Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many. This quote by Phaedrus is a good representation of some of the characters in this book. They may seem like they are orthodox but deep down they could be trying to overrule the government and it’s rules. In the book, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, many characters follow the “rules” but there are also many characters that are rule breakers. They are expected to follow all of the regulations, and if they do not follow them then they will get punished. Offred, Moira, and the Commander all show that they are unorthodox in this novel. The first character that symbolizes unorthodoxy is Offred. “As long as we do this, butter our skin to keep it soft, we can believe that we will some day get out, that we will be touched again, in love or desire” (Atwood 96-97). Offred spends most of her time daydreaming about how her life used to be and all of the freedoms she once took for granted. These thoughts she continuously has shows unorthodox because they are to do with escaping Gilead somehow. “And it would be so flaunting, such a sneer at the Aunts, so sinful, so free. Freedom, like everything else, is relative” (Atwood 231). This is …show more content…
“I can see now, it’s the Commander, he isn’t supposed to be here” (Atwood 49). “He is violating custom, what do I do now?” (Atwood 49) The Commander broke many rules between his Handmaid and himself. “It’s a garment, apparently, and for a woman: there are the cups for the breasts, covered in purple sequins” (Atwood 230). The Commander got an outfit for Offred even though those are not supposed to exist anymore, and he took her to a party that was not meant for Handmaids. “’Tonight I’m taking you out’” (Atwood 231). The Commander did many things that were risky and with many of his Handmaids too. He liked to have relationships with them and that was not allowed between Commander and