Handmaid's Tale Freedom Analysis

This quote shows the differences between freedom in Gilead and the freedom in the time before. This is said by Aunt Lydia when she is thinking of what life was like before Gilead. The world before had freedom because there were no set limits; people could do whatever they wanted. Therefore, they had "freedom to" do whatever they pleased and wanted. In the time before Gilead women could wear what they wanted, earn their own money, read and right, and do whatever they wished. This freedom, however, came with a catch. Due to the fact that there really were no rules, women were not protected. Women could not go out alone at night nor could they talk to strangers because the risk of something happening to them was too great. In Gilead however, women no longer face these dangers because they have the "freedom from" them. This safety comes at the cost of a woman's "freedom to". Wives, Martha's, and Handmaids are forced under the strict regime of Gilead in order to keep their "freedom from".
Up until now the reader has viewed Gilead as a horrible society.
Through this passage, some understanding can be gained about Gilead and the people who started it. If what Aunt Lydia says is correct then the people of Gilead were only trying to make the world better. These people wished to live in a society that was not corrupted by crime. They wished to live in a society where women were safe and weren't constantly at risk of being harmed. They tried to create the perfect and ideal society. Because of this, the readers hate for Gilead starts to dwindle, though not all the way. The intentions were good, but instead, these people created a society in which the harm to women only changed its form. Yes, women are no longer at risk of being assaulted but they no longer have any individuality. Women no longer have any choice or
control.
This quote exemplifies the fact that there can never be a perfect society in which the two freedoms equally coexist showing the reader that Utopia's are non-existent. There is no such thing as perfect. When one of the freedoms is given the other automatically starts to diminish. A person cannot ask to have the freedom to walk the streets alone at night but then ask for the guarantee that they will be safe while doing so. This is impossible. This quote shows the reader that the only way to rid the world of crimes, such as rape and assault, is to implement strict rules and regulations which in turn take away the "freedom to" that so many people desire. From these lines, the value of freedom can be questioned. What is more important, which freedom should hold president? The freedom to do what one wishes; to have equal opportunities or the freedom from harm and danger; to be guaranteed safety wherever you go? Which one matters more?