Analysis Of Moira In The Handmaid's Tale

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“Moira was like an elevator with open sides. She made us dizzy. Already we were losing the taste for freedom, already we were finding these walls secure. In the upper reaches of the atmosphere you’d come apart, you’d vaporize, there would be no pressure holding you together” (Atwood 133). This Quote from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, describes Moira in the perfect way. Moira is a strong, intelligent, rebellious character who is strongly against what the new government is forcing upon her. Moira is first introduced in the book by the narrator, Offred, as being her best friend. Moira is steadfast in her beliefs and is a strong individual whom tries her best to not to succumb to the programming at the center, a place where handmaid’s …show more content…

She is steadfast in her feminist beliefs, and she is against what the government is forcing upon her. Moira proves that she would rather suffer than be forced into doing something that is against her beliefs. An example of this is when she tries to escape the center the first time. This attempt rendered her unable to walk yet she continued to attempt escape. The narrator recounts the event by stating, “Afterwards she could not walk for a week, her feet would not fit into her shoes, they were to swollen” (Atwood 91). Moira seems to be the type of character whose spirits could never be broken. In the end, however, we find out that this is not exactly true. After Moira’s escape, she and the narrator meet up for a last time at a club known as Jezebel’s. Jezebels is a place of prostitution where men in powerful positions within the government go. Moira’s seemingly unbridled spirit has been broken. As the narrator speaks with Moira, it becomes more and more clear that this is the case. After being caught months after her escape Moira was taken to a place that she says she doesn’t’ want to speak about indicating, it was a painful place. The only real details that Moira shares are about what she learned about the colonies, where all of the ‘unwanted’ people are placed by the government. It seems as if these videos played a role on Moira’s outlook on life. "The Handmaid's Tale." Novels for Students sums

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