How Does Offred Create A Lack Of Control In The Handmaid's Tale

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As time progresses, it seems as though women have less control over their bodies. Offred portrays a lack of control over her life entirely due to the controlling nature she is put under. Offred always has to face fear because of the controlling nature of Gilead. In The Handmaid's Tale, Offred has to face fear every day, whether that be mental or physical. She has to stay true to herself. The author explains, “You have to go slow with them. Last week, they shot a woman right about here.they thought she was a man in disguise. There have been such accidents” (Atwood 20). Gilead is a scary place full of hidden events. Even while being innocent in their daily activities, they still have to worry and constantly be alert. They can never truly be at …show more content…

Offred always has to face fear because of the controlling nature of Gilead. In The Handmaid's Tale, Offred has to face fear every day, whether that be mental or physical. She has to stay true to herself. The author explains, “You have to go slow with them. Last week, they shot a woman right here. They thought she was a man in disguise. There have been such accidents” (Atwood 20). Gilead is a scary place full of hidden events. Even while being innocent in their daily activities, they still have to worry and constantly be alert. They can never truly be at peace with themselves. Even though Offred does not exactly agree with the way she has to act in public, she has to conform to those ways because of what could happen to her. She values her life, so she must act as she is asked to act. Furthermore, in the book The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood also states, “I sink down into my body as into a swamp or fenland, where only I know the footing. Treacherous ground, my own territory” (Atwood 73). The expectations of others about what is happening inside her body have become her own. Offred finds a sense of ownership and control within herself, associating her body with her own territory. This can be defined as a coping mechanism. Overall, Gilead creates a very unsafe environment full of dread and …show more content…

The handmaids are forced to do ceremonies with the commanders to produce babies for their wives. Atwood also states, “What’s going on in this room, under Serena Joy’s silvery canopy, is not exciting. It has nothing to do with passion, love, romance, or any of those other notions we use to militate ourselves with. It has nothing to do with sexual desire.” (Atwood 94). Offred acknowledges that during these times, she is getting used to it. What is going on here is wrong, but Offred has no control and cannot do anything about it. In addition to conforming to what her commander says, Offred also conforms through the ways she interacts with others in public. Offred explains, “I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it is shameful or immodest, but because I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to look at something that determines me." Atwood 63. Offred’s body is being taken away from her. Her body determines her as a person because she can produce babies, which lets the commanders do whatever they want to her body without Offred accepting it. It makes her feel lonely, lonely, and unpowered. Sex plays a huge role in The Handmaid's Tale. They take advantage of all the handmaid bodies that can produce babies, which makes it harder on the handmaids. They convince the handmaids that if they don’t get pregnant, then their bodies are not a gift. They want the handmaids to know that the ceremonies are

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