Household

“Household: that is what we are. The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds. To have and to hold, till death do us part.”

The significance of this should not be overlooked. Offred explains the role of the Commander, or men, in this society. They have all power, and women are nothing more than something to be taken care of. A burden. The man holds this society together. She uses marriage vows to further describe that death is the only way out from this.

“Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Genesis 1:28

“Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I  may also have children by her.” Genesis 30:1-3

These scriptures are the foundation of the Handmaid’s existence. They live only to contribute to society, a vessel to provide what is wanted for the Commander and his wife. The society forces this into their head and justifies it because it is in the Bible. These passages from the Bible are recited to the women, making what they do to them not morally wrong. It makes it okay because it is in the Word of God. This is such a twisted way of thinking. Not everything in the Bible is to be continued or celebrated but rather to learn from. The people in the Bible were human and also made mistakes. Not everything is meant to be taken literally, and this novel highlights how words can be manipulated and interpreted in ways to benefit someone else.

The ceremony is a visual representation of what being a Handmaid is about: being a body. There is no relationship and no emotion involved; it is a very impersonal act of fulfilling her duty. However, it is not just Offred who is fulfilling her duty. It is also the Commander’s duty to provide children for Gilead.

“I do not say making love, because this is not what he’s doing.”

“It has nothing to do with passion or love or romance or any of those other notions we used to titillate ourselves with.”

Offred shows her sympathetic character when she thinks about Serena Joy during this moment. She has to lie between Serena’s legs as the Commander has sex with her. “Which of us is it worse for, her or me?” With everything that Offred has to suffer through, it’s amazing that she still thinks of Serena in this situation. She is suffering too. She is constantly reminded of her inadequacy each time she sees Offred. Offered is there because she is not physically able to do what is expected of women. Her worth dwindles under the circumstance of something she cannot control.