Change In The Handmaid's Tale

The two books are similar in many ways but some of the main themes are death, power and change. Both novels revolve around a government controlled world where everything must be done to their standards. The high-ranking officers in The Wars exploit the soldiers, as the government officials in The Handmaid's Tale exploit women and men who do not follow the ideals of the Gileadean society. The families of the soldiers in The Wars and all underprivileged citizens in The Handmaid's Tale often remain ignorant to the occurrences within their own societies. Citizens in both novels are severely disadvantaged by those in power and that is why both books can be compared to one another.

Firstly, death is a big subject in both novels as there is a lot

The inevitability of change is an important theme in The Wars. It violently and aggressively pushes into people's private lives, merging the private with public life. Robert sees this change in the physical landscape of his hometown. Gone is the perfect small town he once knew, replaced by factories working tirelessly for the war effort. The element of water is also associated with change. Robert bathes at key points in the story before a change, like before departing for training as well as before he is sexually assaulted. "Robert sat on the mutilated mattress and opened his kit bag. Everything was there - including the picture of Rowena. Robert burned it in the middle of the floor. This was not an act of anger - but an act of charity." (Findley 204) The charity that Findley writes of refers not to Rowena but to Robert himself. By letting go of his sister, he is letting go of the guilt he has carried over her death. Rowena's picture and memory also provided him a sense of comfort, of a time when he was happier and the world made more sense. This shows the change that Robert has gone through, and how he thinks differently now. Robert burns the only picture he has left of his sister, Rowena. He does this because he is acknowledging that those days are gone and will never return. This act signals a dark change in his character. Robert now sees the world he lives in as much more grim than the one he once knew. Rowena, he feels, would not understand this world any better. While he misses his sister, he is also glad she has not survived to see it the way the world is now. In The Handmaid’s Tale, change is used to show character development of Offred and many of the other Handmaid’s. As they are exposed to more of the world and the government's idea for them, they realize how much change needs to happen. Offred is the character that develops from the quiet and