Topic > The role of Moira in "The Handmaid's Tale"

Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what used to be the United States. This regime treats women as state property and faces environmental disasters and a plummeting birth rate. Desperate to repopulate a devastated world, the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude. One of these women, Moira, is determined to survive and contend with the terrifying world she lives in. In the story, Moira is a unique character whose courage, determination, strong beliefs and keen political consciousness make her a prominent figure throughout the world. the whole story. In the story, handmaids like Moira represent a symbol of the proletariat who is dominated by the capitalist class to the point of slavery and is deprived of freedom, but Moira is the only person who has strong beliefs to change this situation, or else In layman's terms, Moira is an extremely courageous person who dares to engage in class struggle. Therefore, from a sociological perspective, Moira can be examined from the theory of Marxism which originates from the works of 19th century German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and is a theory that focuses on the discussion and analysis of class structure, struggle and revolution. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Most importantly, throughout the story, Moira can be interpreted as a symbol of hope for the handmaids, especially Offred. The first time Moira gives Offred hope that her situation will improve is when they meet again at the Red Center. Offred arrived at the Rachel and Leah Center several weeks before Moira. At the time, Offred felt alone, helpless and hopeless, while her disposition immediately changed once her friend Moira arrived. Offred said, “it makes me feel more secure that Moira is here,” which shows that Moira's arrival really gives Offred hope and the sense of security for the living. Furthermore, the best hope that Moira brings to all the handmaids is Moira's second escape as at this time, Moira has successfully escaped from the Red Center, so it serves as clear evidence that the other girls could escape as well. Even though none of them managed to escape, Moira symbolizes hope for all the girls at the center because she challenged and broke the bonds that held all the handmaids in bondage. There is a quote: “In Moira's light, the aunts were less fearsome... their power had a flaw. This line shows that Moira provided Offred with the hope and courage to give her a different view of her situation. Furthermore, after Offred leaves the Red Center, although Moira was not with her in person, in Offred's mind Moira is still her source of hope for survival. However, while the Commander took Offred to Jezebel's, a gentlemen's club for high-ranking men in the government, Offred met Moira for the last time where Offred did not see a strong, courageous and passionate Moira that Offred expected, but found a woman . whose life she had ruined and, as mentioned in the book, "taken away something... that was so central to her." Moira is the symbol of hope for Offred, therefore, seeing Moira having given up her belief in freedom, Offred suddenly loses hope and courage for the life of the future. There is an important quote: "I don't want him to be like me... I want gallantry." This sentence shows that Offred has put Moira in a position of emotional anchor and spiritual pillar, so when she sees her previous source of motivation for life ruined, Offred also loses the belief that hersituation, his life, everything will get better and better. . Therefore, when one finds oneself in a dilemma, an indispensable element to move forward is hope while losing hope, one tends to be unable to continue moving forward, which is similar to this novel. Offred gained enormous hope from her former friend Moira, who was always brave in the fight. As time passed, Moira gradually became the symbol of hope, but when Moira was defeated by life and succumbed to life, Offred's source of hope was destroyed at the same time. Additionally, Moira has a vital role to contrast with Offred in Atwood's film. The Handmaid's Tale. First, the most important contrast between the two is that Moira has a more sensitive political conscience than Offred. When Gilead quickly takes control and establishes its own independent regime, it is Moira who tells Offred everything that has happened in this turbulent society. There is also a quote in the text that may prove this point. “She wasn't as stunned as I was. In some strange way she was cheerful, as if this was what she had long expected and now she had been proven right. This quote is mentioned when Offred remembers Moira's reaction the day they learned that women could no longer own property of their own. At that time almost all the women were amazed but only Moira seems to have predicted this event. This is because, unlike Offred, Moira took an active part in social activities and cared about current events and affairs so that she could foresee the future and not be very surprised by the upheaval. While Offred and others simply let the changes happen and felt incredible, Moira was forceful in finding the opportunity to fight back, which created a striking contrast between Offred and Moira to show Moira's sensitivity towards politics. A further example that shows Offred is apolitical is that at one point in the novel we are told that Offred's mother was a determined feminist activist, while Offred does not feel as motivated by her. Offred is passive and prefers to lead a life she sees fit. He doesn't pay too much attention to the deterioration of politics, until he loses his job, can no longer own his own private property, and also loses his basic freedom. After losing all this, Offred began to reflect and think like Moira. Furthermore, there was another contrast between Moira and Offred. “There was a time when we didn't hug after she told me she was gay, but then she said I didn't turn her on.” Here, Moira dares to joke about her sexuality to comfort Offred, which shows that Moira is more outspoken and outspoken. She seems to be a complete contrast to Offred as she is bold and outgoing, her language is vulgar and casual. Therefore, it is clear that Moira serves as a strength for Offred in terms of expression, political thought, and determination towards freedom. In addition to these two points, Moira is also a clear role model and natural leader for the handmaids. He shows exceptional courage and determination during his time at the Red Center. There is a quote: “You can't let her slip over the edge. That stuff is catching on. When Janine shows weakness in the Red Center, Moira volunteers to take the responsibility of helping her and tries to make sure the aunts don't find her this way, which demonstrates Moira's kindness, courage, and wisdom. Meanwhile, these qualities also deeply impress Offred. At one point, Offred states that "if I were Moira, I would know how to take it apart." This sentence shows Offred's respect for Moira and also shows that in Offred's mind, Moira was an intelligent person with excellent,.