Oppression p.89-169

 As we read, we noticed clearly the role of women in the new society. They are no more viewed as humans but as tools. Women who can reproduce, the Handmaids, are tools while some infertile women, the Wives, are decorations.  

Intimacy between two people is now a job. It is impersonal. It is required but Handmaids can not feel pleasure. It’s not their rights, they just need to reproduce while Wives need to look good. They need to be accessories to men. Indeed, men are in charge even if women are supposed to be superior. But it’s just an image because, in fact, women are inferiors. They need to be protected. They can not defend themselves. Any act of assault against them is their fault.

“My red skirt is hitched up to my waist, though no higher. Below it the Commander is fuckin. What he is fucking is the lower part of my body. I do not say making love, because this is not what he’s doing. Copulating too would be inaccurate, because it would imply two people and only is involved. Nor does rape cover it: nothing is going on here that I haven’t signed up for. There wasn’t a lot of choice but there was some, and this is what I chose.”

However, women see births as a moment of glory even if it still means repression because the Handmaids are used. Since babies are rare, it is a moment of glory and euphoria for all the women in the room. They are a gift. Women are connected between themselves. It’s like motherhood shared between all of them. An intense feeling. They all feel the delivery, the connection is there. 

On the other hand, while women accept their submission, some of them are still the symbol of revolution. It’s similar to our current society. Whether in the novel or in real life, oppression always comes with opposition. Moira represents the opposition in the novel. She escaped from the Red Center, she escaped from her new forced duty. She is Offred’s hope to one day get out of this living nightmare that she has slowly learned to accept.