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The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is a novel about how a revolutionary coup transformed a once democratically sovereign United States of America into a totalitarian theocracy: The Republic of Gilead. At the same time, its formerly independent citizens were divided into distinct classifications and forced to live according to the expectations of their designated strata. Through the eyes of Offred, a woman allocated to the position of handmaid and the novel‘s protagonist, Atwood achieves bringing to life the desperation of those men and women who were so suddenly stripped of their former rights and coerced into an ideological system of government which ignored the values of liberty and free will that once guided their lives. But Offred does nothing outstanding in attempts of challenging the status quo of the new government, or standing up for her beliefs and principles. As a matter of fact, other than her new lifestyle, there is nothing particularly extraordinary about her. Essentially, she plays the role of antihero--exhibiting mundane qualities and lacking the admirable, larger-than-life attributes present in heroic protagonists. She submits to the new system and serves only as a means through which the readers understand the country’s radical change from the point of view of one of its affected citizens: a handmaid in her efforts to survive the totalitarianism which killed her independence and reduced her to a mere “National Resource.” Essential to understanding Offred’s function as the novel’s antihero is being aware of the characteristics generally associated with heroes. According to the Britannica 2002 Encyclopedia, literary heroes “transcend ordinary men in skill, strength, and courage.” They are resourceful, willingly take on new challenges, exhibit noble qualities, express pride in their accomplishments, and are objects of admiration because of their achievements and courageous nature. As the novel evolves, it soon becomes obvious that Offred possesses none of the described characteristics. But she doesn’t just lack inherent heroism. Actually, her behaviors, thoughts, and choices reveal a personality governed by totally opposite traits. Not only is she not admired, she is indistinct among all other handmaids. And not only is she not virtuous, she possesses several ignoble qualities. Instead of being challenging, she is submissive. And finally, in place of courage, she expresses cowardliness. Among the first recognizable antiheroic aspects of Offred’s character in the novel is her anonymity. From the beginning, readers are forced to get used to the idea of not knowing the protagonist’s name, and it is actually not until much later in the story that we learn she is referred to as “Offred,” a label indicating she is the handmaid “of Fred.” She is a possession, important not for who she is but for the function she serves. Like all other handmaids, she is a government resource available solely for the purpose of procreation. The cold impersonality with which they are treated is most vividly illustrated through Moira’s (Offred’s best friend) punishment after an unsuccessful attempt to escape the new system. Her feet were beat with cables until they were unfit for walking.
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