{"id":6922,"date":"2018-12-03T17:00:44","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T01:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=6922"},"modified":"2019-03-19T07:33:22","modified_gmt":"2019-03-19T14:33:22","slug":"analyze-4-important-handmaids-tale-characters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/analyze-4-important-handmaids-tale-characters\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Analyze 4 Important Handmaid’s Tale Characters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever go to a party with your BFF, and when you get there, the only person you know is the friend who invited you?<\/p>\n

While meeting a whole bunch of new people is great, it can be a mental challenge to try to remember people\u2019s names, what they do, or even if they\u2019re the people hosting what has now turned into a pretty awesome party.<\/p>\n

Reading a novel filled with tons of characters can feel just <\/i>like walking into a party of strangers.<\/p>\n

In both instances, it can be hard to keep names and stories straight.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably <\/i>not a big deal if you see Andria at the party later and call her Arianna. But it probably is <\/i>a big deal (at least to your professor) if you\u2019re analyzing a novel, such as The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i>, and you refer to the protagonist as Ofglen rather than Offred.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re still trying get to know everyone in The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i>, let me be your host, and I\u2019ll introduce you to four key characters.<\/p>\n

(Need to write about themes in the novel? Head over to 3 The Handmaid\u2019s Tale Themes to Analyze in Your Essay<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

How to Analyze 4 Important Handmaid’s Tale<\/em> Characters<\/h2>\n

The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i> is filled with a variety of characters, so I won\u2019t be introducing you to everyone. Instead, let\u2019s stick to four important characters in the novel: Offred, Serena Joy, Aunt Lydia, and the Commander.<\/p>\n

Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i> Character #1: Offred<\/h3>\n

Offred is the narrator and protagonist of The Handmaid\u2019s Tale.<\/i> She tells the story of her life as a Handmaid: a woman who is forced to bear the children of infertile, elite couples.<\/p>\n

While she sometimes reflects back on her life in the United States (before the rebellion and before it became Gilead), Offred is essentially complacent with her current existence.<\/p>\n

Analyzing Offred<\/h4>\n

Offred\u2019s complacency is an important aspect of her character<\/a>. She\u2019s a prime example of how people learn to accept their lives, no matter what they\u2019re like. She’s willing to accept (at least on some level) that the new society of Gilead is actually of benefit to women.<\/p>\n

Like many others, she\u2019s also willing give up her freedoms and does little to fight for herself. As a result, she (and others) loses all <\/i>freedom, allowing the government (who, by no coincidence is composed of men) to have complete control.<\/p>\n

Because Offred has given up control of her freedom, her identify, and her body, it\u2019s clear that she can\u2019t be labeled a feminist. Men control every aspect of her existence, and she allows men (including Nick, with whom she ends up having an affair) to control her.<\/p>\n

Analyze one or more themes (such as feminism<\/a> or complacency) in The Handmaid\u2019s Tale.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Want to read an example essay that focuses on the theme<\/a> of feminism in The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i>? Check out Feminism in The Handmaid’s Tale<\/em>, a Novel by Margaret Atwood<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i> Character #2: Serena Joy<\/h3>\n

When Gilead was still the United States, Serena Joy was an anti-feminist who advocated for traditional, conservative family values. In Gilead, she holds a high social ranking as she is the Commander\u2019s wife.<\/p>\n

Serena Joy, however, doesn\u2019t live up to the name she has chosen for herself and is anything but serene or <\/i>joyful.<\/p>\n

She is angry because she too is completely controlled by men and is jealous of the Handmaids who are forced to have sex with her husband (and possibly bear the children she is unable to conceive).<\/p>\n

Analyzing Serena Joy<\/h4>\n

Serena Joy is the quintessential mean girl. She\u2019s at the top of the social ladder, so she thinks she can bully others.<\/p>\n

Therefore, even though she too is miserable in her own life because she is controlled by men, she takes out her anger and jealousy on the Handmaids, including Offred.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
The quintessential mean girl, Serena Joy takes out her anger and jealousy on the Handmaids.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Irony<\/a> is a big part of Serena Joy\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Pre-Gilead, she fought against <\/i>feminism and for <\/i>traditional values. Ironically enough, she got what she fought for once Gilead was established.<\/p>\n

The values she fought for, though, leave her powerless and angry rather than fulfilled and joyful.<\/p>\n

Compare and contrast<\/a> the social hierarchy of Gilead to that of other dystopian novels<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Want to read more about the social structure in Gilead? Read The Social Mechanics of The Handmaid’s Tale<\/em> by Margaret Atwood<\/a><\/p>\n

Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i> Character #3: Aunt Lydia<\/h3>\n

Aunt Lydia is part of a group of women called Aunts. Aunts work for the government and are assigned the task of essentially brainwashing women (like Offred and the other Handmaids) into accepting their new roles in society.<\/p>\n

Aunt Lydia appears as a Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i> character mainly in flashbacks.<\/p>\n

She is very much a part of Offred\u2019s internal monologue as Offred often thinks back to what Aunt Lydia preached during the indoctrination. (Whether she believes all of Aunt Lydia\u2019s words is debatable.)<\/p>\n

Analyzing Aunt Lydia<\/h4>\n

In a world where women are oppressed, Aunt Lydia is certainly not a gal\u2019s best friend or confidant\u2014and most certainly not a Handmaid\u2019s BFF.<\/p>\n

Aunt Lydia works hard to convince Handmaids that they\u2019re destined for their duties. She uses Bible verses in an attempt to illustrate that Gilead and its rules are God\u2019s will and that the Handmaids are performing essential roles in society.<\/p>\n

She seems to enjoy her power over the Handmaids and has little sympathy for their place in Gilead. Yet she does sometimes sympathize with the wives of the Commanders, asking the Handmaids to see life from their point of view.<\/p>\n

Analyze the use of language (including language of the Bible) in The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i> to illustrate how the government asserts power and control over its citizens.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read the example essayanalyzes<\/a> the author\u2019s use of Biblical verses in the novel.<\/p>\n

Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/i> Character #4: The Commander<\/h3>\n

The Commander is the head of the household in which Offred is the Handmaid. Though at times he feels trapped in society, he’s a powerful man who actually helped construct Gilead.<\/p>\n

(I imagine at least one Handmaid saying things like, \u201cYou<\/i> feel trapped? Ha! Try seeing life from my <\/i>point of view!\u201d or \u201cReally? You\u2019re <\/i>not happy with society? You\u2019ve got no one but yourself to blame!\u201d)<\/p>\n

Offred doesn\u2019t see the Commander as all good or all bad. At times she even likes him because he actually shows some compassion toward her. They can sometimes even seem more like friends or lovers as they talk or play Scrabble together.<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Check Out These Example Analytical Essays<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYes! Show me examples.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

Analyzing the Commander<\/h4>\n

There is no doubt that the Commander holds the power. He is the head of the household and even helped construct the social order of Gilead. (It\u2019s no coincidence that his title is actually \u201cCommander.\u201d)<\/p>\n

The Commander appears to feel compassion for Offred as he allows her to play Scrabble and read. He also suggests that he enjoys her company and enjoys their conversations.<\/p>\n

On the surface, this all seems well and good, but it can be argued that his motives are personal.<\/p>\n

He treats Offred like a mistress. He tells her that his wife doesn\u2019t understand him and asks Offred to dress up so that he can show her off at Jezebel\u2019s (which is no more than a glorified brothel).<\/p>\n

And he does all of this for his own satisfaction and doesn\u2019t care if there are any consequences for Offred if she is caught breaking the rules.<\/p>\n

Examine the Commander\u2019s motives. Is he being compassionate by letting Offred break the rules with him? Or is he being selfish by not caring about her feelings or what might happen if she\u2019s caught?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Read more about the Commander and his motives in the example essay The Key Role of the Commander in The Handmaid’s Tale<\/em>, a Novel by Margaret Atwood.<\/a><\/p>\n

Now That You Know Everyone\u2026<\/h2>\n

Now that you\u2019ve been officially introduced to a few of the key Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/em> characters, you\u2019re ready to turn your analysis into an essay.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re still looking for essay topic ideas, check out these additional example essays:<\/p>\n