Keyword Guide · character-analysis
The protagonist and narrator of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is a woman known as Offred. Her perspective provides the foundation for the story, offering a deeply personal look at life within the restrictive society of Gilead.
In the Republic of Gilead, the main character is stripped of her original name and given the patronymic 'Offred,' which literally means 'Of-Fred.' This name signifies that she is the property of her Commander. For students analyzing the text, this loss of name is a central theme, representing the regime's attempt to erase individual identity and reduce women to their biological functions.
Offred serves as a subjective narrator. Everything the reader learns about Gilead—its laws, its history, and its social hierarchy—is filtered through her observations and memories. Because she is a Handmaid, her movement is restricted, which creates a claustrophobic atmosphere. This narrative choice forces readers to experience the same uncertainty and fear that the character feels daily.
Unlike traditional action heroes, Offred’s primary goal is survival. Her resistance is often internal; she keeps her memories of the 'time before' alive and engages in small, secret acts of rebellion. When writing an essay on her character, focus on how her psychological resilience is just as important as physical defiance. She navigates complex relationships with the Commander, Serena Joy, and Nick to maintain her sanity.
When comparing Offred to characters in other dystopian novels, consider her passivity versus her agency. While platforms like SparkNotes or LitCharts offer general summaries, a top-tier analysis looks at the 'Historical Notes' section of the book to see how her story is reconstructed by later historians. This helps you discuss the reliability of her narrative and the theme of female voices being lost to history.
In the novel, Offred's birth name is never explicitly confirmed, though many readers and scholars infer it might be 'June' based on clues in the first chapter. The 1985 text intentionally withholds her name to emphasize her loss of identity.
Offred often admits that she is reconstructing her story and that some details may be altered or misremembered. This makes her an 'unreliable narrator,' a key term to use in literature essays to describe her subjective and fragmented storytelling.
Her primary conflict is Man vs. Society. She struggles to maintain her individual sense of self and her moral compass while living under a totalitarian regime that views her only as a reproductive tool.
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