The Handmaid's Tale: Characters (OCR A Level English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
The Handmaid’s Tale: Characters
Told from a first-person narrative perspective, Atwood brings her characters to life through details woven into the story, as well as characters’ actions and reactions. She relies on indirect characterisation, so that the characters’ personalities are revealed via their actions (and in Offred’s case, her thoughts) rather than being based on appearance or description. This gives the reader the decision of how to view the characters, based on what you gather from the information you are given. Characters can be also symbolic, representing certain ideas or ideals, so it is essential that you consider:
how characters are established
how characters are presented via:
actions and motives
what they say and think
how they interact with others
what others say and think about them
their physical appearance or description
how far the characters conform to or subvert stereotypes
the relationships between characters
what they might represent
Below you will find detailed character profiles for the major characters in The Handmaid’s Tale, along with a summary of the significant other characters:
Major characters
Other characters
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the exam, the idea of character as a conscious construct should be evident throughout your response. You should demonstrate a firm understanding that Atwood has deliberately created these characters to perform certain functions within the story.
For instance, you could begin to consider why Atwood has chosen to present the character of the Commander in the way that she does, as he is not actively present in the novel until Chapter 14, whereas the reader is introduced to Serena Joy, the Commander’s Wife, much earlier. Consider what the significance of this might be.
Offred
Offred is the protagonist and narrator of the novel:
The story is told from her perspective
The reader therefore experiences Gilead via Offred’s thoughts and descriptions
She is also a handmaid, a “woman-for-breeding” role designated to her, as she is of an age where she is potentially still fertile in an increasingly infertile state
She is “re-educated” at the Red Centre, and her individual identity is erased:
She is forbidden to use her real name (June) and she is allocated the name Offred meaning “of Fred” - belonging to the Commander
She keeps her real name hidden
She tells Nick her real name as a token of her feelings:
But she does not trust the reader with it directly, indicating that she lives in a world where who she can trust is extremely unclear
Offred is not an obvious dissident
She uses her memories of her past and who she used to be as her weapon against the regime:
She refuses to forget her own name and the time when she was a mother, a daughter, a lover, a wife, a working woman and a friend
In this way, Offred retains her psychological freedom
It is her power to remember that helps her cope with her present
Atwood reconstructs Offred’s past through memory and flashback, layering and interweaving them so that Offred simultaneously inhabits two spaces: her present handmaid’s space (or lack of it) and the freer spaces of her memory
She does not outwardly rebel against the regime:
In many ways, she seems to go passively along with it
Instead, she commits her own little acts of rebellion, such as making eye contact with the town gate’s young guard, or memorising the inscription she discovers in her closet
This is in contrast to a character such as Moira, who is openly resistant and confrontational, or her mother, whose political causes were a source of discomfort for Offred:
This can also be thought of in terms of political resistance, which is more moderate, versus direct action
This may explain why she is unwilling to directly spy on the Commander and report back to Ofglen, but she is willing to take risks in the arrangement itself or in her relationship with Nick
She is sharply observant and responsive to the world around her:
She notes all of the seasonal changes in Serena Joy’s garden, which represents beauty and the fertility denied to the Commander’s wife
Her observations of the natural world also serve to remind her that life goes on, and things once buried can resurface anew
The natural imagery also contrast with the polluted, masculine world of Gilead
Her narrative can be viewed as feminine subversion of a patriarchal system
But she is also lonely and isolated, and longing for physical and emotional connection, which could explain the relationships she develops with the Commander and with Nick:
In her arrangement with the Commander, both characters revert to old yet familiar social and sexual codes
Yet she is too intelligent to know that this is nothing more than a masquerade or a parody of the past, as represented by the evening at Jezebel’s
Even with the indoctrination and brain-washing Offred has encountered, she never really succumbs to the belief system of Gilead
However, she is aware that she needs to appear to be obeying Gilead’s laws:
This is reflected in her questioning the motives of characters who appear to want to help her
The fact that she never believes in the doctrine demonstrates the limitations of Gilead’s power over its subjects
Her relationship with Nick allows Offred to hope, and to even come to terms with her current situation as being bearable, but with that comes risk
As a narrator, Offred is self-aware and reflective of her own contradictions and failings:
This improves her integrity as a narrator
She is more believable as a character due to her flaws and contradictions
She has enough faults to make her human, but not so many as to render her unsympathetic and a character the reader cannot engage with
She is therefore the heroine of this novel, but not in the traditional sense:
She deals with the everyday practicalities of a life in which she has very little freedom or choice
She uses strategies to endure the boredom, monotony and ultimate futility of her existence (as in the novel she fails to fulfil her sole purpose in Gilead - to get pregnant)
She represents the resilience and endurance of the human spirit
The Commander
The Commander is a distant figure, described as being seen only fleetingly at the start of the novel:
This is ironic given the importance of his status and position, both in relation to Offred herself and to Gilead
He is the most powerful male authority figure in the novel, and in Offred’s world:
Yet he is presented as a man who is lonely and who is seeking connection
Offred describes his physical appearance in detail, and observes him as being unremarkable
He represents male power and dominance, along with stereotypical traits of indifference to domestic practicalities, ignorance to women’s actual needs and wants, and subject to his sexual desires
But he is an ambiguous character, important but shadowy, with motivations that remain unclear to Offred throughout
The power relationship between the Commander and Offred changes depending on whether they are in a public or private space:
In public, the Commander is aloof and dominant, and Offred is considered his “property”
However, in private, we see glimpses of a more balanced power relationship, with Offred occasionally growing in confidence, or apparently vulnerability on the part of the Commander
He appears to desire friendship and intimacy with his handmaid, not just a service
However, as the novel progresses, Offred realises that these visits are selfish, as while they satisfy his need for companionship, he does not seem to realise nor care that they put Offred in danger
This is reinforced by his apparent indifference to the fate of his previous handmaid
His moral blindness and hypocrisy are highlighted by his attempts to justify Gilead and his visits to Jezebel’s
He seems to yearn for what life was like before, while justifying the treatment of women under the totalitarian regime
The Commander might think of himself as much a prisoner as Offred, but it is a prison that he was instrumental in building, and the prison he has created for women is far worse
Atwood’s presentation of the Commander shows the humanity behind evil or extreme ideas:
Atwood means to convey that a society such as Gilead could happen anywhere
Therefore, the Commander personifies this idea
He is a well-dressed, respectable and occasionally sympathetic character, showing that evil and oppressive people can appear to be normal
This is further reflected in Offred’s reflection on the story of the Nazi officer’s mistress in Chapter 24
The role and importance of memory is also significant when considering the character of the Commander:
He is convinced that their outing to Jezebel’s is like walking into the past, but this is not a version of the past that Offred remembers
It is a grotesque parody of an element of the past, in which the Commander is reduced from a figure of authority to, essentially, a dirty old man
At the end of the novel, the Commander stands at the doorway as Offred is taken away looking old, worried and helpless:
He maybe realises that his own downfall is imminent, and the balance of power between he and Offred shifts, as she realises that she is above him, looking down, as he shrinks
Serena Joy
Serena Joy is the Commander’s wife, and is presented as a bitter and mostly unsympathetic character
She is significant, not only because she is referred to by her own name (unlike the other wives), but also because she is the most dominant female figure in Offred’s present:
She is older, childless and deteriorating physically:
She may therefore resent Offred not only for her position, but also for what she represents (youth and fertility)
Before Gilead, she was a singer on a gospel television show and a media personality promoting right-wing ideology and extremely conservative domestic policies:
She now appears to be trapped in the very ideology on which she based her former popularity
The character could be viewed as a satirical portrait of Christian Right wives who were media personalities in the US in the 1980s
Even her name is ironic, as she is the opposite of “serenity” and “joy”
Via Offred’s observations, the reader learns both what Serena Joy looks like, and how she moves, spends her time and what she finds difficult:
However, Offred finds it difficult to work out what Serena Joy is thinking
She wears blue, as do all of the wives, symbolic of the Virgin Mary, and her garden is a symbol for fertility, even though she herself cannot have children:
This can explain why she seems to take so little pleasure from it
There are suggestions of Serena Joy’s own form of subversion, in her smoking black-market cigarettes:
It is also her suggestion that Offred have sex with Nick in order to conceive a child
The reader might feel some sympathy for Serena Joy in her role in the Ceremony, as not only does she have to endure being present while her husband has intercourse with another woman, it is also a further reminder of what she is not - fertile:
The humiliation of this act further explains Serena Joy’s hostility towards Offred
However, Serena Joy is also tough and manipulative:
She reveals, by offering to show Offred a photograph of her daughter, that she knew of her and her whereabouts all along
She is also possessive of the Commander, reminding Offred that he is her husband, and her apparent feeling of betrayal when she discovers the Commander and Offred’s trip to Jezebel’s
In these ways, the amount of power Serena Joy holds is varied:
She has very little power in the regime of Gilead, as she is the embodiment of patriarchal traditional values, in which the woman is content to be ruled by her husband and puts his needs first
Her only place of power is in her living room, as she cannot even tend her garden without the help of a man
The only power she can exert is over her handmaid, even though she knows that ultimately she is still dependent on a handmaid for a child and, thus, the future of Gilead
It seems that Gilead’s social order does not just rely on men being in charge, but also on the willingness of women to oppress other women, as shown by not only Serena Joy, but also Aunt Lydia
Like her husband, Serena Joy is a hypocrite, feeling trapped by the society she helped to create
She is therefore a contradictory character:
While she is a woman, and oppressed by Gilead, she is also cruel and deliberately hurts and oppresses other women in order to make herself feel powerful
This character should not be seen as a criticism of women who choose to stay at home instead of going out to work:
It is instead a criticism of the removal of choice, whether removed by men or women
It is therefore an exploration of power and power relationships
Other characters
Nick
Nick is a Guardian, and works primarily as the Commander’s driver
He is quite low-ranking, but appears to have the Commander and Serena Joy’s trust
His importance in the novel is down to the functions he performs:
He is complicit in the Commander’s rule breaking, by driving him to Jezebel’s and delivering the message to Offred that the Commander wishes to see her privately
He assists Serena Joy in her garden, and she is able to give him orders which he obeys, enabling an aspect of Serena Joy’s power
He therefore appears to be a passive character:
However, he does quite brazenly flout Gilead’s rules, by winking at Offred and rolling up his sleeves
It is his function as Offred’s romantic lover that is most important:
He represents a “way out” for Offred, emotionally rather than physically
He also underscores mounting fear and danger, as the affair between them progresses and becomes more dangerous, especially to Offred
His true motivations and allegiances are left open at the end of the novel:
His use of Offred’s real name implies that she should trust him, and she does do as he asks, suggesting that he really is a member of Mayday
The Historical Notes also allude to him working for the resistance after all
However, as his character is deliberately lightly sketched by Atwood, this reflects the elusiveness of his character, and the reader can never be sure whether he is genuine or a member of the Eyes
Aunt Lydia
Aunt Lydia is one of the Aunts, who are older women who train and police the handmaids
They are some of the fiercest supporters of Gilead and capable of the most horrific acts of violence:
Their paramilitary organisation is represented by their khaki uniforms and their electric cattle prods
Aunt Lydia deals in propaganda for the regime, telling distorted stories of women’s lives before Gilead
Like Moira, Aunt Lydia exists in both Offred’s memories and her present reality:
Atwood often places Aunt Lydia and Moira close together to represent Offred’s internal conflict - Aunt Lydia’s voice tells Offred to submit to the patriarchy, whereas Moira’s voice tells Offred to stay true to herself
This reflects the dilemma women often face in everyday life, as when women reject notions of patriarchy, they are often met with social ostracisation
In an ironic way, Aunt Lydia can also be seen as key to Offred’s survival:
She is able to get the handmaids to submit to Gilead’s misogynistic ideas, in a world in which female submission is a key part of survival
Therefore, Aunt Lydia’s frequent presence in Offred’s reminiscences serves as a reminder to keep herself alive
Ofglen
Ofglen becomes an acquaintance of Offred, as her partner in their sanctioned shopping trips
She is revealed to be a member of the Mayday resistance, and entrusts Offred with this knowledge
She represents active resistance, and dies as a fighter, preferring to commit suicide when she sees the black van coming for her than betray her friends and comrades:
She can therefore also be seen as a representation of female strength and heroism
She provides a glimmer of hope for Offred’s future
Janine/Ofwarren
While Ofglen is presented as strong, the only other handmaid to emerge as an individual in the novel is Ofwarren, who is presented as weak
Offred knows Janine from their time at the Red Centre:
She takes the name of Ofwarren when she becomes a handmaid
She becomes pregnant and has a baby, which later turns out to be deformed, or an “Unbaby”, and does not survive:
There are rumours that her doctor fathered the child
Ofwarren is a conformist, ready to go along with what Gilead demands of her
She is indoctrinated into Gilead’s ideologies, but turns out to be as much a victim of the system as anyone else
The reader learns that she was also a victim of abuse pre-Gilead, making her even more of a tragic figure
She is also presented as overly willing to please, and yet unstable, making her a figure of contempt for Offred:
However, it could be argued that Atwood’s intention was to make the reader feel sympathy for Ofwarren, as a victim of circumstances out of her control, both in the present and the past
Rita and Cora
Rita and Cora are both Marthas: infertile women who do not qualify for the high status of wives and so work in domestic roles
Rita is openly judgemental about Offred’s role as a handmaid:
She appears to take a tone of moral superiority
Cora is more content with her role and more supportive of Offred:
She seems to look forward to the possibility of having a baby in the house to look after, no matter how it came to be
The lower social status of the Marthas mean that Rita and Cora are able to form a sort of companionship, and there are suggestions that they are able to see and talk to other Marthas to exchange information and gossip:
In this way, as they are old and infertile, they are not seen as important or a threat in Gilead’s society
They have effectively lost their worth
Moira
Moira is Offred’s oldest friend, and exists in the novel in both her memories and in the present
She represents active rebellion and resistance:
She is strongly individual and is known by her name as she never becomes a handmaid
She is also a lesbian which positions her against the ideologies of Gilead
This reflects the emerging movement for gay rights at the time the novel was written, coupled with active feminism and the resistance against repression for those marginalised by society
One of her key characteristics is her rebellious nature
She is a non-conformist college student
She tries to escape from the Red Centre, and eventually succeeds
Even when she is resigned to her fate at Jezebel’s, she is “dressed absurdly” as though mocking what she has been forced to become
Both Offred and Moira challenge the tyranny of Gilead in different ways, but ultimately there are no winners:
Neither submission nor rebellion wins freedom
Their journeys through the novel reverse, as Offred evolves to become more empowered, Moira becomes more and more resigned to her fate
Luke
Luke was Offred’s husband before Gilead, and the father of her child
He had an affair with Offred, leaving his wife for her
He attempted to escape with Offred and their daughter at the start of the regime, but was captured and separated from Offred and their daughter:
Offred never sees him again
He exists only in her memories, and his story is fragmented with painful imaginings of his possible fate
His life-story stops abruptly at his moment of capture
The power relationship between Offred and Luke was much more balanced, with Offred worrying about his fate throughout the novel, as though she is responsible:
Traditional patriarchal values place responsibility on the man
Offred’s mother
Pre-Gilead, Offred’s mother was a political activist and feminist
She campaigned for women’s sexual and social freedom:
She belonged to the history of feminism that is recorded in the novel - the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s and 1970s
At the time of Gilead’s takeover of society, she disappeared:
Offred later learns that she was labelled an “Unwoman” and sent to the Colonies
She represents independence of thought, courage and individual identity:
In Gilead, Offred is denied the freedoms her mother fought for, leading her to admire her in a way she did not at the time of her activism
However, her mother engaged in violent acts of rebellion, raising the question of whether violence as a means to an end is ever justified, whether for a social or political cause
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember, you are also being assessed on your ability to explore literary texts informed by different interpretations (AO5). This includes considering different interpretations of characters. For example, Serena Joy is often interpreted as a bitter and unsympathetic character, due to her treatment of Offred and the role she played in the establishment of Gilead itself. However, an alternative interpretation may consider her to be as much of a victim as Offred herself. In a world where a woman’s worth is based solely on her ability to have a child, it could be argued that Serena Joy is as much of an “Unwoman” as any sent to the Colonies. Seeing the world through Serena Joy’s eyes instead of just from Offred’s perspective is one way to consider a different interpretation of the character.
To find out more about exploring different interpretations, see our Interpretations revision notes.
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