The Handmaid’s Tale Journal

Journal Entry #1:

Prompt: Character Analysis

“Accuracy of observation is the equivalent of the accuracy of thinking.” This quote by

Wallace Stevens directly correlates with one of the characteristics of the protagonist in the
dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale. Offred, the protagonist, is a woman
who is being forced to work as a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. The handmaids are fertile
women, who are supposed to be impregnated by Commanders whose wives are infertile; they
dress up in bright red and white colors which makes them conspicuous. Offred has a very
riveting and striking personality. I found Offred to be very observative as she was able to take a
quick glimpse and then outline several things that she saw. For example, when Offred sees the
Commander getting out of the car she says, “I glimpse him only for an instant, foreshortened,
walking to the car. He doesn’t have his hat on, so it’s not a formal event he’s going to. His hair is
gray. Silver, you might call it if you were being kind(pg 57).” The fact that Offred was able to
observe and then scrutinize these diminutive details within seconds reinforces the point that she
has great observative skills.
Throughout my time reading, I’ve found Offred to be a very curious woman. To start off,
she tries to seduce the guardians at the gate as she subtly flirts with them by making eye
contact and shaking her hips as she walks away. I think that Offred was curious and wanted to
see how the guardians would react; she wanted to see what would happen if she infringed the
rules. Additionally, I noticed how Offred was so inquisitive about the Mayday signal and even
remarked,” I wish I could look it up(pg 44).” This proves that one of Offred’s traits is that she is
very curious. I theorize that Offred is so curious and that is why she is so observative as well.
Offred was curious enough to glance at the Commander when he was getting out of his car to
see what was going on, and this curiosity that she has is exactly what I feel makes her so
observative. She doesn’t want to miss even the minutest of details; she wants to know
everything!
From flirting with the guardians to being awkwardly touched by her doctor, I would say
that Offred has had adverse experiences. Offred has been allotted as the Handmaid to the
husband of Serena Joy. One of the experiences Offred takes place when she goes shopping at
the market. She got to know about the different regulations and rules in the Republic of Gilead,
and those that broke these rules were hung dead on the wall. Offred had a baffling and
uncomfortable time with the doctor since he offered to impregnate her right now, (“It’d only take
a minute, honey.”) an offer that she refused. Those were the main experiences that Offred had,
the rest were dreams and internal thoughts that she had.
Talking about Offred’s relationships, we know that she is a mother to a baby girl, and is
married to Luke. One of her friends and college mates is Moira. Furthermore, each handmaid
has a partner who they are paired up with when going shopping; Offred’s partner is Ofglen. I feel
that Aunt Lydia has been very influential on Offred since, after each observation that Offred
makes, it is followed up by a saying from Aunt Lydia. For instance, Offred remarks, “ She
doesn’t turn her head. She doesn’t acknowledge my presence in any way, although she knows
I’m there…… like old milk.” After that, she narrates, “ It’s not the husband you have to watch out
for, said Aunt Lydia, it’s the Wives(pg 46).” I would say that Offred hasn’t been exposed to the
outer world yet, and her thoughts are in parallel with what she learned from Aunt Lydia.

Offred is the main character in The Handmaid’s Tale and I feel that her personality is
directly affecting my(the reader’s) perception of the book. Since Offred is the main character, the
plot and book itself revolve around Offred and the actions that affect her or she undertakes. I
feel very enthralled by how offred describes herself, and thus have come to the conclusion that
although Offred has many traits such as being curious and observative, in Gilead, she is really
defined by her body and reproductive skills, not her personality or state of mind.