Héctor García

The Handmaid’s Essay

Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can? Repression is always present in
human history also is one of the most used topics in literature. Although repression affects
in physically and expression way, it could never reach thoughts or memories, making those
the only form where individuality is expressed on a repressive society. We could notice this
in the novel “Handmaid’s Tale” written by Margaret Artwood which centers on a character
living on a repressive society called Gilead, therefore it could be done the following
statement; in an oppressive society, memory and imagination are the only way people could
express their ideas.
Human emotions like love or feelings regarding this are always repress on a
conservative and repressive society, as well this happens on real life, also affects literature
where in this case Offred, the main character of “Handmaid’s Tale”, imagines a situation,
where feelings of miss, hope, worried that are strongly related with love came out. For
example, this idea is imply in the next quote “The things I believe can’t all be true, though
one of them must be. But I believe in all of them, all three versions of Luke, at one and the
same time. This contradictory way of believing seems to me, right now, the only way I can
believe anything. Whatever the truth is, I will be ready for it.” (Antwood, 122) In this
fragment, Offred imagines three different scenarios of Luke’s status, about what could
happened when they get separated and she hopes that Luke is alive and sooner or later they
will be together again. As in Gilead is forbidden to remember past or anything that links
with it, specially emotions or affection to another human being, Offred must find a way to
feel in that way, so she uses her imagination to bring all this thoughts and hope about her
love from Luke.
As well as human emotions are forbidden in this society, even thought human
contact is only allowed for reproductive purposes, a person needs physical contact attached
with emotions and feelings in lack of those, she would be affected psychological, therefore
they must use dreams to experience contact between each others. This is describe in the
next quote: “ I dream that I get out of bed and walk across the room not his room, and go
out the door, not his door […] I pick her up and feel her arms and legs go around me and I
begin to cry, because I know then that I’m not awake” (Antwood, 125) In here the main
character is dreaming about having her daughter again in her arms, before Offred enter to
Héctor García

Gilead, her daughter was taken away from her. In this case, the character uses dreams to
express what she wants, her ideas related with physical contact and emotions. She escapes
to a world where does human needs are allowed.
“Past” is also forbidden in repressive societies, because at that time society was
free and everybody has their rights, talk or write were allowed activities and citizens could
easily express their ideas. Therefore they have to rewrite the story, but in their heads, trying
to recreate the old life or making a new by gathering their thoughts so their actual life have
sense. For example the quote “I would like to believe this story. I need to believe it. I must
believe […] Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will come after it. I can
pick up where I left off. […] It’s also a story Im’ telling, in my head, as I go along. Tell,
rather than write, because I have nothing to write with and writing is in any case
forbidden.” (Antwood, 49) Here Offred is telling about when she was free and could watch
how society was changing, and little by little loosing their rights causing her now to write a
story about it, so she could not forget about what she would fight in the future. The main
topic here is writing in which human beings are able to communicate their ideas and
thoughts, however in Gilead the only way they could express is with imagination, as she
did with the story.

Finally, imagination and memory are significant parts of human mind, being the first step to
express an idea. Even thought in Gilead expression, feelings, and human contact are denied,
Offred through dreaming and remembering situations tries to structure her life and her
mind, for example dreaming about being with her daughter, have hope about her lover
Luke, and finally remind the life in which society was not repressive. Gathering this
concepts memory and imaginations she could express her ideas, her deeply thoughts in
which they would never be banned or repressed. Even thought experiences are not real, the
brain processes these situations and give a response which Offred feels like if she is
experience physically.