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Individuality and Identity in The Handmaid's Tale

Characters

Moira

Homosexuality

"Anyway, look at it this way: it's
not so bad, there's lots of women around. Butch paradise, you might call it" (Atwood 252)

Was a crime

Offred

Memories

Mother

"my daughter was at school"(Atwood 181)

Wife

"Luke and I used to walk together, sometimes, along these streets"(Atwood 38)

Relationship with Nick

A secret relationship that nobody else is doing which sets her apart

Men

Luke

Economic Status

"They've frozen [accounts]...Any account with an F on it instead of an M." (Atwood 183)

Power

"He doesn't mind this, I thought. He doesn't mind it at all. Maybe he even likes it. We are not each other's, anymore. Instead, I am his." (Atwood 186)

Commander

Uniqueness in women identity

"For [women], one and one and one and one don't make four" (Atwood 190)

Status and name

Taking away power from women

Names

Offred

Of Fred: belonging to Fred

Ofglen

Of Glen: belonging to Glen

Serena Joy

Pam

Only recognized by stage name which took away her real identity

Groups

Force women into pairs

Shopping

"We turn and walk together past the large houses, towards the central part of town. We aren't allowed to go there except in twos" (Atwood 38)

Intercourse

"My arms are raised; she holds my hands, each of mine in each of hers. This is supposed to signify that we are one flesh, one being"(Atwood 104)

Birth

"She scrambles onto the Birthing Stool, sits on the seat behind and above Janine, so that Janine is framed by her" (Atwood 133)

Marthas

Domestic chores

Rita and Cora

Handmaids

being fertile

Wives

Aunts

Aunt Lydia

Red Centre

The place where Handmaids are taught how to give their identity up for Gilead

Lack of education

Rules against reading and writing

Locking away Bible

Personal Opinion

Become an individual

Getting rid of shop names

Explore new topics and ideas which causes them to all have no interests and lose individuality

Concealing facts

Death

Bags are put over heads to dehumanize people and not be able to recognize them

Religion

Groups everybody together under Christianity

Telling people wrong Bible verses

" I knew they made that up, I knew it was wrong, and they left things out, too, but there was no way of checking." (Atwood 98)

A man was beat up because he was a rebel but people were told it was because he raped people

Portrayed the man in a way that he wasn't, real identity was lost

Only allowed to do what they are told which takes away individuality

"One and one and one and one doesn't equal four. Each one remains unique, there is no way of joining them together." (Atwood 195)