What do you find interesting about the ways that the writer presents rebellion in "The Handmaids Tale"?.
In "The Handmaids Tale", one of the main themes is rebellion. It is interesting to see how Atwood presents this in the different characters such as Offred, the Commander and Moira.
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One of the ways that Offred rebels is through her silence. This is ironic because societies view of rebellion is often seen as being outspoken and being violent or intimidating. Her rebellion can be seen when she is teasing the guards. Although she does not say anything to them she is still rebelling," its like thumbing your nose"". She is not allowed to be sexual in any way but she wants to feel loved and needed. Another example of silent rebellion is the "FAITH" cushion in Offreds room. In Gilead women are not allowed to read yet the "FAITH" cushion has gone unnoticed by the authorities. "I can spend minutes, tens of minutes, running my eyes over the print: FAITH". Offred has pleasure in reading because she is a well educated person.
Intelligence is another way that Offred rebels. She plays with language and uses sarcasm to amuse herself. Women aren't allowed to use their intelligence anymore, they are just used for reproductive reasons. An example of her sarcasm is when she is describing her compulsory outfit, "I never looked good in red- Offred has a brain and isn't allowed to express her real opinions or knowledge. It is her desire for knowledge that forces her to break the rules.
What is interesting about Offred and her rebellion is that although she cannot escape physically, she is able to escape mentally and emotionally by dreaming of her life before Gilead, in particular, her daughter and Luke. This also shows us that the authorities have not fully succeeded in indoctrinating their citizens. Her dreaming also gives her some hope of escaping from the Gilead regime and thus strengthening her chance of rebellion.