
The Handmaids are taught to follow the rules, dress by the standards and basically to not be individuals. Offred describes herself in a very basic way saying, “I am thirty-three years old. I have brown hair. I stand five seven without shoes. I have trouble remembering what I used to look like. I have viable ovaries. I have one more chance” (143). The way that Offred visualizes herself suggests curiosity which Gilead sees as unacceptable. She studies her body to try and understand what it was like in her past and how she got to where she is today. She lives every day following the same routine and questioning the possibilities. Offred craves to feel free again because where she lives, she explains it is a trap and an “illusion of depth, created by frame, the arrangement of shapes on a flat surface. Perspective is necessary. Otherwise there are only two dimensions...Otherwise you live in the moment. Which is not where I want to be” (143). This shows the confliction is Offred’s mind and her current role within the world. She is being brainwashed when Gilead tells her what to think of herself but when she lays down at night she shows the true definition of despair. Atwood uses repetition in Offred’s life to show this vicious cycle of living day by day, unhappy with herself. Furthermore, Atwood shows that despite the confines of her limited existence, the mind of Offred, the way in which she perceives herself, is still very much active and hopeful.
In conclusion, Atwood uses vision as a way to demonstrate power through Gilead’s manipulation on what the Handmaids can and cannot see as well as how Offred sees herself. Through demonstrations with the Salvaging, Particicution, the Wall and the Eyes, Gilead has surveillance over every move the Handmaids make. Atwood uses these ceremonies to show the importance of public events in Gilead. The consistency between these events back up Atwood’s argument that the Handmaids can not hide from change and the destructive manners of Gilead. Within this oppressive system, Offred is unable to have an individual identity. She struggles to find true love since her body is only used for sex. She is forced to believe that immodesty is shameful and is constantly second guessing herself and wonders if she will live another day when she is taken by the van. Atwood suggests that this system is similar to our modern world. When one walks into a grocery store, bank, hospitals and other public places there is most likely at least a few video cameras. These tools are in place to maintain security and protection. While this is meant to serve as a good thing, some would say that the cameras invade personal privacy. They believe that it is an infringement on their freedoms and rights and think cameras are not necessary. In The Handmaid’s Tale, the theme of vision is used to reveal to the reader the underlying message of the complex ideas between how Gilead uses vision as a repressive device and how the Offred and the other Handmaids use it as an opportunity for revolution.
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. New York: Anchor Books, 1986. Print.
Atwood argues that visual displays of power including the Wall, where dead bodies of nonconformists are hung on display, are used as a repressive force on the Handmaids. This visual monstrosity symbolizes the power of the government and is a constant reminder to the citizens that no one is safe, particularly those who show individual thought. The Eyes know how dangerous it is for the Handmaids to have curiosities so they impose paranoia to ensure that they do not have the opportunity to start a revolution. On a daily basis, Offred and Ofglen, another Handmaid, pass by the Wall. “The Wall is hundreds of years old too; or over a hundred, at least. Like the sidewalks, it’s red brick, and must once have been plain but handsome” (31). Atwood uses vision, literally, in this scene and Offred explains that “We’re supposed to look at the bodies. It doesn’t matter if we look. We’re supposed to look: this is what they are there for, hanging on the Wall. Sometimes they’ll be there for days, until there’s a new batch, so as many people as possible will have the chance to see them” (32). In this quote, Atwood puts the reader in the head of Offred. She uses repetitive language with the word “look” to show a contradiction between Offred’s thoughts. Offred can not decide whether the Wall is normal and she is supposed to look or if it is an obscure presentation and she should look away. This is similar to how the Salvagings, or public killings, is supposed to represent power and the Handmaids are supposed to acknowledge the deaths. The worst part about the hangings are that the bodies are meaningless and have no identity. “It makes the men like dolls on which the faces have not yet been painted; like scarecrows, which in a way is what they are, since they are meant to scare. Or as if their heads are sacks, stuffed with some undifferentiated material, like flour or dough.” Atwood compares the lifeless bodies hanging on the Wall to a scarecrow, suggesting that they should symbolize fear and, thus, make the inhabitants of Gilead fearful of rebellion and a similar demise. There is no justice or empathy for the bodies on the Wall. When Offred explains the heads like flour, she is emphasizing the absence of affinity between two humans. Atwood uses the Wall to illustrate the uncertainty and oppression that exists in Gilead.
As Ofglen and Offred are leaving the Wall, Ofglen says the proper goodbye, “Under His Eye” (45). This saying used between the Handmaids is a routine phrase that they communicate to show their commitment to the new republic. This has established the idea that everything they do is always “Under His Eye” and whatever they do could be used against them. The Eyes are an instrument that Gilead uses that act as God’s eyes. It is not explicit that Atwood is referring to God, but in this religious environment, the Eye’s purpose is to watch over everyone to make sure that they do not engage in any unorthodox behavior. If the Handmaids do not follow the rules, they are taken by a black van with a white winged eye on the side. They would then be shipped off to the colonies, where the radiation leaks occurred in the past. This is the worst form of punishment because their future is unknown and the colonies are a comparison to hell.
Atwood uses a ritual in Gilead known as the Salvagings to show how restricting the Handmaid’s sight in the ceremony is a way to mentally abuse them. The visual act of the killings are intended to manipulate the Handmaids into subservience. The Salvaging is a ceremony for women only that takes place and Offred notes that “There is less need for them. These days we are so well behaved.” The Handmaids gather “at the front, where everyone can keep an eye on us. We don’t sit on chairs, but kneel, and this time we have cushions, small red velvet ones with nothing written on them, not even Faith” (273). The Handmaids are blinded by the inhumane structure of the ceremony. “I’ve seen it before, the white bag placed over the head, the woman helped up onto the high stool as if she’s being helped up the steps of a bus, steadied there, the noose adjusted delicately around the neck, like a vestment, the stool kicked away” (276). By covering the victims, it is meant to keep the Handmaids from seeing who is under the bag. Atwood intentionally makes all of the Handmaids wear the same outfit so that they are left worriedly guessing as to who could possibly be hung. This is again a ploy that Atwood uses to illicit control over the women in hope to maintain their focus on the power of the regime and their personal calling. Denying the women the right to see the victim is an invasion of human rights and Offred realizes this when she tries to look away. She knows it is wrong and there is no justice for the three women. In this quote, Atwood emphasizes that the Handmaids are always at the so called “bottom of the totem pole.” They are the ones to suffer the most during the Salvaging because they are forced to sit “at the front, where everyone can keep an eye on us.” Offred tries to distract herself when she says, “I don’t want to see it anymore. I look at the grass instead. I describe the rope.” This scene connects to the larger point of the book that their sight is distorted by a higher power. It is another example of how the Handmaids are controlled and lose sight of hope.
Atwood creates a tension during the scene that directly follows the Salvaging, called the Particicution, to show how Gilead enforces rebellion through sight where the the Handmaids are encouraged to physically attack a rival for alleged crimes against women. The victim in this ceremony is a Guardian, whose job in Gilead is to assist the Wives in their gardens and to keep watch on the Commander’s homes. This Guardian was accused and convicted of rape and sentenced to death. Offred describes the atmosphere as chaotic; “There’s an energy building here, murmur, a tremor of readiness and anger. The bodies tense, the eyes are brighter, as if aiming” (278). Offred does not know who the man is and starts examining the body to determine if it is Luke, her past husband, or Nick, a Guardian whom she has a relationship with. “I try to look inside him, inside the trashed face, see what he must really look like” (279). Atwood suggests that the Guardian is unworthy to be seen by obscuring his vision by placing a bag over his head. When the women start attacking the victim, Offred thinks about the man and the kind of torture he is going through. She infers that maybe, “He has become an it.” (280) Atwood uses language like “it” to emphasize that the Guardian is a meaningless object. By highlighting the concept of personhood, it further supports Atwood’s argument that vision is a reason to revolt and a way that Gilead intentionally creates an uproar. After the execution, the Handmaids appear immune to the mistreatment since it happens so often. In the same way how the victims in the Salvagings are covered, the Guardian’s sight is distorted by Gilead.
Another way Atwood demonstrates oppression through sight is with the Soul Scrolls. Soul Scrolls are printed versions of five different prayers; health, wealth, a death, a birth and a sin. The prayers are a way for the Handmaids to talk to God. Although, typically, prayer is a form of personal worship, it is something that Gilead regulates. When the Handmaids attempt to use the Soul Scrolls, they are instructed to “pick the one you want, punch in the number, then punch in your own number so your account will be debited, and punch in the number of times you want the prayer repeated” (167). This system of reading and receiving prayers is very strategic and repetitive. It is a tangible way for their prayers to be seen. However, when Offred thinks about the Soul Scrolls she observes that “You can’t hear the voices from outside; only a murmur, a hum, like a devout crowd, on its knees. Each machine has an eye painted in gold on the side, flanked by two small golden wings.” The importance in this quote lies with the process in which the Handmaids can express their beliefs. Even in a time of reflection and prayer, they are being watched and listened to. This leads to a conversation about God. Ofglen asks Offred the question “Do you think God listens to theses machines?” The women need to whisper because if they proclaim that God, in fact, does not listen, then they could be tried for treason and killed. However, Offred shares with Ofglen that God does not listen to her or anyone else’s prayers. This is one way that vision can demonstrate resistance because Offred feels as though she is not “seen” by the people in Gilead or even God. Religion is a part of one’s identity and since Offred does not think that God sees her, she lacks connections with her past and future. The Handmaids do not have the freedom to express a need for a higher power because it is forced upon them that their Commanders are who they should look up to most with respect.
Atwood demonstrates how a mirror can distort a Handmaid’s identity by enforcing how they are supposed to view their bodies. During Offred’s time at the Re-Education Center, the Aunts program the Handmaids to embrace the ideals of the new society. The Aunts fear that the Handmaids would shatter the mirrors and use the glass as a weapon and a device to kill themselves. Atwood’s decision to implement only a few scattered mirrors in the Red Center is to remind the Handmaid’s that they are secluded “breeders”. In one scene, Offred is walking through the halls and noticed a mirror on the wall. “There remains a mirror, on the hall wall. If I turn my head so that the white wings framing my face direct my vision towards it, I can see as I go down the stairs, round, convex, a pier glass, like the eye of a fish, and myself in it like a distorted shadow, a parody of something, some fairy-tale figure in a red cloak, descending towards a moment of carelessness that is the same as danger. A Sister, dipped in blood” (11). When Offred looks into a mirror, she sees a vague image of red. In this quote, Atwood uses the color red to portray blood. The blood is a symbol for their menstrual cycle. When the Handmaids have their menstrual cycle, it is a sign of failure because it shows that they are not pregnant. This ultimately mean that they did not do their only job. Another way that Atwood argues that the mirrors are a risk for questioning identity is because if the Handmaids stare at themselves in the mirror, it is believed that they would long to have their old bodies back. Atwood also uses the conservative dresses to reflect how they are taught to act: modest and unassuming and the mirrors are a constant reminder that everyone looks the same. This results in the Handmaids feeling unimportant and leads to a demolished self image. Atwood uses the mirrors as a symbol of the regime’s control over the character’s identities and to make the Handmaids feel used.
Atwood uses Offred’s past, and her constant flashbacks of her relationship with Luke and her daughter, to show how Gilead is attempting to destroy her identity and manipulate her. Before the revolution, Offred was involved with a married man named Luke. She eventually married him and they had a daughter. In one scene, after Offred returns from her daily walk, she has a flashback. She was reminiscing on how she would “like to have Luke here, in this bedroom while I’m getting dressed, so I could have a fight with him. Absurd, but that’s what I want. An argument, about who should put the dishes in the dishwasher, whose turn it is to sort the laundry, clean the toilet; something daily and unimportant in the big scheme of things. We could even have a fight about that, about unimportant, important. What a luxury that would be. Not that we did it much. These days I script whole fights, in my head, and the reconciliations afterwards too” (200). Since becoming a Handmaid, Offred pays close attention to details. In her relationship with Luke, she glanced over him and did not study him the way she does with Nick’s body. Atwood compares Offred’s relationship with Luke to hers with the Commander. In both relationships, Offred is a mistress. She longs for Luke but shows no attachment to her Commander. She is desperate to feel love and when she has sex with Nick, at the request of Serena, it is as if she is reunited with love, and also the forbiddenness of it all. Atwood uses this trade between Serena and Offred to show that Serena will take desperate measures to get Offred pregnant. Selfishly, Serena knows that Offred’s daughter is important to her identity gives her hope. However, when Offred looks back on the time she spent with Luke, she does not have fond memories because she used rely on him for a lot and she felt taken advantage of. Now that she does not have Luke in her life anymore, she craves attention and even wishes she could re-live a fight that they had. Atwood uses these visions to show that Offred hasn’t moved on and her past is a major part of her current identity, despite the attempts of Gilead and the Eyes to control all facets of her being.
Atwood uses Aunt Lydia’s lecture during the Birth Day to drill the importance of self image into the Handmaids. She wants the women to “Think of yourselves as pearls.” Aunt Lydia continues talking while “We, sitting in our rows, eyes down, we make her salivate morally. We are hers to define, we must suffer her adjectives.” Offred thinks about pearls. “Pearls are congealed oyster spit” (114). In this quote, Atwood emphasizes the expectations set by the Aunts and the regime. Atwood uses pearls to suggest that Offred and the other Handmaids should be a representation of beauty and purity. However, Offred quickly minimizes the description to something more ordinary and vulgar. When Atwood writes “eyes down”, she is describing the condescending way that the Aunts speak to the Handmaids. This shows how Offred is being brainwashed in the way that she tries to ignore her thoughts and attempts to understand how the Aunts want her to be perceived to the world. The Aunts are trying to teach the Handmaids how to be modest women that contribute to society. As a result of these standards that are in place, the Handmaid’s identity is ultimately defined for them. Within these strict guidelines, it is impossible to feel any sense of uniqueness.
The Handmaids are taught to follow the rules, dress by the standards and basically to not be individuals. Offred describes herself in a very basic way saying, “I am thirty-three years old. I have brown hair. I stand five seven without shoes. I have trouble remembering what I used to look like. I have viable ovaries. I have one more chance” (143). The way that Offred visualizes herself suggests curiosity which Gilead sees as unacceptable. She studies her body to try and understand what it was like in her past and how she got to where she is today. She lives every day following the same routine and questioning the possibilities. Offred craves to feel free again because where she lives, she explains it is a trap and an “illusion of depth, created by frame, the arrangement of shapes on a flat surface. Perspective is necessary. Otherwise there are only two dimensions...Otherwise you live in the moment. Which is not where I want to be” (143). This shows the confliction is Offred’s mind and her current role within the world. She is being brainwashed when Gilead tells her what to think of herself but when she lays down at night she shows the true definition of despair. Atwood uses repetition in Offred’s life to show this vicious cycle of living day by day, unhappy with herself. Furthermore, Atwood shows that despite the confines of her limited existence, the mind of Offred, the way in which she perceives herself, is still very much active and hopeful.
In conclusion, Atwood uses vision as a way to demonstrate power through Gilead’s manipulation on what the Handmaids can and cannot see as well as how Offred sees herself. Through demonstrations with the Salvaging, Particicution, the Wall and the Eyes, Gilead has surveillance over every move the Handmaids make. Atwood uses these ceremonies to show the importance of public events in Gilead. The consistency between these events back up Atwood’s argument that the Handmaids can not hide from change and the destructive manners of Gilead. Within this oppressive system, Offred is unable to have an individual identity. She struggles to find true love since her body is only used for sex. She is forced to believe that immodesty is shameful and is constantly second guessing herself and wonders if she will live another day when she is taken by the van. Atwood suggests that this system is similar to our modern world. When one walks into a grocery store, bank, hospitals and other public places there is most likely at least a few video cameras. These tools are in place to maintain security and protection. While this is meant to serve as a good thing, some would say that the cameras invade personal privacy. They believe that it is an infringement on their freedoms and rights and think cameras are not necessary. In The Handmaid’s Tale, the theme of vision is used to reveal to the reader the underlying message of the complex ideas between how Gilead uses vision as a repressive device and how the Offred and the other Handmaids use it as an opportunity for revolution.
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. New York: Anchor Books, 1986. Print.