Notes

What is rebellion? Rebellion can mean many different things, and it can be both good and bad, depending on its context and how it is carried out. One good example of rebellion is activism, which can positively help create change in our world. On the other hand, rebellion can also turn into violence, which could cause harm and destruction. In Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, rebellion becomes an important theme that drives the story's narrative. The modern world shown in the book is one in which women’s rights have been entirely eliminated and everyone is subject to strict rules and regulations under an unfair government known as Gilead. The novel explores the various ways in which characters rebel against the strict Gilead society and how women’s rights were taken away. In this essay, we will explore how Moira and Offred rebel against these oppressive rules and why the theme of rebellion is crucial throughout the novel.
One of the characters in the novel, Moira, a lesbian who was considered more of a “gender traitor” in her state, takes action by rebelling against the Gilead regime. She begins by refusing to welcome the idea of being a handmaid and instead decides to escape. Afterwards, she manages to break free from the Red Center, where she was held to train as a handmaid, but ends up in a situation where she is recaptured and later sent to a brothel called Jezebels. However, this did not stop Moira from rebelling against Jezebel’s authorities and disappearing. Moira “had power now, she’d been set loose, she’d set herself loose. She was now a loose woman” (Atwood 144), and her rebellion became very significant in the novel as it showed the nature of oppression under Gilead’s system. By having Moira refuse in accepting her role as a Handmaid and her escape attempts, it inspired the character Offred to rebel to also rebel and showed her hope for freedom.

Offred, the protagonist, is a handmaid who senses an increasing need to rebel against the government throughout the book. She takes small steps towards rebellion, such as reading magazines secretly and having conversations with other handmaids, which eventually leads her to join an underground organization of rebels. Moira, Offred’s friend, represents a different form of rebellion as an activist who uses her courage to fight against Gilead Offred did no matter what it takes for freedom, to a quote that proves this, it was quoted “There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was a freedom to now you are being given freedom from. don't underrate it”. This quote really explains how much Offred wanted to escape. When Offred starts to recall her life before Gilead and her husband and daughter who were taken from her, her rebellion begins. Her past life memories give her hope and help her understand that the system she is currently living in is abnormal. When Offred begins a sexual relationship with the Commander, her uprising continues. Offred gains a sense of power and control over her life despite relationship’s being illegal and risky. Offred’s relationship with the Commander is a protest against Gilead’s stringent sexual behavior laws and an attempt by the women to regain some control over her life.

Rebellion is an essential theme in “The Handmaid’s Tale” because it shows the flaws and injustices of Gilead’s regime. The characters of Moira and Offred rebel against the system in different ways, but their rebellion inspires hope and shows that change is possible. Rebellion is also significant because it represents resistance to the system and the desire for freedom over one’s life. The society around Gilead tends to cause pain and dehumanize women, use them as tools, also the added pressure on women to follow or be a certain way, such as existing to bring children or take care of chores. At one point in the novel, chats from the Handmaids in order to help Janine give birth, this oppression is revealed when Offred says “but who can remember pain once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind” (Atwood 135). However, rebellion is not always successful, as seen with Moira’s recent escape attempt and Offred’s uncertainty about the future. Rebellion can also have consequences, as seen with the brutal punishments handed out to rebels in Gilead. Therefore, while rebellion can be a powerful force for change, it is not always a guaranteed path to success or freedom. For example theres a quote that supports what was just said, it goes “ I want everything back, the way it was. But there is no point to it, this wanting” (Atwood 132).

Rebellion, however, is not always successful and can have negative effects, as evidenced by the harsh penalties handed out to rebels in Gilead. Overall, The Handmaid’s Tale serves as a warning about how extremism can affect a society in a very negative way and also shows how it can take away the value of personal freedom. It points out the necessity of resistance of unfair systems and it’s importance of upholding one’s convictions despite severe hardship. Atwood demonstrates through the stories of Moira and Offred that while rebellion can be a potent force for change, it’s not always an authentic path to freedom or success.