Hypnotization In The Handmaids Tale

Hypnotized, I chose this word because I feel like it explains what Offred is going through and how she feels. She was forced to be a Handmaid and now she does not know if this is what she wants or was convinced to do. pg 83
Incendiary, her use of this “incendiary” makes me believe that she she sees religion as a weapon. It seems as though she blames religion for creating Gilead and how it is. , pg 87
Sanity, this is something she holds on to dearly. The situation she is in almost seems like something out of a nightmare. It is hard to differentiate reality from her imagination. Her sanity is the only thing that keeps her going. pg 109
Incarnation, this shows Offred’s opinion on not only herself but her mother. I think the reason why Offred tolerates being a Handmaid is because she does not want to be like her

“At the same time I sway towards him, like one hypnotized” (83). I chose the word “hypnotized” because I think it represents Offred well, she has her conscience and can depict right from wrong but when she does her daily activities she often refers back to what the Aunts at the center taught her. When someone is hypnotized they often do not know it, but to an outsider like me, the reader, it is clear. Offred remembers what life was like before the Republic of Gilead but she does nothing to change it. When Moira talks about running away Offred discourages her from doing it instead of helping her.
“It is an incendiary device; who knows what we’d make of it, if we ever got our hands on it?” (87). The “incendiary device” that Offred refers to is a Bible that is locked away to prevent someone from reading it. I choose the word incendiary because when I usually think of incendiary a Bible is not the first thing that comes to my mind. I would think of something that is able to cause mass destruction and when I thought about it longer religion is destroying Gilead, The citizens are forced to live a certain way and anyone who challenges it will face