Theme Of Unorthodoxy In The Handmaids Tale

The unorthodoxy of The Handmaid’s Tale

Unorthodoxy is everywhere in peoples lives. It can be as simple as someone walking on the wrong side of the hallway; too as significant as a nation joining together to help overthrow the power in charge. Unorthodoxy is the single greatest threat to a governing body. Remove this threat and all your problems go away. Removing this threat is exactly what has happened in The Handmaid’s Tale. This novel is set in a dystopian society where the Gilead theocracy is in charge. These leaders have eliminated all unorthodoxy in the society. Taking away many peoples freedoms and creating strict social classes. Anyone not high up on this social ladder has had basic rights taken away from him or her, such as being allowed

He is also a very unorthodox character as well. Surprisingly, he has not been caught as an unorthodox individual, probably because he is also very naïve. Its ironic how the commander can be naïve and also high up in the social structure. It shows how the society likes the naïve minds; it doesn’t allow them to be unorthodox. The Commander however breaks that stereotype. When the commander first meets with Offred and says, ““I’d like you to play a game of scrabble with me,”” (Atwood 138). This is a very odd request of the commander to make, as it breaks many rules. The commander wants Offred to read and to be with him, an insanely unorthodox thing to be doing. This unorthodox behavior doesn’t stop there. The Commander must have always been an unorthodox individual. This idea is further commented when he after Offred kisses him he asks, “”Not like that,” he says. “As if you meant it”” (Atwood 140). This comes as a shock because it shows that he is not happy with just a regular kiss. He wants Offred to mean it and for her to enjoy it. The Commander is a very secretive individual in what he does and what he wants. Him asking Offred to break these rules gives us a glimpse of the unorthodoxy in him. Some of the only people to know commanders secrets are the Guardians. One guardian in particular seems to know a lot of

He is in charge of maintaining and driving the commanders vehicle. Nick displays unorthodox behavior from the very beginning. From acts as insignificant as winking towards Offred. These small acts only show a very small part of whom he really is. Nick is also the instigator for Offred and the Commanders secret meetings. Him keeping these meetings secret shows his support for the unorthodox behavior. His unorthodoxy is displayed, however, primarily through his encounters with Offred. The first meeting between them is in the dark of night, Offred describes it , “He puts his hand on my arm, pulls me against him, his mouth on mine, what else comes from such denial?” (Atwood 98). Nick and Offred secret romance breaks many rules, but they both enjoy breaking the rules. Both of them like meeting with each other, and they keep meeting. Nick develops throughout the book into an extremely unorthodox figure, but that unorthodoxy may have been there before Offred even knew him. As the meetings continue between Nick and Offred they discover that Offred may be carrying Nick’s child. Nicks final unorthodox act comes when he needs to save Offred. He wants her to go with the eyes, because he knows something she doesn’t. He tells her, “”Its all right. It’s Mayday. Go with them.””(Atwood 293). Nick has been apart of Mayday, a secret organization to overthrow the government. This takes the highest level of unorthodoxy proving just how devoted Nick is to