As I read The Handmaid’s Tale, I noticed a recurring pattern of hostility amongst women, revealed in small moments that is often overlooked.

Early in the book, when Offred was first introduced, we get a glimpse of her being moved into a new house—-the Commander’s house—where she will serve as his Handmaid. When she reaches the door, with a Guardian not too far behind, she meets the Commander’s Wife, Serena Joy, at the door. Atwood writes, “She stood in the doorway blocking the entrance. She wanted me to feel that I could not come into the house unless she said so(Ch 3, pg. 13)” The hostility shown in the quote is very subtle but powerful. Especially considering they are both victims of the oppressive system that has overtaken Giilead. This first meeting is significant because it foreshadows the strained relationship between Offred and Serena Joy.

As I read, I found myself often disappointed and a little frustrated that these women are so focused on comparing what they have and don’t have with the woman in Gilead, not realizing they are feeding right into the people in power’s trap.

In the later 17th century, during the early stages of slavery, there was a time when both Black people and poor white men were suffering equally under the system. In fact, both of them were so fed up with the system, it seemed that they would come together to fight against the unfair circumstances created by wealthy white men. This was not what the people in power wanted. To prevent possible rebellion, the elites—the rich white men—put the poor white people slightly higher on the social ladder, giving them more privileges to separate them from the enslaved. This redirected their anger away from the system itself and towards each other, giving them a reason to fight one another. This same tactic of dividing oppressed groups appears in the Handmaid’s Tale as well. The women, like Serena Joy and Offred, are victims of Gilead, but because of the oppressive system highlights the difference between the women, preventing them from uniting against the ones who put the system in place.

Connecting back to the present, this pattern reminded me of something I experienced in my own life as well. When I was younger,there was a girl in my friend group who acted as the leader. She didn’t like me nor this other girl in the group, instead confronting us directly put us against each other. One day, she would one day be my friend, and exclude the other girl; the next day, it would be the opposite. At the time, I didn’t recognize it for what it was, because I was focused on getting her approval. The competition created tension between the girl and I, distracting us from recognizing the one who was really causing conflict.

This situation is similar to the way women are set against each other in the Handmaid’s Tale. For example, Serena Joy and Offred constantly clash instead of discerning their shared suffering. After completing the last ritual of the Ceremony, Serena Joy immediately snaps at Offred: “Get up and get out”(Ch. 16, pg 95), when normally there is supposed to be a 10 min wait period before the Handmaids get up. Similarly, Offred and Ofglen are walking home from the market, they encounter grieving Econowifes. Instead of recognition of their compassion, the girls received resentment: “the first one scowled at us, one of the others turned aside and spits on the sidewalk. The Econowives do not like us(Ch.8 pg.44). These moments show that the hostility isn’t just between Serena Joy and Offred, but between all the women in Gilead. Just like when I was younger, people who should have been united, instead their focus was redirected into competing with each other, while the real problem stayed in control.

Taking into consideration the things discussed, the pattern shown throughout the book is important to take note of because Atwood warns us that when we find ourselves comparing or competing against our peers, we should pause and take a look at the bigger picture. These smaller issues can distract us from the source of our problems, just as it happened in the novel, in history, and even my own life. Instead of turning against each other, Atwood urges us to come together and face the deeper issues that affect us all. Because in the end, even the people in power know that there is strength in numbers.

The scene in The Handmaid’s Tale that resonates with me the most is when Janine stands in front of the group and confesses that she was raped at only 14. She did not receive support or comfort, but instead, the other women were forced to chant and tell her that it was her fault. This moment reminded me of the time when a man followed me home without my knowledge, and my mom and sister decided to worry about what I wore out of the house that day, rather than just comforting me. Additionally, there was an instance when my friend was almost taken advantage of on her way to school, which was when we were still in the 10th grade.

Women are often blamed for the things done to them. Even though my mom and sister didn’t blame me, it still felt like it was my fault. I did not know this man from anywhere. It was summertime, and that means fewer but more comfortable clothes. I often hear “What were you wearing?” or “Why didn’t you say no?” instead of holding the actual person accountable who caused the harm. I remember one time, at my old school, my friend Carolyne was almost taken advantage of while on her way to school. Once everyone at school found out, they tried to blame her for what happened. Not just students, even staff members. Saying things like “I told her to stop wearing her skirt like that” and “What did she do?”. It felt as if no one genuinely cared what happened to her. I used to go to a catholic school in my 9th and 10th grade years. We had to wear skirts and knee-high socks. We would often roll our skirts up 2-3 times to have a shorter, more “cute” length. This was basically standard practice for the majority of the girls, except for the ones who came from stricter religious backgrounds. We all rolled our skirts up as a collective, so why should Carolyne be blamed for someone trying to hurt her on her way to school? This situation reminded me of Janine; both situations shift blame onto the victim, rather than the perpetrator.

When I was followed home that day, I had on an athletic set in the color pink. People often comment about my body, sometimes as compliments, or just to be disgusting. I know certain clothes emphasize certain parts of me, but that is far from my intention. A man saw me exit my Lyft ride from the bus stop at the end of my street and thought it was okay to approach me as I tried to enter my apartment, even after I deliberately ignored him. Thankfully, I got in the house before he could get into arm’s reach of me, and upon my entrance, I told my sister what happened. I know my mom and sister were only trying to protect me, but it felt like they were blaming me, instead of the man who chose to follow me. One thing about my family, word spreads fast. Not only did my sister know, but my mom, grandmom, cousins, and aunts. Just like Janine, I felt the weight of someone else’s actions. Just like Janine said, ‘It was my fault. It was my own fault. I led them on (Atwood, Chapter 13).” Did I inconspicuously lead him on by the way I dressed that day?

My reaction to this scene is a mixture of shock, anger, and sadness. Anger because why is victim-blaming so normalized? Sadness because Janine was a young girl who had her innocence stolen from her. Shock because why would Aunt Lydi think it’s okay to make people say these things to her? So much so that Janine actually started to believe it as if it were true. Even though the book is written in a dystopian context, it closely mirrors real-life struggles and oppression that exist in our society today. “Her fault, her fault, her fault, we chant in unison. Who led them on? She did, she did, she did. Why did God allow such a thing to happen? Teach her a lesson, teach her a lesson (Atwood, Chapter 13),” the handmaids were forced to chant, showing how systems can be put in place even by other women to force blame. People who you expect to understand, people who should understand, ultimately end up repeating the same oppressive behaviors. Atwood did an outstanding job emphasizing this scene. Reading is so powerful, but when you watch it, it’s even more powerful and real.

The Way Things Go by Beabadoobee: After the commander exits the room once the ceremony is over, Serena Joy acted rudely to Offred. On page 95 the author writes “Serena Joy lets go of my hands. “you can get up now,” she says. “Get up and get out”.” It truly wasn’t right for Serena Joy to act the way she did towards Offred because she was only doing what she had to do. Serena Joy knows that after the ceremony, the handmaids are supposed to rest to try to stop anything from going wrong, but instead she made her leave immediately after. In this moment Offred relates to the chorus of The Way Things Go by beabadoobee, the chorus says “And there’s so much left to say I guess I’m just the bigger guy And there’s too much on my mind That I don’t even want to try Guess it’s not far from the ordinary They do say love is blind But I guess that’s the way things go”. Offred relates to this because she could have asked why she was being kicked out early and why Serena Joy acted the way she did, but she left. Offred is used to being treated in any type of way because if she were to speak up she could get punished.

Drift Away Omnichard by Trillion: During the ceremony Serena Joy seemed to have a tough time watching the commander and Offred be intimate with each other, although she knew she’d be the one receiving the baby if the ceremony was successful. On page 94 the author illustrates “Serena Joy grips my hand as if it is she,not I, who’s being fucked, as if she finds it pleasureable or painful”. Once the ceremony is over Serena Joy immediately kicks Offred out even though the handmaids are supposed to rest for a little after the ceremony to ensure that everything goes smoothly, but the anger she was feeling overpowered her. During this moment Serena Joy relates to the lyrics in Drift Away Omnichard by Trillion, Trillion writes “Isn’t that lovely? Isn’t that cool? And isn’t it cruel? And aren’t I a fool to have Happily listened Happily stayed Happily watching her drift Drift Drift Away” Serena relates to these lyrics because she has to watch the commander do things with another woman and it leaves her with a terrible feeling, but she has no choice but to let it happen.

Bubble Gum by Clairo: During the ceremony the commander seems unamused even though he has two women in front of him with one of them being his wife. On page 94 the author states “ He is preoccupied, like a man humming to himself in the shower without knowing he’s humming; like a man who has other things on his mind”. At this moment the commander seemed unamused to Offred but Serena Joy can read him better being that she is his wife and that is what caused her to have so much frustration. This explains why he sent Nick to let Offred know he wanted to speak with her. The commander relates to Bubble Gum by Clairo, when Clairo says “ Sorry I didn’t kiss you But it’s obvious I wanted to” The commander relates to this because he has an interest in Offred but he doesn’t openly express it because it could cause problems for himself and Offred.

Bad Religion by Frank Ocean: After the Ceremony, Offred runs into Nick and they share an intimate moment knowing they shouldn’t and all the trouble they could get in. On page 98 the author states “My hand goes down, how about that, I could unbotton, and then. But it’s too dangerous, he knows it, we push each other away, not far. Too much trust, too much risk, too much already.” During this moment Offred feels something towards Nick, but she knows they could never have anything so she stops anything from further happening to avoid any trouble. In this moment Offred relates to bad religion by Frank Ocean when Frank Ocean says “To me, it’s nothing but a one-man cult And cyanide in my styrofoam cup I can never make him love me Never make him love me, no No, oh It’s a, it’s a bad religion To be in love with someone who Could never love you” Offred may not have exactly been in love with Nick but in this moment she was attracted to him but she knows she could never form anything real with him even if she tried because they’d get into a great amount of trouble.

You Get Me so High by The Neighbourhood: When Offred and Nick share an intimate moment they both know they could get themselves in a great amount of trouble if they were caught or even gained a bit of suspicion. The author supports this idea by writing “In the dark parlor we move away from each other, slowly, as if pulled towards each other by a force, current, pulled apart by hands equally strong.” This quote aligns with the song You Get Me so High by The Neighborhood when The Neighborhood says “Hope you don’t regret it I pushed a lot back, but I can’t forget it We never got the credit Nobody seemed to hear us, but we said it Neither of us planned it And for a long time, I took it all for granted I really thought we had it But at the time, it was more than I could manage, so If we can leave it all behind us”. Offred and Nick relate to these lyrics because this was a big moment for them but they realized they’d be better off not going any further with each other.

Playlist to find songs ⬆️

A Handmaid’s tail. “I’ve learned to do without a lot of things. If you have a lot of things, said Aunt Lydia, you get too attached to this material world and you forget about spiritual values. You must cultivate poverty of spirit. Blessed are the meek. She didn’t go on to say anything about inheriting the earth.” (64) In The Handmaid’s Tale, there are many examples of no control. No control over actions, a society that deprives women of decisions. This quote shows this in more than one way. Aunt Lydia exemplifies this through saying, “You must cultivate poverty of spirit.” Saying to Offrend that this world is not where she can have hopes and dreams. One must keep the spirit low to conform to the standards of the Aunts, Handmaids, and Men in this society.

Aunt Lydia also implies that the Handmaids are meant to be deprived of their experiences. Meant not to hold on to the experience, but a vehicle of the experience. In later chapters, this is shown through Janine’s birthing process. Janine, the handmaid, got her experience stolen from her by the commander’s wife. Having the Commander’s wives be the main witness, the main birthing mother, the main character. While the Handmaids stand there and watch as this birthing ritual detracts from Janine, it is to the Commander’s wife. Taking away the “things” of the Handmaid that Aunt Lydia says that Offred doesn’t have a lot of.

This, in a way, internalizes and reinforces the brainwashing effect on Offred. It turns Aunt Lydia’s advice into another avenue of brainwashing. A repeated voice that says women, especially handmaids, don’t have any power over their bodies, experiences, or autonomy. The role that Offrend is put into makes one character question what part she has to fill. What was her purpose of existence in the land of Gilad? Later in the paragraph of the first quote, it says, “ I lie, lapped by the water, beside an open drawer that does not exist, and think about a girl who did not die when she was five; who still does exist, I hope, though not for me. Do I exist for her? Am I pictured somewhere, in the dark at the back of her mind? – They were right, it’s easier to think of her as dead. I don’t have to hope then, or make a wasted effort.” Her questioning about life made Offred think about her daughter. Her only real hope is that Offred exist in this society. Although Offred doesn’t have a lot to begin with, there is a sense of longing that is exemplified through the quote. If her daughter does remember her like Offred does with her mother, what would that mean for Offred? It seems that her daughter being alive is keeping her going, making her hope for a future. But this gets negated as others in the story say it’s too useless for her to hope to meet again. Having this attachment to her daughter allows it to be deprived of Offred. Everything in society points to Handmaids having no attachment to anything personal. Forced to live a perpetual state of existing only for her body, and not her mind.

When Aunt Lydia speaks to Offred, there is always an underlying tone of how to live in this world. Explaining to Offred the societal pressures of being a handmaid and what the outcomes of such handmaids are. With Aunt Lydia’s explanations, there is an expression of hopelessness. That’s where she is in life; it’s going to end there. While giving Offred advice on how to live. But what she teaches Offred often changes Offred’s whole viewpoint of life. Exemplify the “keeping your head down mentality.” Avoid all troubles and ignore them. This comes with Offred’s attachment to her daughter; it’s ended by Aunt Lydia saying it’s easier to say her daughter was dead. Brainwashing Offred into a person who is more submissive, although not intentionally.

This, in turn, gives a kind of metaphor, where it’s easier to ignore and forget attachment, but that leaves a person unsatisfied with their own life. Making the oppress wonder what kind of world I would live in if I were not pushed down without any forewarning.

A Handmaid’s tail. “I’ve learned to do without a lot of things. If you have a lot of things, said Aunt Lydia, you get too attached to this material world and you forget about spiritual values. You must cultivate poverty of spirit. Blessed are the meek. She didn’t go on to say anything about inheriting the earth.” (64) In The Handmaid’s Tale, there are many examples of no control. No control over actions, a society that deprives women of decisions. This quote shows this in more than one way. Aunt Lydia exemplifies this through saying, “You must cultivate poverty of spirit.” Saying to Offrend that this world is not where she can have hopes and dreams. One must keep the spirit low to conform to the standards of the Aunts, Handmaids, and Men in this society.

Aunt Lydia also implies that the Handmaids are meant to be deprived of their experiences. Meant not to hold on to the experience, but a vehicle of the experience. In later chapters, this is shown through Janine’s birthing process. Janine, the handmaid, got her experience stolen from her by the commander’s wife. Having the Commander’s wives be the main witness, the main birthing mother, the main character. While the Handmaids stand there and watch as this birthing ritual detracts from Janine, it is to the Commander’s wife. Taking away the “things” of the Handmaid that Aunt Lydia says that Offred doesn’t have a lot of.

This, in a way, internalizes and reinforces the brainwashing effect on Offred. It turns Aunt Lydia’s advice into another avenue of brainwashing. A repeated voice that says women, especially handmaids, don’t have any power over their bodies, experiences, or autonomy. The role that Offrend is put into makes one character question what part she has to fill. What was her purpose of existence in the land of Gilad? Later in the paragraph of the first quote, it says, “ I lie, lapped by the water, beside an open drawer that does not exist, and think about a girl who did not die when she was five; who still does exist, I hope, though not for me. Do I exist for her? Am I pictured somewhere, in the dark at the back of her mind? – They were right, it’s easier to think of her as dead. I don’t have to hope then, or make a wasted effort.” Her questioning about life made Offred think about her daughter. Her only real hope is that Offred exist in this society. Although Offred doesn’t have a lot to begin with, there is a sense of longing that is exemplified through the quote. If her daughter does remember her like Offred does with her mother, what would that mean for Offred? It seems that her daughter being alive is keeping her going, making her hope for a future. But this gets negated as others in the story say it’s too useless for her to hope to meet again. Having this attachment to her daughter allows it to be deprived of Offred. Everything in society points to Handmaids having no attachment to anything personal. Forced to live a perpetual state of existing only for her body, and not her mind.

When Aunt Lydia speaks to Offred, there is always an underlying tone of how to live in this world. Explaining to Offred the societal pressures of being a handmaid and what the outcomes of such handmaids are. With Aunt Lydia’s explanations, there is an expression of hopelessness. That’s where she is in life; it’s going to end there. While giving Offred advice on how to live. But what she teaches Offred often changes Offred’s whole viewpoint of life. Exemplify the “keeping your head down mentality.” Avoid all troubles and ignore them. This comes with Offred’s attachment to her daughter; it’s ended by Aunt Lydia saying it’s easier to say her daughter was dead. Brainwashing Offred into a person who is more submissive, although not intentionally.

This, in turn, gives a kind of metaphor, where it’s easier to ignore and forget attachment, but that leaves a person unsatisfied with their own life. Making the oppress wonder what kind of world I would live in if I were not pushed down without any forewarning.

“Doubled, I walk the street. Though we are no longer in the commanders’ compound, there are large houses here also. In front of one of them the a guardian is mowing the lawn. The lawns are tidy, the facades are gracious, in good repair; they’re like the beautiful pictures they used to print in the magazines about homes and gardens and interior decoration. There is the same absence of people, the same air of being asleep. The street is almost like a museum, or a street in a model town constructed to show the way people used to live. As in those pictures, those museums, those model towns, there are no children.” pg.23

My artwork, Museum Town, is a visual representation of Offred on a shopping walk in the old university town. As they walk, Offred talks about the town and has a flashback of when she and Luke used to walk in the town. This piece captures the emotional landscape of a character navigating a world that has been radically altered by authoritarian control.

For the artwork, I draw it as if it were in a museum. There aren’t too many people in the artwork because Offred states, “there is the same absence of people, in the same air of being asleep.” The absence of people suggests a physical emptiness; streets that were once lively are now eerily deserted. The town is not actually deserted; the people there aren’t truly alive, they’re silenced, surveilled, stripped of individuality. The lawns are tidy, so all of the lawns in the towns are done, but the one that the Guardian is mowing isn’t done. “The lawns are tidy, the facades are gracious, in good repair; they’re like the beautiful pictures they used to print in the magazines about homes and gardens, and interior decorations. The descriptions of the homes and buildings in the town are told almost as if Offred were in a simulation. I think that it’s told in this way because it shows that she really has no control throughout the story.

“ Doctors lived here once, lawyers, university professors. There are no lawyers anymore, and the university is closed.”

The figures walking in the dresses represent Offred herself; she finds herself caught between two worlds. Her presence in the artwork is almost ghostlike, to reflect the internal nature of her journey. She is physically present in the town, but mentally and emotionally tethered to the past. Offred, who is present in the town is walking with he head down because the town is depressing to her as she states, “ The street is almost like a museum, or a street in a model town constructed to show the way people used to live. As in those pictures, those museums, those model towns, there are no children.” she compares the street to a museum, a place where the past is preserved but no longer lived, museum are lifeless. The absence of children is the most haunting detail; their absence suggests a broken society, one that cannot sustain life.

“Luke and I used to walk together, sometimes, along these streets. We used to talk about buying a house like one of these, an old big house, fixing it up. We would have a garden, swings for the children. We would have children.”

The person next to Offred in the artwork is herself; the one walking normally with a smile on her face is the past Offred. This shows the difference between the past and present of Offred. Past Offred was happy because in the past she had dreamed of buying one of these homes with Luke and having kids and living the dream life, but the present her is upset because of the way life turned out for her. She has no children, no Luke.

Ultimately, Museum Town is a representation of the present and the past combined with different emotions from Offred, navigating a world that has been radically altered by authorized control. Changing the once good town to more of a museum town, lifeless to the people that live in it.

For the opening song on my playlist, I chose “A House in Nebraska” by singer-songwriter Ethel Cain. The song is off of Cain’s breakout album “Preachers Daughter.” “Preachers Daughter” tells the story of the fictional character Ethel Cain, voiced and created by Hayden Anhedonia (Cain’s legal name.) Ethel Cain is a young woman from the Florida swamps, born into a Southern Baptist family. Her father (the preacher) dies, Ethel is shunned by her strict, religious community, and runs away with a man who goes on to drug her, pimp her out, and abuse her. In the end, she ends up being murdered and cannibalized by a different lover. In a way, this story alone reflects the experience of women in Gilead. Passed from one cruel mistress to the next, from the Aunts to the Commander’s Wives, inevitably cursed to die a sad death, eaten alive by the patriarchal surveillance machine. “A House in Nebraska” comes earlier in the story, though, when Cain’s first love Willoughby disappears from their town. She yearns for him, yearns for a time “Where the world was empty, save you and I / Where you came and I laughed, and you left and I cried / Where you told me even if we died tonight, that I’d die yours,” This verse is reminiscent of Offred’s yearning for her past like. Her past marriage, full of love, her baby who was produced by this great love. On page 97, she thinks “I want Luke here so badly. I want to be held and told my name.” But, both Ethel and Offred have been subdued in one way or another and have now succumbed to their isolation, accepting it. While Ethel sings “I feel so alone / I’m so alone out here without you, baby” Offred thinks to herself “I want everything back, the way it was. But there is no point to it, this waiting.” (Atwood 122)

Next up in the queue is 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love” a dreamy jukebox single about using someone for the services they provide, then moving to the next, never considering the hearts or minds of the unlucky individuals who cross your path. “I keep your picture upon the wall / It hides a nasty stain that’s lying there” While there would never be a photo of a Handmaid hung on a wall, other than maybe as a cautionary tale or on a wanted poster, the “picture upon the wall” within Offred’s world is more or less the babies that “hide the nasty stain” of the Commanders Wives inability to reproduce. Early on, Offred thinks about the Commander, and how she feels about him; “I don’t know what to call it. It isn’t love.” (Atwood 58) Into the 24th chapter of the book, Offred’s relationship with the Commander begins to shift. You could almost imagine the commander listening to these lines (if he has a secret way of enjoying music, that is) and pondering his next move with her: “I like to see you, but then again / That doesn’t mean you mean that much to me / So if I call you, don’t make a fuss / Don’t tell your friends about the two of us”

Shifting gears, Radiohead’s “Let Down” and Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” are opposite sides of the same coin. They show two responses to a controlling Power that looms over its people, two paths a citizen of Gilead could go down. In “Let Down”, Yorke sings that he wants to “grow wings / A chemical reaction / Hysterical and useless.” Like Offred and her contemporaries, who long for a way out, but know that their desires are futile, just hysterical attempts. “Fight the Power” takes a contrary stance to this belief that the people’s indignations are pointless, yelling out that instead we must “fight the powers that be”. While Public Enemy may not have been referring to a dystopian patriarchal power, their protests align with many of Offred’s thoughts, and the ideals of radical groups in Gilead. On page 106 she talks at length about all the places she thinks Luke might have ended up, one of them being with a group of radicals-maybe Quakers-who are trying to “revolutionize, make a change.”

In 1959, Nina Simone released “The Other Woman”, singing from the perspective of a woman whose husband has been unfaithful. She’s jealous of the mistress-she “is perfect where her rival fails / and she’s never seen with pin curls in her hair, anywhere.” In 2014, on her album “Ultraviolence” Lana del Rey covered the song. Del Rey sings from the perspective of the mistress. She’s jealous of the wife of the man she’s having an affair with, she knows that “The other woman will never have his love to keep / And as the years go by, the other woman will spend her life alone.” Del Rey and Simone sing the same lyrics, and in a way they’re one in the same, but they convey different points of view. Offred and Serena Joy fulfill the same roles. Each woman wishes she could be the other-at their first meeting Serena commands that Offred remember “[The Commander] is just that; my husband. Till death do us part,” and that she wants to see “as little of you as possible.” Offred is jealous of Serena’s creature comforts. Her cigarettes; “I looked at the cigarette with longing”, and her allowance to engage in frivolous housewife activities like knitting, flipping through the TV, having cookies and tea with the other Wives. Maybe Serena doesn’t “cry herself to sleep” like Simone wrote, but she cries during Ceremonies. She doesn’t “keep fresh cut flowers in each room” but on page 81 she wears “one of her best dresses, sky blue with embroidery in white along the edges of the veil: flowers and fretwork” to the Ceremony. Del Rey’s rendition speaks more to Offred’s experience-not just because before everything happened, she was the other woman “when Luke was still in flight from his wife.” (Atwood 50)-but because that’s the category that she has been placed in under His Eye.

(NOTE: it says there’s 6 songs, but that’s just because I put 2 versions of the same song-I hope that didnt break the rules too much.)

The artwork that I’ve created depicts The Commander, Offred, and The Commander’s Wife, Serena Joy, lined up. I have utilized colors to show that they hold different beliefs and have little in common. Offred is wearing her handmaiden uniform, with her face obscured from view. The Commander and Serena Joy are on opposite sides of her, as they don’t have a strong relationship together. As we come to learn more about Offred and The Commander’s relationship, we find that they are beginning to bond. From early on, we know that Offred and Serena Joy do not have a mutual relationship. During the Ceremony, Serena Joy treats Offred with a cold attitude. “Serena Joy lets go of my hands. ‘You can get up now,’ she says. ‘Get up and get out.’ She’s supposed to leave me to rest for ten minutes, with my feet on a pillow to improve the chances. This is meant to be a time of silent meditation for her, but she’s not in the mood for that. There is loathing in her voice, as if the touch of my flesh sickens and contaminates her. (pg. 95)” It’s obvious that Serena Joy has no patience for Offred, shooing her away despite the rules. Atwood mentions, “This is meant to be a time of silent meditation for her, but she’s not in the mood for that”, proving that Serena Joy isn’t worried about reflecting on this moment. In fact, she’s trying to escape the feelings she’s having. Offred feels the same way, wondering, “Which of us is it worse for, her or me? (pg. 95)” From this interaction alone, we can deduce that the relationship between Serena Joy and Offred is withdrawn and purely transactional. Serena Joy is worried about what Offred can do for her. As the story progresses, a connection begins to grow between The Commander and Offred. He invites her to his room, a private meeting that is strictly forbidden. “I’d like you to play a game of Scrabble with me.’ he says. I hold myself absolutely rigid. I keep my face unmoving. Scrabble! I wanted to laugh, shriek with laughter, and fall off my chair. (pg. 138)” Although Offred was prepared for a sexual encounter, she was met with an invitation for a simple game. Before she left, he requested a kiss from her. “Thank you,’ he says, ‘For the game.’ Then he says, ‘I want you to kiss me.’ (pg. 139)” This leads to the idea that the commander wants a romantic relationship with Offred. He isn’t being fulfilled by his marriage with Serena Joy, and wants something more. There are no mentions of a true connection between them. Instead, the Commander looks to Offred for love. He knows the power he holds over her and uses it to establish the connection he lacks with his wife. Serena Joy and the Commander are separated by Offred in this piece to symbolize their lack of connection. Offred and the Commander have a secret relationship, causing their colors to seep together. Serena Joy is cut off from them, not near her own husband.

In the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the Doctor that offers Offred “help” is closely akin to people who profit or otherwise benefit from the pain/suffering of others, even if they technically are still helping them. For example, smugglers that charge exorbitant prices and corporations/vendors that sell needed goods like food and water are extremely inflated prices. The doctor’s offer may have been with good intentions, but the doctor holds the power, greatly benefits, and is at little risk of getting in trouble. He wields this power to coerce Offred.

While the doctor isn’t portrayed as a villainous type or evil by Atwood, he certainly isn’t a hero. He obviously benefits from his ‘help’ . With Atwood describing the moment where he offers to ‘help’ Offred, and the look he gives her, as “It’s genuine, genuine sympathy; and yet he’s enjoying this, sympathy and all. His eyes are moist with compassion, his hand is moving on me, nervously and with impatience.”. His sympathy and desire to help may be genuine, but it’s not a real offer to help. It’s to disguise his lust. His clear impatience for her response and his hand on her is a tell that he actually cares more about getting what he wants from her then actually helping her.

Furthermore, the clear power imbalance between the doctor and Offred is certainly weighing on Offred’s decision. With Atwood writing “this is not the last word as far as he’s concerned. He could fake the tests, report me for cancer, or infertility, have me shipped off to the Colonies, with the Unwomen.. None of this has been said, but the knowledge of his power hangs nevertheless in the air as he pats my thigh”. This unspoken threat makes it so no matter what Offred does, she’s at great risk. In this environment consent is impossible because Offred’s answer will be clearly coerced from her via threat or societal pressure. She doesn’t want this but she fears she will have to in coming months to not be declared an unwoman.

While this exact dynamic is more rare in the real world, there’s of course coercion like this (See Andrew Cuomo’s allegations), and someone will always benefit from someone else’s need. The best example of this is smugglers. Specifically those that are helping fleeing refugees. To cross the American Mexico border, smugglers charge refugees $2,000 USD, and if you need to cross multiple borders, it’s upwards of $10,000. These smugglers are certainly helping desperate families and people fleeing danger. They no doubt are taking a risk, and feel bad for the people they’re helping. They are still charging almost two months’ pay for an upper middle class Mexican. For a Venezuelan family it’d be five times the cost while they make a tenth of the money. While the doctor isn’t charging a monetary cost Offred still would need to give away the little autonomy she has in Gilead. Not to mention the risk involved with either option. When help comes from exploitation it can’t be called help, whether a doctor or a smuggler.

Even in wealthier countries like America there are widespread examples of ‘helping’ for personal gain. This is mainly done by corporations/stores via price gouging. This was seen a lot over COVID, and before/after hurricanes. With hotel costs, right before hurricane Helene, increasing costs per night by 300%. No doubt that the owners of the hotel felt as though their providing of shelter and safety to fleeing people was a good thing. Justifying the price raise as meeting the demand raise, just as the doctor justified his behavior by saying it’s to help her.

This exploiting of the needy for personal gain is no doubt timeless, and will most likely continue through human history. Atwood's depiction of this is so powerful because it doesn’t make the reader dislike the doctor, it humanizes him. Of course he is coercing Offred and making it impossible for actual consent, he still is suffering under this system, even if not nearly as much as the women, so his actions are a bi-product of the removal of freedom and bodily autonomy from everyone in Gilead. 

Sources: https://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/migrant-smuggling.html (Smugglers cost) https://everhour.com/blog/average-salary-in-mexico/ (Average wage in Mexico) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1416427/average-salary-venezuela/?srsltid=AfmBOop9edCMhg2fGd_vx4yleuFLVJtQgF8non1PDQTpZYO1ocJfOiEt (Average wage) https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/10/ftc-doj-cfpb-warn-consumers-about-potential-scams-price-gouging-wake-hurricanes-other-natural (Price gouging) https://www.thefamuanonline.com/2024/10/03/local-hotels-raise-prices-amid-hurricane-helene-evacuation/ (Hotel price raises)

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood often uses the clothing and their corresponding colors to identify characters’ status in Gilead. One sad section is when Offred is walking through town reminiscing about her past when she thinks, “I think about Laundromats, What I wore to them: shorts, jeans, jogging pants. What I put into them: My own clothes” (28) This section in particular mainly inspires my work, as it highlights not only the way that the handmaids are barred from choosing their own clothes, but the way that not having that choice removes the handmaids’ sense of ownership they have over themselves. So in response to that thinking, I wanted to portray the handmaid’s new sense of uniformity paralleled by a messier image of a laundromat with strewn-about clothing. In particular, I was intentional about the specifics of both the handmaids’ pose and what the laundromat looked like. For the handmaids, I wanted them to be in their cloaks as well as their hoods so that they were shown to the viewer not as individuals. As for their posture, I wanted to refer to another quote on the same page where Offred states that, “Now we walk along the same street in red pairs” (24). This was not only an inspiration for the parallel, but the reason that the handmaids are positioned in an orderly line. I wanted them to be as contrasting as possible to the pre-Gilead side of the laundromat. I went back and forth a lot on how the laundromat should be portrayed before landing on the current design. The main element I knew I had to include was that no matter how many clothes I put in, there should be no red clothing shown except for the handmaids, and that the space should look messy and disused. When drafting this portion, I referred back to a line that Offred states after she runs into a group of tourists visiting Gilead. She thinks, “Their heads are uncovered, and their hair too is exposed, in all its darkness and sexuality. They wear red lipstick, red, outlining the damp cavities of their mouths - of a time before.” (28) It was really important to me when portraying the loss of choice in clothing to show that the handmaids think about both the way in which they viewed pre-Gilead and their choices as well as how they now see “immodesty” nowadays. I wanted to emphasize the fact that they are not only forced to wear their red uniform, but how they would now view with disapproval their former fashion choices on another person. This perspective was why the clothes are arranged as they are on the floor. I wanted the handmaids to be close to the clothes, all the while not paying attention to them, as a means to show that not only are they being controlled, but the control extends so deep it had left the clothes as perceivably “unwanted,” as they do not meet the standard of forced modesty. Overall, the significance of clothing as a tool to control the handmaids is not only an important aspect of how they are treated under the regime in Gilead, but also a means to better understand the way this control affects the handmaid’s relationships with their bodies and sense of expression.