The narrator of this book is Offred. She is a Handmaid in a family of Commander, whose name is Fred. Throughout all the book the book we see her emotions, thoughts and memories, which are described very carefully. Her thoughts divided on two parts, first is her life before Revolution. In her memories we see a middle class American family with a small daughter. Second part of her memories is present, where there are only sadness and hope for the better life. First she doesn't know what to do she just lives according to the rules and thinks that everyone who surrounds her is the same. She, as all Handmaids, has to wear red dress that covers almost all her body and wings, because nobody should see her face, only in a house. It is very interesting to see how in the first chapter she can't call room where she lives “her own room”, but in a chapter nine she calls it “My own space”, Here we can see that people can get use to everything, but, however, the chance to escape still lives in her soul. Later she sees that this world is not so pure as she knew before. First she realizes this when she comes to an appointment with a doctor, to check her conditions of fertility. In his office he offers “help” to her. Under “help” he means to make her pregnant by himself, but she refuses, because she is too scared and she can't really trust him, because he can be a spy of the government. Offred is really shocked of this proposition, but it also makes her believe that not everything is lost for her. It again proves that not everything in Gilead is so controlled, it makes her start to believe in a chance to escape. The second reason that makes her think one more time about reality of this society is when Nick tells Offred that Commander wants to see her next night see wants her to come to his office. She was shocked again, because she doesn't really know what does Commander want to do with her. Also we can see that she was scary and angry at the same time, because the only thing the Commander can want from her is her body: “Hasn't he had enough of me”(p. 110) - it talks about Ceremony. Next night she comes to Commander's office as he wished her to do. It is a big surprise for Offred when instead of some kind of soliciting, he just wants to play Scrabbles with her. But the most interesting happens when Offred is leaving his room and Commander asks to kiss him like as she really wants to do this. But she does it cold and with out feelings and this makes the Commander sad. After this they have meetings rather often and with each one Commander becomes more opened for her. Offred begins to feel some power over him and it again opens her eyes on the situation in Gilead. With every page of the book we together with Offred understand that the world of Gilead is not so clear and pure as we know from the beginning, and finally, with Nick's help, she becomes a part of rebellions and gets her freedom abrproa of the Republic of Gilead.
Serena Joy is the Wife in a house of the Commander, where Offred lives. Before the revolution she took part in one religious TV show. That's why after revolution she gets the highest class for women – the Wife. She is described as a blond hair woman and beautiful, but already not young face. She is very jealous, that's why during first speech with Offred she tells such words:”As for my husband, she siad, he is just that. My husband. I want that to be perfectly clear. Till death do us part. It's final.”(p. 26) During Ceremonies also we can see how jealous Serena Joy is. Especially just after finishing she tells very angry to Offred:”Get up and get out”. (p. 106) As we learn later her real desire is to have a baby, and she can even go against the rules and let Offred try to make a baby with Nick, a driver of the Commander. It again proves that on the way to desire, a law is not a barrier, even for the people who extremely supports this law.
The Commander has a very high position in society of Gilead. He is one who creates this system. He is rather old, we can say he is around 55. Later we see him as a kind man who has not enough communication with people, that is why he invites Offred to play with him in table game. During the nights they spend together commander shows her magazines that he has from the past, finds hand lotion for her and then invites her to the “club”. Analysing this, he becomes the most cruel breaker of the rules of Gilead. It proves that his society is very corrupted and if you have a high position you can obtain everything. The situation with the Commander and Offred shows us that people in that cold and unemotional society really need warmth, communication and tenderness. It again proves us that doesn't depend what social status you have, you need some freedom, the Commander shows this in relationships with Offred, all the time he tries to prove that this society is not so “dead”.
Atwood shows us the totalitarian world, where women have no rights and men have everything. Throughout all the book we have some kind of rebelling. It shows us that people of that society have hope of freedom and they fight for it. Even people with high status in Gilead can go again the law to achieve their desires. To conclude, doesn't matter how powerful the government is, if people have their desires and thoughts, no one can stop them on the way of their realization.