The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood presents a disturbing future dystopia in which all power is taken away from women and left in a male-dominated power structure. Throughout the novel, betrayal remains the overarching theme, seen in men's betrayal of women as well as the reason for abandoning any sense of self and previous relationships. Society's betrayal of women as a whole leads Gilead to a hierarchy of power that leaves the Handmaids, especially June, no choice but to betray themselves by giving in to society which strips them of their identity and leaves them without personal relationships and with a constant test to stay. alive.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayStuck in a society that has stripped all meaning and emotion from sex, and justified it by self-preservation in a household at three dominated by power, June commits acts of which she is both ashamed and which she does not appreciate. Driven only by her need to stay alive, she continues to follow these orders, blocking them from her mind as much as possible. By the time June is known as "Offred", the stratification of Gilead's society has changed only to accommodate an act made superficial and shameful. The “Ceremony,” as it is called, is devoid of emotion and exists simply as an obligation to procreate. "What he's fucking is my lower body... Nothing happens here without me signing up." There wasn’t much choice but there was some, and that’s what I chose” (94). This is June's account of the ceremony around which her life is now entirely based. Even this early in the process, she has separated herself from what she once knew and created a new knowledge of what is happening, recognizing that this is not like the passionate sex she once experienced with Luke , but is reduced to the simple act of insemination. . For the entire community, sex has lost the meaning it once had and has shifted to this monthly ritual: “It is not recreation, even for the Commander. This is serious business. The Commander, too, does his duty” (94-95). This change in mentality is one of the most serious in the new society. Although nothing vital was eliminated and procreation continued, what was removed from society might as well have been an essential part of life. Without it, June, and even the Commander, struggle to know where the boundaries are and how relationships should exist. The Commander orders June into his office, shattering any semblance of structure and tenants by thinking himself above the law and putting June in a position where she has no choice but to follow him, but could still be killed for following her orders. She has no way out, and while the Commander realizes this, he considers his own need for companionship a higher priority, knowing that the Handmaids' cycle will continue well beyond June and caring more about Establish a real connection with someone. In his office, the commander does not want sex or inappropriate behavior, but rather something that has become even more intimate, real companionship. Every night, as he visits, the Commander asks June for a kiss. “He walks away, looks at me. There is still the smile, the sheepish one. Such frankness. “Not like that,” he said. “As if you really mean it.” He was so sad” (140). This insight into the Commander's true desires shows that more than being a corrupting authority, he too is going through a difficult time in this void society that he helped to create.create. The restructuring that has taken place has shifted the focus from love and relationships to the need for reproduction, making Serena Joy's only focus on expecting a baby. His status in society depends on June's pregnancy, creating a strange power dynamic between them, as they are completely dependent on each other. In her desperation, Serena Joy proposes the idea of ​​breaking the rules and arranging a sexual relationship with June and Nick, intending to improve her chances and once again show the corruption that exists in the company that was created to be free from corruption. “This idea hovers between us, almost visible, almost palpable: heavy, shapeless, dark; a sort of collusion, a betrayal in some way” (205). The irony of the Commander and his wife asking June to break the rules is both damning and appalling, as she could be betrayed and killed at any time for anything she does, even following their instructions. She is forced to decide whether to follow the rules imposed on her by society or follow the orders of her superiors to break those rules. Knowing that either path could lead to her demise, June chooses the more interesting path and follows her commander's orders, even though she sometimes despises his actions. With the Commander, June separates herself from her actions as much as possible, seeing it as a duty more than an experience. “With the Commander, I close my eyes, even if I only kiss him good night. I don’t want to see him up close” (269). June's separation from intimacy with the Commander is her way of maintaining hope that one day she can return to a life in which she is with someone she loves. The Commander's request that June accompany him to Jezebel's house, while an interesting experience for her, reveals the reality that there is no room for privacy in this society that l 'has made it both obsolete and necessary. There is no middle ground between procreation and lovemaking in Gilead, where personal relationships have no place. “The problem is, I can't be with him any differently than I usually am with him. Usually I'm inert. Surely there must be something here for us, other than this futility and this bathos” (255). June's separation from her actions has become so deeply ingrained that she cannot move past it to participate in anything more than what she has experienced over the past five years. Her goal remains to stay alive, limiting herself to breaking the rules, but internally withdrawing from her actions in order to maintain the hope of being herself and controlling her body and mind again one day. In this novel, June manages to maintain hope, albeit faint, and finds vicarious rebellion in Moira and Ofglen, even in a society so deprived of all hope. June searches everywhere for even a fragment of evidence to suggest hope and inside her wardrobe she finds it: “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” Even without knowing its meaning, June uses this as a motto and a word of inspiration, left by a woman who knew all too well what she was going through. “I pray in silence: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. I don’t know what that means, but it seems right and it will have to be done” (90). Writing on the wardrobe is forbidden, so June cherishes it as a secret she keeps, seeing it as her little piece of power and her connection to someone else, no matter how distant. Moira becomes his beacon of hope, starting at university before the new society takes hold and continuing at the Red Center and Jezebel. His rebellion and irreverence persist in June even when they areseparated for so long, offering a kind of optimistic heroism and hope that there will be a way out of the hell that has become her life. Moira's escape from the Red Center was impressive, forcing her way out by threatening and pretending to be an aunt. She was known to be the one to disobey, but this level of dangerous risk-taking was unheard of. “Moira now had power, she had been liberated, she had freed herself. She was now a cowardly woman” (133). June's passive attitude led her to experience rebellion through Moira and the more exciting and dangerous choices of others. Moira's audacity wore thin, however, and at Jezebel (ironically June's time to live dangerously) she confided in June that she had given in, that she was content to be a man's plaything. she had more freedoms than those confined to households. Moira's courage and fortitude far exceeded those of most, so when she gave up her dream of escape and admitted to being part of a society that exploited her, June felt like she didn't He had no more hope either. Her acceptance that she only had three or four years left, rather than looking for another escape plan, showed June that her hero had faded and was broken, just like her. “I don’t want her to be like me. Give in, continue, save his skin. This is what it comes down to. I want her to demonstrate bravery, heroism and unarmed combat. Something I miss. » (249) Moira wasn't June's only hope. In fact, as exciting as Moira's life was in June's mind, Ofglen offered an even greater sense of hope. Ofglen's hope was almost tangible in its accessibility, and June, although hesitant about being part of the group, found herself relying on the "Mayday" group for hope for future escape. June was drawn to the group by the sense of belonging and power in such a large and secretive group, although her respect for this group did not eclipse the fear she still felt for societal structures which bound her. Ofglen's status in this organization meant that she was both a friend and a threat to June, offering companionship and information on their outings, but also the opportunity to reveal what she knew about the secret meetings of June with the commander if she was ever arrested. Ofglen showed incredible perseverance in committing suicide, knowing she would expose others, and hanging herself as her last vestige of self-control in the society that deprived her of it in every other way. Similar to the disappointing ending felt with Moira's acceptance of the way things were, Ofglen's suicide, while a relief, also exposes June to the enormity of the influence society truly has on all of them and it hits her even harder than Ofglen's death. “I want to continue living in whatever form it takes. I freely abandon my body to the uses of others. They can do whatever they want to me. I am despicable. I feel, for the first time, their true power” (286). Despite her hope and fantasies of one day being with Luke and his daughter without constraints, June abandons everything she once believed and hoped in and resigns herself to the same conclusion Moira came to; she was broken by society. June feels immense guilt and grief over her own betrayal of Luke, even knowing she will never be with him again; Gilead's society has cultivated a shame that envelops it even in its simple desire for pure human connection. Even following instructions, June feels guilty about being with Nick. Society has made this act meaningless, but her feelings for Nick, well.