Another point of the book that I did not like was how Offreds narrative ended. What I do not like about how it ended was the fact that there were so many unanswered questions. There were no clues what would happen to Offred next, where I like to finish reading the book and feel satisfied with the ending, where at the ending of the Handmaids Tale, I had no idea what fate Offred was heading to. Most people could argue that the point of the story is not about what will happen to Offred but instead showing the problems of society and life in an oppressive state. The way the narrative ended highlighted Atwood’s main aim of the story. Also in life, when a regime like Gilead comes to an end, many people never discovered what happened to their relatives, which would have left many unanswered questions. This is also what Atwood was trying to show. From my point of view though, I would have preferred a more rounded ending.
One good point from the handmaid’s tale is how Atwood makes the readers feel that they can trust Offred. The readers can trust Offred because she often revises
her story to make sure that she has given an accurate account. For example when Offred sleeps with Nick, she gives three different accounts of what happens, as she questions herself and even admits afterwards that none of these side of the story were correct. Also when Offred is talking about the past and she did not actually witness the event, she would say it was how she ‘imagined’ it, to have happened. An example of this is when Offred is describing what happens to Moira, from the information she got from Janine, Offred says
“Aunt Lydia didn’t repeat any of this part to Janine but I expect Moira said something like it.”
This shows that Offred admits that what she told the readers may not be completely correct, but she does admit this to the readers. This means the readers know that
Offred is honest, so they can truly believe what she says.
Another point of the book that I enjoyed is when Offred talks directly to us, the readers. Offred tells her story like the people she is talking to be there in the room with her. I think this is a good technique used in the book because it makes story more personal to the readers. A good example of when this happens is when she sleeps with Nick and apologises to the readers for how she tells the story, as she says
“I’m sorry there is so much pain in this story. I’m sorry it’s in fragments…”
This proves to the readers that Offred considers them, when she is telling her story.
The Handmaids Tale is very good at the use of language. This is shown in the way Offred likes to play word games. This is shown best when Offred is playing scrabble with the commander. Another example of this would be the use of palimpsests, used throughout the book. An example of a palimpsest is in the first chapter. Some readers may argue that it is a palimpsest for the whole ideology of Gilead. I like it because I think it shows that nothing in Gilead is new, which I feel it is very important for setting the scene for the story.
In conclusion there are many pleasures and problems that I have found while reading the handmaids tale. Some other readers though may disagree and find the problems that I described part of what they enjoyed about the novel.
