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A friendly conversation, no less


Does knowledge really lead to power? Is “The more you know the better”, really worth taking into consideration? In chapter 29 of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred contributes to the reality that when some recognize the influence they have on others, they’ll most likely steer it to their advantage.
After so many nights of playing scrabble in the Commander’s office, things start to get less informal and Offred finally starts questioning as to why he started the whole thing in the first place. Which leads to the burning question that seems to drag on throughout the whole chapter. What benefit is the Commander getting from this? An important member of society wanting to put so much effort into spending time with Offred, a Handmaid, an individual treated with such disrespect. Besides, we all know how dangerous and illegal these meetings are and that the chances of Serena Joy finding out are extremely high if we keep in mind what happened to the former Handmaid. In fact, that was part of the conversation the Commander and Offred were having, hence the reason she discovered the story behind the Handmaid’s death. We also have to consider how the Commander knows for a fact that he is risking Offred’s life and now she very well knows this too. This occurs when she decides to ask him about the meaning of a Latin phrase she found in her room, he tells her it was a joke him and his friends made up, then making her realize that the former Handmaid used to spend time in his office as well. That is to say, she finally understands why the girl had taken her own life, all because Serena Joy, the Commander’s wife, found out about the visits. Not to mention she now fully understands how selfish Commander Fred is since he is willing to put her life in danger for his own personal gain, which is to satisfy his want for a little bit of intimacy. Furthermore, Offred is no longer blind to his guilt, “You want my life to be bearable to me”(236) and opts to use this as a weapon against him. No doubt, the Commander feels guilty for Offred’s horrible life and wishes to make it better. Obviously, when Offred sees what she has on him, she decides to put it to the test when she claims that giving her information will make her life better, more “bearable”. Of course, Offred is extremely persistent with this, first, asking to have a normal conversation with the Commander rather than reading like she usually does. Lastly, she actually has the audacity to ask about “Whatever there is to know” and, “What’s going on.”(236)

In the society Offred lives in, a world where she cannot be herself, where she is constantly being controlled, there’s no wonder why she’ll take any opportunity she can in order to feel somewhat powerful. Nonetheless, the Commander and Offred both demonstrate to taking advantage of the other when given the right opportunity.

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