After reading the part IX and X of the book, “The Handmaid’s Tales”, I was a little surprised on the behavioral changes on Offred. After Offred has the body touching with the commander, she was starting to get into the feeling of their relationship, even though the commander actually don’t understand a bit of the handmaid’s burdens and he was just enjoying the sexual activity with Offred or the handmaids were just treated as animals or slaves. However, she just don’t mind about that, she was enjoying their secret relationship and keep the attention to the commander’s mistress, Serena. She had been lost in the joy and forgotten the situation of humiliation.

In Offred’s memory of Nazi, by comparing the documentary about the Nazi guard and the situation of the commander and her. Even though they were both not purely evil, but for the commander, he did not understand even a little bit of the situation of Offred. He has never thought about how women’s skins get dry before. When he hears Offred said they use butter, he mused and laughed at it which made Offred want to slap him. All these seem the commander does not understand the humiliation of the handmaids or women living in Gilead and he just remember his responsibility for this country.

Before the creation of Gilead which was previous United States, what she remember was that all those women having jobs and people had to take those pieces of paper money when they go for shopping every time. During that period, more sexual liberation seemed to be there than what she is experiencing in Gilead now, which pornography and prostitution are acceptable. And she was not that regret of losing all these since the time she lost her job and her money, Luke promised her to take care of her instead. However, she did not thought about that they are still taking the blames and they are actually being ignorance at this moment.

The relationship between the commander and her seemed to be found out soon by Serena, but the commander did not care about it that much. The commander just put Offred’s position and her life into troubles to satisfy his desire for sexual activity. The commander’s selfish was totally expressed at this moment and the ignorance of Offred was showed as well. She failed to realize her real situation and she was actually still under the “protections” under the government, she had lost herself at this moment.

In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the world controlled by Gilead oppresses women of their freedom. Gilead only views women who have the potential to procreate with as mere flesh.  For Offred, the main protagonist, it has been difficult for her. She doesn’t have the right to be able to do simple things for herself, like to own lotion for her skin, and people disrespect her for the role as a Handmaid. 

Offred remembers when she was young about an interview of a woman wearing heavy make-up, this influences her thoughts about the commander. Recently the commander has been acting strangely towards Offred. As if the commander starts to care about Offred’s feelings. She suddenly recalls a moment  of watching a documentary about World War II that she saw as a child. Offred mostly remembers the documentary about a mistress of a Nazi concentration-camp supervisor. The mistress said she had no knowledge about the mass extermination taking place next to her home. The old mistress, wearing a lot of make-up at the time, responds in the interview that her lover wasn’t a monster. Offred mostly remembers how sweet and kind the Nazis was behaving. A couple of days after the interview the mistress commits suicide. Offred mostly remembers the make-up (145-146). Offred has strong memories about having make-up or lotion before Gilead. This items hold a strong importance to her. She really cares about keeping her appearance, this recalls in chapter 17 when Offred uses butter as lotion for her face. The documentary seems to be used as an anecdote to warn Offred about the commander. No matter how the person may appear outside, they are different person inside. The commander may be nice to now, but later can be different. This shows how people can treat the Handmaids very poorly.

Offred receives lotion from the commander as requested, the commander soon realizes that Offred isn’t allowed to have such things in her room. When Offred is alone with the commander in their third meeting. Offred requests if she may have lotion for his face. She later explains that she used butter before as lotion. The commander found it funny. “Butter, he said, musing. That’s very clever. Butter. He laughed. I could have slapped him,” (159). Offred is very irradiated by what the commander said. This represents important make-up or lotion is for Offred. She wants keep up her appearances but she can not do so with Gilead interfering with their rules. This shows in the society of Gilead that they have no empathy towards Handmiads and that their don’t understand their feelings towards Gilead.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood has taken a drastic turn in parts IX and X, the most surprising one being Offred’s changed view of the commander. Offred seems to be greatly influenced by Aunt Lydia, which with confidence can be said to not be the best woman to be influenced by. “ Men are sex machines, said Aunt Lydia, and not much more. They only want one thing” (Atwood 144). This quote shows how ignorant some women can be, when they think of men, they see them as one entity who is supposedly biologically programmed all to be the same. Aunt Lydia’s words must be confusing to Offred at times, because she’s known Luke before becoming a Handmaid, and she knows Luke isn’t the same as some of the men around her now. I find this last quote to be ignorant, disgusting and unfair to men. I take it as a personal attack from Aunt Lydia, because by poisoning the minds of the Handmaid’s, she leads them to think that the men in The Handmaid’s Tale are all the same.

One of the things I appreciate about this novel is it’s overwhelming descriptive nature, it is as if the narrator wants us readers to be immersed into the different moments throughout story. “ I crawl into the cupboard, draw up my knees, I’ll choke on it. My ribs hurt with holding back, I shake, I heave, seismic, volcanic, I’ll burst” ( 146 ). This quote describes Offred trying to suppress a laugh, it would be too loud and an inconvenience for her. This quote while being very descriptive gives the reader a deeper more personal perspective on a Handmaid’s restrictive and depressing life.

Further into the story, Offred has surprisingly discovered a whole other side to the commander, she no longer sees him as just another men, which interferes with her attempts to pretend she isn’t present at the ceremony. “ I would steel myself. I would pretend not to be present, not in the flesh” ( 160 ). In this quote, we can see how Offred found a way to endure the previous ceremonies, however further into the story, she won’t be able to use that anymore. “ I found that things were changed. There was an awkwardness now that there hadn’t been before” ( 160 ). “ It was like being on an operating table, in the full glare; like being on a stage” ( 161 ). The preceding quotes are direct abstracts of Offred’s new view toward the commander and the ceremony. These new perspectives must be very confusing and possibly harmful to her continued participation as a Handmaid.

The following picture is from the Hulu series  based on the novel The Handmaid’s Tale.

https://goo.gl/images/FfNHJZ

“Keep calm they said on television. Everything is under control” (174)

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

 Martin Niemöller

Martin Niemoller’s quote from the early postwar period should be an eye-opener for all of us but we would prefer to ignore those lines if we possibly can. It describes the complacency with which we face oppression, hoping that it will simply go away, as petty harassment oftentimes does when it finds no reciprocation.

So also it was in Gilead which became Gilead without anybody really paying attention until it was too late “It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the president and machine-gunned the Congress and the army declared a state of emergency. They blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time.” (174). The fools felt uncomfortable but did not want to make matters worse so they waited patiently. “They said that new elections would be held but that it would take some time to prepare for them.” (174). It sounded reasonable to let the people decide in a democratic process and so the fools waited some more. “Newspapers were censored and some were closed down, for security reasons they said” (174) That also sounded reasonable they said, let us wait for elections; let the people decide!.

“Sorry, he said. This number’s not valid.” (175) Offred was told by the store clerk when her Compucard was refused despite her having thousands in her account. ”I have to let you go, he said. It’s the law, I have to” (176) Offred was told by her employer as he laid her off, without her understanding why. It was her street-smart friend Moira who wised her up ““Women can’t hold property anymore, she said. It’s a new law. Turned on the TV today?” (178). The trap has snapped closed and Offred is now powerless.

A poorly planned escape attempt and Offred becomes a Handmaid. Here she finally wakes up, determined to be reunited with her daughter. “Live in the present, make the most of it, it’s all you’ve got” (143) Offred admirable in her resolve, uses everything at her disposal to maintain her sanity. She lives only in the present, denying herself the opium of escapist fantasy or the resentment that brooding upon her loss would force upon her. Offred cannot afford resentment because it will make her vulnerable. She must and will control her emotions. Like a storekeeper she takes stock of her current situation: “I am thirty-three years old. I have brown hair….I have viable ovaries. I have one more chance.” (143) Offred thinks with cold and calculated reason. She cannot let her emotions take control of her. Her self-control is admirable and exemplary. Why express or even feel emotions that can only endanger her?

As for us, the Handmaids and even the Marthas, we avoid illness. The Marthas don’t want to be forced to retire, because who knows where they go? You don’t see that many old women around anymore. As for us, any real illness, anything lingering, weakening, a loss of flesh or appetite, a fall of hair, a failure of the glands, would be terminal (154).

Offreds courage and resolve in the face of such damning odds is amazing. How can she control herself? but she does! She sees the opportunity afforded her by the Commander’s interest in her. She ponders each and every move on that most dangerous of chess boards. She weight each and every word that she releases from her mouth, both with the Commander and Ofglen. She is not afraid to take calculated risks but only if they will advance her!