Freedom In The Handmaid's Tale

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The Creation of Falsified Freedoms from Male Relationships
Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, effectively shows the power of relationships and how they can affect a person's actions. The novel describes the dystopian society of the Republic of Gilead in which the low fertility rate created a need for Handmaids. The story is told from the perspective of Offred, a Handmaid, who constantly reflects on her former life to distract herself from her new life and job to become pregnant. Offred comes to recognize that freedom is right and a privilege that is not appreciated until it is taken away. Offred's perspective of relationships, whether they be romantic or not, evolves throughout the course of the novel. By looking at Offred's relationships …show more content…
Offred's unusual relationship with the Commander created a new outlet to their dynamic. "He wanted me to play Scrabble with him, and kiss him as if I meant it" (Atwood 144). Offred knew that she had little power in the household and by denying to convene with the Commander in secret would create an even more hostile environment. Even though Offred was pressured into continuing meeting him at night, they both had a similar reason for the meetings-loneliness. Both were feeling oppressed by the government and the social norms. Offred's reasoning was pressure, but also power. When the Commander asks her to kiss him, she has a misconception that she has power in the situation. She thinks that she is in control and asks for gifts such as the lotion. However, the Commander still had more power. The more time Offred spends with the Commander, the more she begins to sympathize with him; however, that does not help her current state. Yes, she receives trivial gifts in return, but she lets her guard down emotionally. When the Commander realizes that Offred trusts him, he uses that trust to his advantage. "I lie there like a dead bird. [The Commander] is not a monster, I think. I can't afford pride or aversion, there are all kinds of things that have to be discarded under the circumstances" (Atwood 255). Even though she thought the Commander gave her freedom by giving her gifts and sneaking her out to Jezebel's to be his date, it was done so with selfish motives. He did not merely take her out for her to have fun, but to reaffirm his power and show off. He took her to Jezebel's well aware that he was in power and that she could not deny him when the time came. The Commander forcing himself on her, made Offred come back to reality and detach herself from her
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