Feminism In The Handmaid's Tale
The Gilead government took everything from the women in The Handmaid’s Tale: their possessions, their rights, their freedoms, even their identities. Moira gave her all to resist the regime, and although in the end she seems to have given up, her efforts were certainly heroic. Even back when things were normal, Moira was a rebellious spirit. Offred, the narrator, makes it clear that she is fiercely independent; a lesbian that certainly didn’t have any need for males in her life. It’s not clear exactly what sort of struggles Moira encountered when everything was still normal, however we do get a small tidbit when Offred tells us that there was a period of time in which Offred wouldn’t even hug Moira due to awkwardness from her being gay. This may not seem like a huge detail, but this sort of behavior can be very hurtful. The fact
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that Moira put up with it until things got better between the two friends shows some admirable strength in spirit.
When the Gilead government took away the rights of women and starting rounding them up to be brainwashed in the Red Center, Moira was not content to just let it happen.
During her time in the Center she shows herself to be resourceful and capable, for instance she is able to bring a panicking Janine back to her senses when none of the other women knew what to do. She goes beyond meeting Offred in the bathroom to talk occasionally, a dangerous act in itself, and actually tries to escape from the Red Center. Her first attempt was a failure, and her feet were brutally beaten as punishment. Rather than give up Moira tried again, and this time she succeeded. She took apart a toilet, using the sharp metal she found inside to force one of the cruel Aunts to switch clothes with her. She then boldly walked out of the facility wearing the Aunt’s clothes, without anyone suspecting a thing. These were certainly heroic deeds, and she became a hero and a symbol of hope for Offred and no doubt plenty of other women as well. She had stood up to the regime and achieved what none of the others, who were already giving in to their oppressors, even dared to
try.
After hearing of the daring and bravery displayed by Moira, one would expect her to be at the forefront of the revolution against Gilead. But she is ultimately unable to escape the country, and ends up working as a prostitute at Jezebel’s. Although this is a slightly freer position to be in than working as a Handmaid, she is still on the government’s leash since Jezebel’s is an official “club” meant for foreign dignitaries and upper class men. When Offred finally meets her again she seems resigned to her lot in life, with no more daring escape attempts left in her. But being beaten down doesn’t mean that she wasn’t a hero; she was only human after all, and heroes that are human don’t always have happy endings. The fact remains that she bravely stood up for herself, and for a long time she didn’t give up despite the force of the Gilead government trying to crush her. Even as the other women began to give in to the oppression, she stayed strong, and her efforts to resist gave hope to others. If Moira can’t be considered a hero after doing all that, then there are no heroes.
that Moira put up with it until things got better between the two friends shows some admirable strength in spirit.
When the Gilead government took away the rights of women and starting rounding them up to be brainwashed in the Red Center, Moira was not content to just let it happen.
During her time in the Center she shows herself to be resourceful and capable, for instance she is able to bring a panicking Janine back to her senses when none of the other women knew what to do. She goes beyond meeting Offred in the bathroom to talk occasionally, a dangerous act in itself, and actually tries to escape from the Red Center. Her first attempt was a failure, and her feet were brutally beaten as punishment. Rather than give up Moira tried again, and this time she succeeded. She took apart a toilet, using the sharp metal she found inside to force one of the cruel Aunts to switch clothes with her. She then boldly walked out of the facility wearing the Aunt’s clothes, without anyone suspecting a thing. These were certainly heroic deeds, and she became a hero and a symbol of hope for Offred and no doubt plenty of other women as well. She had stood up to the regime and achieved what none of the others, who were already giving in to their oppressors, even dared to
try.
After hearing of the daring and bravery displayed by Moira, one would expect her to be at the forefront of the revolution against Gilead. But she is ultimately unable to escape the country, and ends up working as a prostitute at Jezebel’s. Although this is a slightly freer position to be in than working as a Handmaid, she is still on the government’s leash since Jezebel’s is an official “club” meant for foreign dignitaries and upper class men. When Offred finally meets her again she seems resigned to her lot in life, with no more daring escape attempts left in her. But being beaten down doesn’t mean that she wasn’t a hero; she was only human after all, and heroes that are human don’t always have happy endings. The fact remains that she bravely stood up for herself, and for a long time she didn’t give up despite the force of the Gilead government trying to crush her. Even as the other women began to give in to the oppression, she stayed strong, and her efforts to resist gave hope to others. If Moira can’t be considered a hero after doing all that, then there are no heroes.