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Summary Of ' The Handmaid 's Tale '

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Lillian Fox Peckos Ms. Stevens AP English Literature Block F 3 September 2015 The Handmaid’s Tale: Moira In the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood examines a conservative society in which women’s rights are completely restricted and women are valued only for their ability to procreate. The world depicted in the novel is an exploration of a possible future, where the former United States is controlled by a warped theocracy called the Republic of Gilead. This dark dystopian tale is seen through the eyes of the narrator, “Offred”, whose limited perspective still manages to reveal the impact the totalitarian regime has on society and the lives of its citizens. Atwood’s depiction of Offred’s best friend “Moira” offers up the novel’s most fascinating and tragic character. Under this oppressive regime, with it’s warped fundamentalist approach to religion, Moira undergoes a major transformation from strong-willed, independent woman to defeated, indifferent individual whose spirit is broken. Throughout the novel, Moria exists in Offred’s memory as the voice of reason and the face of resistance against Gilead’s control. Offred often reflects on times spent in her past with Moira, her college best friend, escaping from reality. Moira is a lesbian who spoke out against the patriarchal society, strong enough to stand up for her individual rights against the accepted norms of the regime. She is courageous, unafraid to speak her mind and someone to be admired. While comparing

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