Summary
Summary The Handmaid's Tale - characters
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Notes on the major characters of the novel
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CharactersOffred
- Protagonist and first-person narrator
- Handmaid of commander and serena joy, former wife of Luke, lover of nick
- Never learn her real name – Offred means of Fred
- Little known about her physical appearance – brown hair, 33 years old
- Had a daughter before Gilead with Luke – about 25
- Moira – her best friend from college
- Rocky relationship with her mother – radical and outrageous
- Rebellious and sometimes violent in her thoughts
- Full of passionate memories
- Seems stolid and devout to outsiders – does her best to obey Gilead’s laws
- Keen observation and honest emotions despite the terror and brainwashing – demonstrate limitations
of Gilead’s power over its subjects
- Could be judged for her passivity
The commander
- Head of the household and husband of serena joy
- Wears a black suit and has grey hair
- High-ranking official of Gilead – could have played a large role in its construction
Breaks many laws – goes to sex club at jezebel’s, spends time with Offred
- Attributes his misogynistic attributes to nature
- Cares for Offred’s wellbeing and wants to know her opinion on controversial matters
Serena joy
- Commander’s wife
- Unable to have children – requires Offred’s services
- Before Gilead – a singer who became famous on tv for her emotional Christian music
Used to give speeches about how women ought to be housewives
- Spends time gardening with nick’s help and knitting scarves for soldiers despite her arthritis
- Resentfully ignores Offred
Towards the end – encourages Offred to try and get pregnant by having sex with nick
Nick
- Commander’s driver, serena joy’s helper in the garden and Offred’s lover
- Official position is a guardian – seems to be low-ranking
Has not been assigned a woman
- Roguishly rejects Gilead’s strictures – rolls up his uniform sleeves
- Found trustworthy by commander and serena joy – get his help for their own misdeeds
- Secretive and discreet – Offred can never figure out what he’s thinking
- Question of true alliance questioned at ending – postscript notes suggests he was working for the
resistance
Luke
- Offred’s pre-Gilead husband and father of her daughter
- Previously married and had a long affair with Offred before divorcing his wife
- Offred passes a lot of time remembering him – seems to have frequently been at odds with her
emotions
Doesn’t seem distressed when Offred loses her job and must cede all her money to him
Lacks sympathy or sexist?
- After failed escape – Offred imagines many fates for him
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