The Color Red In The Handmaid's Tale

544 Words2 Pages

In the first paragraph, an abundance of emphasis is placed on the colour red, specifically pertaining to the red smile and the red tulips from Serena Joy's garden. The paragraph then goes on to express how Offred needs to decipher which situations she needs to ignore and which she can pay attention to. The second paragraph focuses on her reaction and feelings to the hanged man, as well as the woman who was standing beside her's reaction.

In the first four lines, the word 'red' is repeated five times. The colour red holds a high significance in the Handmaid's Tale. Initially, it is used to symbolise fertility, however, in this instance, it is used to symbolise good and evil. Atwood uses the colour in this context to demonstrate how good and evil can appear similarly, although they are still very different. Offred realises that the red smile is the same red as the …show more content…

"Each thing is valid and really there." (line 6). Offred is thinking about the man and the tulips. She is beginning to understand that terrible things and good things can live in existence with one another. In the previous line she thinks, "The tulip is not a reason for disbelief in the hanged man, or vice verse." (line 5). She is stating that just because one exists does not mean the other cannot, and, even if someone has only experienced one, they should not believe the other does not exist. This applies to today's society because war and poverty exist, but so do health and love. If a person has only experienced love it would be ridiculous for them to think that war does not exist. "It is through a field of such valid objects that I must pick my way,", (line 6). Offred must decide, to her best judgement, what she is to ignore or act indifferent to, and what she should respond to. In her dystopian life, she witnesses quite a number of horrific incidents, but she cannot express her feelings, as she is an oppressed

Show More
Related

  • The Handmaid's Tale Women

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    The women are divided into functions and are identified by the colour of their dress. In chapter 5, Offred is walking down the streets of Gilead, reminiscing about the days she used to walk down the street wearing what she wanted to wear before she got taken away, and also thought about simple things such as how she was able to freely walk to the laundromat to wash her own clothes with her own soap. She informs the reader of her analysis of the different types of women in the Republic of Gilead: “There are other women with baskets, some in red, some in the dull green of the Martha's, some in the striped dresses, red and blue and green and cheap and skimp, that mark the women of the poorer men. Econowives, they're called. These women are not divided into functions. They have to do everything; if they can.” (Atwood, 5.5) The Handmaid’s— the bearer of children— wear red, the Martha’s, who are the housekeepers wear green, and the wives wear blue. Econ Wives are the only women who aren’t defined by the colour of their dress because they must do every function. Atwood is showing that the individuality and identities of these women have been completely taken away and are labelled by the clothing they are forced to

    Read More

  • Jezebel's from The Handmaid's Tale

    1414 Words  | 3 Pages

    She shows us that there are possibilities for Offred. The reason why Margaret Atwood chooses to continuously show the positive and subdued attitude of Offred, is to show the reader that in Gilead there are ways out and ways of breaking the laws however, there are also ways in which Gilead represses you and its up to the individual in this society to choose whether not to take the risks. The Jezebel sequence on the whole is highly significant to the novel. We many different insights into Gilead in jezebels in contrast to the rest of the novel, which makes it one of the most important sections in the novel of “The Handmaids Tale”.

    Read More

  • The Red Symbol in The Handmaid's Tale

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    Red is a scandalous and dishonorable color, outlining the Handmaids as such. Everything correlated with the handmaids is red; Offred’s own name, for instance, which so distressingly epitomizes dualism can be read as "Of Fred," signifying her ownership to her commander-yet furthermore can be read as "Off Red,” suggesting off with the red dress, symbolizing her yearning for nonconformity from the red dress and all the afflictions correlated with red in her life- blood, death and violence, which have come to “define” her.

    Read More

  • Comparing Fahrenheit 451 And The Handmaid's Tale

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    Similarly to Montag, reading provides Offred with a sense of rebellion and acts as a way to fight against conformity, as women are not allowed to read. The Latin phrase which is carved into her closet symbolises inner resistance to Gilead, allowing her to feel as though she can communicate with the woman who engraved the message; even more so does it make Offred rebellious, when the meaning of the phrase is revealed to be “Don’t

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Handmaid's Tale

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Margaret Atwood uses the culture of how handmaids dress to psychologically change how Offred sees and thinks about the world and others. On the way home from shopping with her partner Ofglen, Offred sees a group of tourists who are dressed how women used to dress before the war. Offred and Oglen stop and watch the tourists; "We are fascinated, but also repelled. They seem undressed" (28), Offred then remembers that she too used to dress like that. Offred's reaction shows that being a handmaid and having to dress so modestly can alter how you think about yourself and

    Read More

  • Gender Role In The Handmaid's Tale

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    Offred, among other women depicted in this novel, tries to overcome this dominion. In her own way, she attempts to do this by ensuring the Commander’s expectations of her behavior which could result in her freedom. Thus, there is a present power struggle between the Commander and Offred throughout The Handmaid’s

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In The Handmaids

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    The color red serves as a warning or reminder of the handmaids’ purpose. Red symbolizes blood from birth. Red also serves as warning for bloodbath-death. The handmaids are reminded their duty is to give birth. If they don’t compromise, they will be punished through torture: female mutilation or even death.

    Read More

  • The Uses Of Symbolism In The Handmaid's Tale

    1981 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the real world, different symbols are used to help people understand things, and to add different effects onto people’s lives. For example a pendent a women or man wears from the army helps someone understand what they’ve been through and helps portray them as a strong individual. In novels which may have complex story lines like The Handmaids tale it is important that these novels have some symbolism to help the reader decode what some details in the novel represent, helping them understand the plot more in-depth. Through the novel of the Handmaid Tale by Margaret Atwood, symbolism is present and that helps to enhance the story line, as well as contribute an important factor in which is helping the reader understand

    Read More

  • Representation of Colors in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

    1784 Words  | 4 Pages

    Imagine if you can, living in a world that tells you what you are to wear, where to live, as well as your position and value to society. In Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, she shows us the Republic of Gilead does just that. Offred, the main character, is a Handmaid, whose usefulness is her ovaries. Handmaids are ordered to live in a house with a Commander, his wife, and once a month attempt to become pregnant by the Commander. Throughout Atwood's novel, you will notice she uses different colors for her characters clothing that correspond to their position and place in the Republic of Gilead. They become aware of people's statuses by the color of their garments. The colors of dress that have been used are red, blue, green, white, black, and khaki. Going into detail, I will show the social rank that each color represents in the novel, and my interpretation of them. The Handmaids are the only ones wearing red dresses, and several references are made towards the comparison of blood. "When Offred is in the room, which she refuses to call her own, she hears the bell to signal her time to go to the market. Getting up she puts on her red shoes and her red gloves, all the while thinking, everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us. The dress she wears is also red, being ankle-length as well as long sleeve. The only item she wears that isn't red is the white wings around her face to keep her from seeing, as well as from being seen. Leaving the room, she walks down the hall, and heads for the stairs. She knows there is a mirror on the hall wall. If she turns her head so that the white wings framing her face direc...

    Read More

  • The Handmaid's Tale

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...t create a feeling of disorientation towards the reader. Atwood does this to enable us to understand just how disjointed life is in Gilead. Offred continuously involves the reader, she directly addresses us and anticipates our response and even feels she has to justify some of her actions, she is a self-conscious narrator. Atwood is also preparing us for the revelation in the Historical notes that Offred is recounting her story into a tape recorder. The story is open ended; we are not told what exactly happened to Offred, Atwood does this in order to have more of an impact on the reader.

    Read More

  • Power in The Handmaid's Tale

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...entioned forms of Offred’s power were not physical power. She also has the most physical power as she is the person who carries the baby and gets pregnant. Then later in the novel after Serena suggests about seeing Nick. Offred is given a cigarette and then a match and with that match Offred could burn the house down killing the Commander and Serena and then trying to escape. She could burn herself so that she no longer has to live or suffer the indignity of being continually raped by this society.

    Read More

  • Comparing Brave New World and Handmaid's Tale

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    Offred contrasts the way she used to think about her body to the way she thinks about it now. Before, her body was an instrument, an extension of herself. But now her self no longer matters and her body is only important because of its `central object', her womb which can bear a child.

    Read More

  • Fertility and Motherhood in The Handmaid´s Tale by Margaret Atwood

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... is only alive in her dreams, she aches for her and fears that her child will not remember or even she is dead. Atwood writes about motherhood, and the irony lies in the fact that Offred did not have an ideal relationship with her mother even though Gilead’s system was not established, yet Offred who is separated for her daughter shows affection towards her child by constantly thinking and dreaming about her. Even though Offred felt pressured from her mother, she still misses her, ‘I want her back’ and she even reminisces about when she used to visit her and Luke.

    Read More

  • The Handmaid’s Tale

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is the way Atwood gets across her feelings about the future world that Offred lives in. She forms a close relationship with the reader and the character, and then shows the reader Offred’s feelings about different aspects of the world. This is not to say that everyone reading the book will get the exact same thing from it.

    Read More

  • Feminist Criticism Of The Handmaid's Tale

    1251 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this manner, Atwood’s characterization of Offred through her individuality and defiant nature, ultimately allow her to present just how societal expectations go hand in hand with gender roles as Offred challenges them just to retain the most basic parts of her identity as a female.

    Read More

More about The Color Red In The Handmaid's Tale

Open Document