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.
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