The Handmaid's Tale Offred

We learn much about Offred through her own personal private thought. Atwood uses a technique of writing known as stream of conscientious (or ecrire feminine in this case) to allow Offred`s thoughts to flow providing the reader with a real sense of intimacy with Offred as she reveals her innermost secrets and emotions to us. She also uses this as survival tactic: no one can take away her dreams. Poet and author Maya Angelou once said: If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can transform one million realities. In Offred`s thoughts and dreams she is taken back to memories of when she had freedom to do as she desired, when she was in college with Moira, and times with Luke and her daughter. Night is used as a chapter heading seven times in total. This is the time when Offred does most of her contemplating, she says "The night is mine." She is not repressed or scrutinised at night. She frequently reminisces about the past, paralleling the experiences to her present state of mind. This is part of the exposition used by Atwood in order to help the reader understand how Offred came to where she is to provide us with background information of the plot.





Offred`s person is in addition revealed in flashback demonstrating that she is generally influenced by her female counterparts from the past such as her mother and her best friend. Her best friend is a lively and vivacious character named Moira who is a key figure in Offred`s character development in the novel. Offred says of her:





"Moira was our fantasy. We hugged her to us, she was with us in secret, a giggle; she was lava beneath the crust of daily life. In light of Moira, Aunts were less fearsome and more absurd."





She helps Offred in piloting her sexuality as she herself is a radical feminist and dares to


do what Offred would want to do but is scared to do so. Moira seems to be, in my opinion, a catalyst to many of the events that occurred with Offred as the...