Offred In Power example essay topic

The Commander is one of, if not the most significant male character in the novel and his character is used to present the contrasts of the lives of a woman - Offred - and a man in the Gileadean society. The Commander is not properly introduced in the novel until page 97 and even in this chapter, we still find out very little about his character. We establish that he is a figure of authority by the fact that everyone in the household gathers once a week at a specific time to hear him read from the bible. When he enters the room that is 'supposed to be Serena Joy's territory' he is 'supposed to ask permission to enter it' but he doesn't. This was probably done intentionally by Atwood to show that he is the head of the household and even has power and authority over his wife. Offred seems to notice that he is trying to establish his authority when she says: 'Maybe he's just forgotten the protocol, but maybe it's deliberate.

' She compares him to a 'museum guard' and a 'bank president' both people who hold authority, she makes this comparison simply on the grounds that he is wearing a suit. I find it particularly interesting that when Offred describes the Commander not only is it obvious that she doesn't know him because she is only describing his physical features 'neatly brushed silver hair' but that she makes judgements about his character very quickly. 'He manages to appear puzzled... as if we are something he inherited... and he hasn't figured out what to do with us. What we are worth. ' 'Now he looks like a shoemaker in an old fairytale book. Is there no end to his disguises, of benevolence' From this it is quite obvious that although she hardly knows him, she has begun to make up her mind about his character and personality and she doesn't like him much.

We are given an in depth description of his physical features but because Offred does not yet know him, we find out very little about his personality. This means that the reader also has to make judgements about his character from his physical description. Thus presenting a moral that it is human nature to judge people before we know them and it is not just women that suffer from being judged on appearance but also men of higher status and authority. In this chapter the Commander despite obviously having authority, is polite even with the servants. 'He clears his throat a little, as if embarrassed.

"Could I have a drink of water... Please" ' "Thankyou". Offred seems sympathetic at first to the fact that he has so much pressure on him and society has high expectations of him. 'To be a man, watched by women. It must be entirely strange. ' But she later decides that he is the one that controls her fate and resents him for that 'he's given no evidence, of softness.

' She ends this paragraph by short contradictory lines suggesting that she cannot make up her mind about his character and cannot imagine what it must be like to be him. She ends recognising the fact that his power may be unwanted and he may be lonely. 'It must be hell to be a man, like that. It must be just fine. It must be hell. It must be very silent.

' Offred seems very interested in the Commander and his role and says she and the other servants are like 'iron filings to his magnet. He has something we don't have, he has the word' This also suggests that she is envious of his supposed freedom and power. The comparisons she makes about the Commander are very unflattering such as him being like a slug and a sock. These jokes are Offred's way of showing that she has little respect for the Commander and the life he is able to lead. During the Ceremony we get a little more insight into the Commander's character. 'With a regular two-four marching stroke.

' This line suggests that he sees the Ceremony as his duty to society as a man in the army sees his duty is going to war and as the Commander is a retired Angel, this comparison seems to reveal more about his character. We feel slight sympathy for the Commander as he seems as much a victim of the repopulating process as Offred does, he doesn't seem to enjoy having sex with her: 'Drumming his fingers on the table while he waits. There's an impatience in his rhythm now. ' Offred doesn't even perceive him to be the one at fault as she has signed up for it. Offred says that this is 'serious business' and the Commander is just 'doing his duty's uggesting that he has as little choice in the matter as she does. If Offred does not get pregnant then she will be sent to the colonies but men in the Gileadean society were not blamed for infertility.

The fact that Offred is fairly young and has had a child before and the Commander is old and has never had a child suggests that he may be the one that is infertile. This would also make sense considering the fact the Serena Joy never had a child. This, whether intentional by Atwood or not, actually made me feel sympathetic towards the Commander but also irritated by the fact that Offred would be the one that was shamed for not being able to produce offspring. However, we never see how the Commander feels about this, we only see it from Offred's perspective.

When Offred is invited to the Commander's study she compares it to being like a 'child who's been summoned, at school, to the principals office. Again she compares him to a figure of authority and this comparison in particular suggests that she is nervous or frightened about seeing him. This presents the selfishness in the Commander's character. Offred knows that going to see him is wrong, but she has been ordered to, so she has no choice.

'If I'm caught... I could become an Un woman. But to refuse him could be worse. There's no doubt about who holds the real power.

' To put Offred in this kind of danger for his own purpose, shows just how selfish the Commander is and how he is abusing his power. Offred defends herself against the Commander's selfish whims by saying 'to want is to have a weakness. ' The Commander doesn't seem very threatening when Offred arrives and is particularly polite. 'Hello. You can sit down. ' Offred begins to gain more confidence and is eager to see what the Commander 'wants' hoping that she can bargain with him.

When the Commander asks if she will play Scrabble, he looks embarrassed and it seems that the question of 'will' puts Offred in power. She becomes more relaxed and realises that she can get something out of this visit. 'Now it's desirable. Now he's compromised himself.

' However, when the Commander 'asks' Offred to kiss him it is clear that she has little choice in the matter and she adds in that she even wanted to kill him, though not at the time. It is equally possible that she did not mind the affection but wishes that she had felt like killing him because it would have made her feel more powerful and in control of the situation. She calls him 'sad's uggesting that she feels sympathy for him as he obviously comes across as lonely to her as well as to the reader. He seems to enjoy the visits because he gets company from Offred and affection (pretend) when she kisses him goodnight.

Instead of referring to her regular visits as if she has been ordered to go, Offred says that she and the Commander have an 'arrangement. ' This makes her seem as if she holds some power and control over when she sees him when really she doesn't, 'only when I get a signal. ' Offred explains that she expected him to want sex from her. 'Perversions, whips.

' As I said earlier she has made another judgement about the Commander and has been proved wrong. It is obvious that this is the view that she holds of all men and doesn't even give them a chance. When she gets to know him better however, she describes the Commander as 'patient' and 'positively daddyish' both positive references to his character. The quote 'positively daddyish's suggests that he is gentle and makes her feel comfortable. We hear nothing of Offred's father in her former life but we hear Offred's mother putting men down, including Offred's husband Luke. So at first the Commander seems like a father figure to Offred and she accepts this.

His fatherly attitude towards her surprises Offred as she expected that he would want sex 'there had been a letdown of sorts. ' He seems very fatherly when he lets her win a game of scrabble and they seem much more comfortable with each other. It seems that the games of scrabble are an escape from the boredom and monotony of the ways of life of both of the characters. Offred knows that she has no choice but to go to the Commander when he demands it but chooses to see it as excitement rather than just a dangerous risk.

The games of Scrabble seem to be enticing to Offred and the Commander gains Offred's appreciation. As women are not allowed to read or write in the Gileadean society, this would have been a clever method of enticing Offred. When Offred says 'Pen is envy' not only is she referring to the fact that she envies the Commander because he is allowed to write, but if you look closely it is also an intended pun: Penis envy! Suggesting rather accurately that she envy's the power and freedom he supposedly has in Gilead. The Commander seems to show his appreciation for Offred's company by giving her hand cream. He also gives her a women's magazine which is symbolic to Offred because it 'suggested one adventure after another, ... one man after another' in other words, everything that had been taken away from women.

The Commander doesn't seem to understand it's specific significance but 'found pleasure' in seeing her read the magazine. Offred also uses the Commander as a source of information for what is going on in the outside world. 'I want to know. ' These exchanges represent how both characters are using each other for their own specific purposes. The Commander explains that his relationship with his wife is not good, 'she won't talk to me much any more' 'My wife doesn't understand me,' typical cliches used by men who are having affairs. He has had an affair before with another handmaid and somehow seems less respectable when he reveals this, especially when we find out that 'Serena found out' and the handmaid hung herself in Offred's room.

This makes his character seem much more dangerous than it had when they were playing games of Scrabble. It makes him seem careless that he is having an affair all over again with Offred and putting her life in jeopardy. The Commander although he obviously has power and prestige is like everyone in the Gileadean society - oppressed. However, the fact that he has this power means that he can get away with things that women would not be able to, such as his trips to jezebels to sleep with prostitutes. The Commander is portrayed as a weak man who has been given too much power and is now abusing it.

Offred has no choice but to visit him and do whatever he asks of her. She does gets something out of the relationship, albeit at the expense of her life. The visits to the Commander make Offred much more confident and when she begins her affair with Nick, she is not as afraid as she is when she first visited the Commander. We are only given a limited perspective of the Commander and this is from an oppressed woman's perspective. The Commander, who at first seems to play a positive role in Offred's life, (as positive as it could be in Gilead) later succumbs to the male stereotypes that Offred's mother (and quite possibly Atwood) held of men - selfishness, greed and sexism. 'For him, I must remember, I am only a whim'.