Journal Ten

Journal Ten

Whether this is my end or a new beginning I have no way of knowing: I have given myself over into the hands of strangers, because it can't be helped.

And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light.


The conclusion of this novel gave the reader no conclusion at all. It is impossible to determine whether Offred is being led to her death or to her freedom. Atwood reveals a new Offred at the end of the book. She has given herself over into psychological freedom. She has suffocated throughout the novel up until the very end as a result of her constant worry. Yet, here, Offred embraces the unknown and "steps up". Whether she is choosing death or freedom, she is unsure, but she has become the master of her world. She has chosen for herself. That is power for Offred. And ultimately that decision is her victory. 

Journal Nine

Journal Nine

“Don't let the bastards grind you down.”

Atwood creates a symbol of hope and freedom with this phrase scrawled in the closet of Offred's room. I would like to think that this is the voice of Atwood coming out through an undefined character. Due to the bitter tone of her writing, it seems to me that, through this phrase, Atwood subtly expresses her personal opinion of Gileadan society. This quote is quite significant in this novel as it gives Offred the personal connection with another that she yearns for. When she learns the meaning of the phrase Offred becomes even more entranced by the story behind it. This phrase gives her a story. It gives her meaning. It gives her hope. It gives her life. 

“But who can remember pain, once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind.”

This quote illuminates the deeper psychological and emotional effects of oppression, specifically in reference to the female psyche. Femininity is beautifully fragile. Atwood reveals this irreversible damages of any kind of pain. She also reveals that despite Gilead's creation to prevent physical pain and danger, it has in fact cost Offred her internal peace and has scarred her very soul. 

"We lived in the gaps between the stories.”

A story is based on relationships. Offred lives without relationships and therefore has no story. Offred, however, spends her hours searching for the remnants of  her past to fabricate her story and seeking out relationships to piece together a story of her future. Atwood reveals that the basis of a human existence lies within relationships. Without relationships, there is no story. Without a story, there is no existence. 

Journal Eight

Journal Eight

Atwood combines tones of sadness, fear and bitterness to appeal to the humanity of her readers.  Offred personifies all three of these tones. She remembers her previous life with longing and bitterness for her current situation. The memories of her family cause the reader to question the intentions of the creators of Gilead who forced her to give up her loving family for the sake of sexual exploitation, loneliness and sadness. The unknown causes Offred much fear. Not only is she oppressed, she cannot understand why. The rivalry between women reveals a universal bitterness among the women of Gilead. They desire to hurt each other, to hurt men and hurt themselves. They also all desire escape. The tone remains sad throughout the novel. Even in the most hopeful of situations, Offred's fear restricts her from feeling any optimism. However, in the end, there is a tone of complacency as Offred clearly gives up on any happiness in her future. Atwood reveals her belief in personal freedom and her appreciation for relationships and love through the bitter tone when describing Gilead. 

Journal Seven

Journal Seven

Literature has fascinated me with the concept of psyche. In particular, I am intrigued by the interactions of men and women on a emotional and very human level. Most probably, this interest stems from my very present experience of becoming a woman. Relationships are increasingly prominent in my life. The effects of relationships on my mental being are clear. As a young person, I am molded by every relationship I establish. Whether the relationship is that between myself and my parents, myself and my boyfriend or myself and my friends, I am consistently changing due to my existence within each. 


While reading Hell by Robert Olen Butler, I wrote many pieces regarding the power of sexuality. I became engrossed in the topic as I researched it more. I realized, that while sexuality has the power to make many people very uncomfortable, it is the basis of the human psyche. Men and women conduct nearly every aspect of their lives in relation with their sexuality. The power of sex goes unmatched by any other human trait.


It occurs to me while reading The Handmaid's Tale that women are highly conscious of their relationships and use them to grow and manipulate. It is clear that the society was created not to protect women, but to control their sexuality. Sexuality is undeniably the most powerful instrument of femininity. Women are uniquely created. A man's desire for a woman cannot be satisfied by anything but a woman. 


The society is very similar to Nazi Germany. The prejudice, "Colonies", and patriarchy are all aspects of Hitler's creation. Atwood brings in many historical allusions to appeal to logos and pathos. The grotesque nature of the historical events she references such as the Holocaust or Salem Witch Hunt cause her readers to be horrified by the new dystopia of Gilead. Likewise, by bringing in historical events, she supports the possibility of such a society and makes it realistic.  

Journal Six

Journal Six


Offred tells the story from her perspective. This offers the readers a look not only into the world of Gilead but a portal into the inter-workings of a woman oppressed by this patriarchal dystopia. The reader learns the most about Offred from her flashbacks to pre-Gilead society. Because Offred knows very little about the structure of her society, the story takes on a mysterious aspect. Atwood uses Offred to force a emotional empathy for the oppressed women on behalf of the reader. It also allows Atwood to delve into the relationships, past and present, of Offred, that reveal more about the functions of society more so than simple description would allow. There is a level of trust established between the reader and Offred. She is easily empathized with due to her ignorance and humanity. Her honesty within her mind, that is only revealed to the reader, creates a very intimate connection between the reader and Offred. Atwood is revealing the power and the beauty of the female psyche as well as the danger of persecution. Only a persecuted woman could emphasize Atwood's purpose. 

Journal Five

Journal Five

I am surprised by the Commander's interest in creating and maintaining a relationship with Offred. Why does the Commander desire to create an emotional connection with Offred?


It appears that while he has sexual desire for her, he also desires an emotional connection with her. It is ironic that this is his desire. Gilead was supposedly created for the protection of women from the souly carnal nature of the modern day man. However, as illustrated by the Commander, it appears that Gilead has actually taken away the possibility of a man's emotion in every way even in the matter of a relationship with a woman. The men in Gilead are allowed to exploit the bodies of women still in Gilead. The excuse of protection then becomes invalid. And more complicated, it appears that sex is not the soul desire of these men anyway. Atwood suggests that humans desire love. It is society, any society, that steals away that desire. Love is often sexual, but love can mean so much more. Offred symbolizes that kind of love. Human love. Romance. 


I am unsure why the Handmaids switch households. Why is that necessary?


It occurs to me that the handmaids are forced to switch homes in order to prevent them from formulating relationships with the men they are assigned to. With the nature of their work, a deeper attraction between each handmaid and the men they work for seems unavoidable.


It seems strange to me that the wives are present for the sexual interaction between a man and his handmaid. Why?


Again, their presence deters both the man and the handmaid from developing a relationship beyond business. However, it seems strange that a wife would be willing to be so physically present in the act of her husband having intercourse with another woman. 


Perhaps Atwood most strongly suggests that relationships create the strength of the soul and therefore are the basis of human existence. She reveals a necessity for story and context that is most strongly achieved by interaction with others. Similarly, Atwood reveals the importance of the relationship between mind and body. Offred, a woman unaware of her own body, becomes disconnected and inhuman. 

Journal Four

Journal Four


Offred is characterized predominately by her duty as a Handmaid. Atwood uses expectation of her and her reaction to such expectation to reveal her character. She is clearly intelligent and has an innate curiosity causing her to endlessly search for truth. Outwardly Offred is loyal and well behaved within the societal structure of Gilead. However, it is clear, by the Atwood's description of her internalized thought, that Offred strives for reason and truth. More than physical freedom, Offred searches for freedom of comprehension. Offred also possesses a strong desire for human intimacy. She longs for trust and friendship. Her relationships with Ofglen, Moira and Nick reveal her obtainment of closeness with others. Each of these people also encompass a portion of Offred's desire. Ofglen provides her with hope for the future, Moira, with tangible evidence of the past and Nick with passion in the present. Offred seems to be a threat to the other women belonging to the Commander. Serena Joy hates Offred passionately. This leads me to believe that Offred is perhaps most human out of all of them. Her sustained desire for relationships captivates the Commander and others who are close to her. For those women who have been hardened by the creation of Gilead, her intimacy is a huge threat to their cold existence. 

• I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will . . . Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping.
• "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum"
• I try to congure, to raise my own spirits, from wherever they are. I need to remember what they look like. I try to hold them still behind my eyes, their faces, like pictures in an album.
• It's my fault. I am forgetting too much.
•  I don't want pain. I don't want to be a dancer, my feet in the air, my head a faceless oblong of white cloth. I don't want to be a doll hung up on the Wall. I don't want to be a wingless angel. I want to keep on living, in any form. I resign my body freely, to uses of others. They can do what they like with me. I am abject.
• I feel, for the first time, their true power.

Moira is seemingly created to illuminate Offred's obsession with rebellion and her past.  Moira is present mostly in Offred's memory. Offred remembers Moira as a friend and as her rock. She acts as a foil to Offred, in that she takes action when Offred remains stagnant in her misfortune.  Moira acts as Offred's tangible example of feminism in its entirety. In Offred's memory Moira has no fear. She is strength. Offred gains her hope for survival from her memory of her friend Moira. Offred envisions herself acting as Moira does. She becomes inspired and happy when thinking about Moira's proactive behavior. And when Offred is reunited with Moira, Offred sees that Moira has lost her strength. And subtly, Offred loses her own.