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The Handmaid's Tale Theme

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What would you do if your life was radically changed? Margaret Atwood’s book The Handmaid’s Tale describes such an event. In this book, the main character Fred experiences many terrible events after the United States government falls and is replaced with The Republic of Gilead. Theme is an important aspect of writing in all works of literature. The Handmaid’s Tale is no exception to this trend of themes in stories. As such The Handmaid’s Tale features many themes. Three such themes in this book are identity, struggle, and resistance. Identity plays a major theme in The Handmaid’s Tale. This book explores many different themes and uses them to send many different messages. The theme of identity plays a major part in The Handmaid’s Tale. …show more content…

One of the key quotes of resistance in the quote “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” (“Atwood 52”). This Latin phrase means don’t let the bastards grind you down, and is written by the handmaiden that lived in the room before Offred. Not letting the commander and society, the bastards, grin you down is a sign of resistance as it is can be interpreted to mean resisting the attempts that the government might make to make you bend to their will. Also, the fact that Fred can read in the first place is a sign of resistance as handmaidens are not supposed to be able to read. By reading things such as the pillow with the word faith on it, she is also resisting the government by reading. In addition, on a deeper level by telling her story and her past she is resisting. This can be seen in the quote “If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending” (“Atwood 39”). In this quote, she is conveying resistance as she is in control and not the government. She is also empowering herself, which is also a form of resistance against the government as they do not want women to have power. In addition, Fred shows resistance by idealizing her friend Moira for escaping the Red Center. This is shown when Fred says that “Moira marched straight out the front door, with the bearing of a person who knew where she was going…and disappeared” (“Atwood 132”). This shows resistance because not only does Moira threaten an Aunt and steal her pass and clothes, but she walks out the front door in front of the guardians and leaves. This shows that Moira is her own boss and will do anything to get out and defy the government. It is these values that Fred idealizes and through the idealization if these individualist values she shows resistance. Fred is not the only person to idealize Moira, Fred explains that many of the handmaids idealize Moira. By doing this all the handmaids show resistance to the government by

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