TRANSGRESSION IN THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Hey! We’ve had a few emails over the holiday period, asking some really thought provoking questions. One that I thought was especially interesting came from Alybaa, who wants to know more about the theme of transgression in The Handmaid’s Tale. This is quite a big talking point for Frankenstein, but what about when it comes to comparing? Here goes…

Language:

In a society where freedom of expression is limited, language is the ultimate form of rebellion. Offred is forbidden from reading and writing, but she still manages to tell her story through a series of tapes. Something as simple as speech doesn’t feel like an active form of transgression, but if we consider the restrictions placed on her day to day life, any struggle for agency can emerge as an act of bravery.

When Offred plays scrabble, consider how she describes the counters as being like peppermint. The formation of words heightens all of her senses; it is a metaphorical “taste” of freedom.
“This illicit reading of mine…the pen between my fingers is sensual.” It’s almost uncomfortable to hear someone describe something as ordinary as reading and writing with such a sexual tone. If we think about the limits placed on sexuality in Gilead, we might argue that Offred is drawing a subconscious link between verbal and sexual rebellion. Writing is not only a transgression of Gileadean norms, but a release of confined sexual energy.
“This is what god must look like: an egg…Pleasure is an egg.” Chapter 19 is fascinating when looking at language. Offred dissects her egg both literally and metaphorically. Consider how she parallels god and pleasure, when Gilead tells her that these two things can never exist in harmony.
“The night is mine…where shall I go?” Offred has freedom to move in her head, as demonstrated through Atwood’s fractured narrative structure. Gilead may imprison her in one place, but memory becomes her mental transgression. Offred learns how to own something abstract: blank time.
Sex:

In Gilead, sex is a ritual. Offred’s most open act of transgression is to seek intimacy, both with Nick and with the Commander.

When Offred sleeps with the Commander at Jezebels, it seems to be a power move, rather than something enjoyable. Think of all the blank time that Offred has to fill, and now “the Commander, for a change, is waiting.” Offred uses his weakness: a desire for true intimacy, to exercise a dominance that she would never be allowed.
“It lacks love.” This is what Offred tells the Commander is the flaw in the Gileadean system. Recognizing it as imperfect is a subtle transgression; it can never own her completely when she is capable of something that it is not.
Consider Moira, the only openly gay character in the novel. Moira cannot become pregnant through another woman, so Gilead views her as obsolete and demonises her sexuality. By working at Jezebels, Moira is compromising freedom over how she looks and behaves, but as she tells Offred, she still gets to be with women. How do you feel about her indifference towards her situation? Is her access to pleasure a form of rebellion in its own right?
Minor Characters to consider:

Offred’s mother. Is what sense is her mindset a threat to Gilead?
Ofglen. She’s part of an underground network, and she dies for her cause. Is she the real hero of our text?
Serena Joy. She seems like a painfully pious woman, but she does enjoy a cigarette or two. Can we call her a rebel, or is she safe to break the rules?
“You’re only a rebel from the waist downwards.”

Okay, so this isn’t actually a quote from the book, it’s from 1984 by George Orwell. This is one of my favourite quotes of all time: Winston is suggesting that Julia only rebels for her own sexual pleasure, and for access to luxury. She doesn’t care about defeating a system in it’s entirety. It seems that he admires her for this, but do we admire Offred? Here are some questions to ask yourself about her:

Is it transgression to visit the Commander, if he’s the one who says she should. Why?
Are we sympathetic towards Offred’s lack of confidence? Do we wish she would put up a bigger fight?
If you were Offred, what would you do?

Hope this is useful! If you celebrate Christmas, we hope you enjoyed it, and that everyone had a good holiday!