During this passage, Offred's status in the house begins to change for the better. The Commander invites her to spend time with him because he wants to make her feel like their arrangement is not such a bad thing. His guilt allows her to gain back certain luxaries, such as lotion, which may foreshadow her asking for an even bigger favor, such as a chance at freedom. Offred discussed how the giant change in the way society functioned came to be, which she illustrated as beginning with the collapse of the government. She also remembered the day that she and Luke had to run away from home, although she did not specify why. Using a series of flashbacks, Offred recalls a great deal more about her past, including her history with Moira, Luke, and her mother. While at a Birth Day, Offred requests information about Moira as opposed to Luke, perhaps because she could not bear to hear bad news about him. Ofglen, Offred's walking companion, revealed herself to be a rebel, and at first Offred's lack of interest in her is very surprising. It would seem that Offred would cling to this hint of rebellion, but she hardly even reacts to the information that there are others with the same sentiments as her. Offred's indifference reveals that she has given up almost all hope for change. Additionally, Offred begins to describe how the world came to be such a backwards place, specifically recalling the day that women were no longer allowed to own property. Her frequent ventures into the past make it very apparent that she is uncertain about the current state of the world. Her lack of information makes her uncertain about the present and because of that she has little hope for the future.
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment