The Handmaid's Tale Essay

“[W]e are not slaves in name, and cannot be carried to market and sold as somebody else 's legal chattels, we are free only within narrow limits. For all our talk about liberation and personal autonomy, there are few choices that we are free to make” (Berry). In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood the protagonist Offred lives through a changing of society, in which is described by Aunt Lydia in the new society as the difference of freedom to and freedom from. The complexities of freedom are examined through social norms, relationships, and safety in society. As Offred notices the differences between her old life and her life now readers, especially North American readers, see how much freedom they take advantage of as a society.
Social

Marriage, friendships, and families are all controlled by government restriction. Gilead deems it acceptable to arrange marriages between a Guardian and a girl who has just started her menstrual cycle, because “arranged marriages have always worked out just as well, if not better” than falling in love (Atwood 254). However, in pre-Gilead falling in love, friendships, casual sexual relationships, and not having a significant other were all accepted. Gilead gives the freedom from having to choose, but pre-Gilead gives you the choice of what you want to do with your life. Just the same with having friends, Gilead does not accept friends because with friends comes gossip and other illegal actions. In contrast, in pre-Gilead everyone has the freedom to befriend whoever they want and can choose not to be friends with someone if they so choose. Having a family is an important concept in pre-Gilead, Offred and Luke would spend a lot of time together with their daughter, they ate meals together and spent quality time together, whether it be going on vacation, having a picnic or to the park. However, in Gilead family is extremely controlled especially in a Commander’s family, they co-exist in the same house. The Handmaid eats in her room while the Commander and his wife eating the dining room the Marthas would presumably eat after everyone is finished. During the day everyone goes their separate ways, the wife gets control over the garden, the commander is out potentiality working, the Guardian helps out with small tasks directly for the Wife and Commander, and the Marthas cook and clean all day. The Handmaid will go for a walk to the market for food the Marthas tell her to get and does nothing the rest of the day except think about everything and nothing at the same time. Gilead gives you the freedom from having to find a spouse and having to settle down with one person, as a Handmaid would switch families if a child