In difficult circumstances, people try to hold on to a thought or memory of a person or idea that gives them lasting hope. This inspiration makes the hopeless party believe that their situation will improve. In the novel The Handmaid's Tale written by Margaret Atwood, the protagonist Offred faces internal and external conflicts while constantly living in the totalitarian society of Gilead. The narrator remembers the story of her strong and rebellious friend Moira; which gives her hope and makes her life a little more bearable. Moira's role in the novel is to provide Offred with memories of their past to make her life as a Handmaid more bearable, becoming the voice of reason and logic in the story, becoming a role model for the other Handmaids due to her determination and rebellion as well as being the sign of hope for women and contrasting its characteristics with Offred's way of behaving in Gilead society. Moira represents courage and hope to the narrator, qualities that most other women possess have lost or been brainwashed to forget. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Moira's memory of Offred is the only thing keeping her sane while she is a handmaid in Gilead. For Offred, Moira is constantly reminiscent of pre-Gilead times in Boston. While in bed, Offred remembers her time in college with Moira and how they took basic things for granted. “Let's go have a beer. I had an assignment due the next day. What was it? Psychology, English, economics. We studied things like that then." Recounting this conversation with Moira shows the restrictions placed on women in Gilead; they are prohibited from using alcohol and cigarettes, and it is illegal for women to read or write. The basic need for education is eliminated to limit women's ability to communicate with each other and limit the possibility of rebellion. This allows Gilead to have total control over the lives of all women. Offred thinks of a moment when Moira talks about throwing a 'whore party', saying: “Once they start getting age spots, they think they have to beat the competition. Porno marts and what have you” (Atwood 50). This flashback is related to the clothes/lingerie worn in the old society and how this type of clothing is forbidden in Gilead. Women now only wear long dresses and traditional hats of different colors due to rank. Porn and makeup are also illegal in Gilead. Offred says that this type of conversation was once normal in the society they once lived in. In this same chapter, Offred sees the commander outside her window, towards whom she feels hatred. Contemplate spitting or throwing the Faith pillow out the window in hopes of hitting it. The narrator recalls a time when she and Moira used: “Paper bags filled with water. Water bombs (…) I leaned out of my dorm window, dropping them on the heads of the kids below” (Atwood 58). Offred uses this comedic memory with Moira to make her suppress her harsh feelings for the commander. Before Gilead, this prank was very funny and no one was punished. The narrator does not dare throw anything at the commander, citing the fact that disgracing a man in power would lead to severe punishment. Offred often thinks of these fond memories with her dearest friend Moira to keep her afloat in the unbearable society of Gilead. Moira is the voice of reason in the novel who tries to convince the women to make decisions using the logic and evidence that Gilead is trying to take from them. The narrator believes that hisfriend will not approve of her secret relationship and night visits with the commander. As in the past, when she denied the affair with Luke, “she said I was rationalizing. I said I was in love. He said it wasn't an excuse. Moira has always been more logical than me” (Atwood 171). Moira gives Offred an unbiased straight answer about her relationship with her now-husband Luke, and tells Offred she knows it's not morally correct. The narrator knows that his close friend Moira will not agree with his dangerous relationship with the Commander because it is also unethical. In a flashback at the Red Center Offred remembers when Janine was beside herself and Moira slapped her saying, “Stay out of it Janine. They won't make fun of trying to cure you. They won't even bother shipping you to the Colonies. If you go too far they take you to the chemistry lab and shoot you. Then they burn you with garbage, like an Unwoman." In this memory, Offred describes Moira trying to reason with Janine while the other women watch idly. Moira tries to explain to Janine that it's important to act normal around her aunts if she wants to survive and not end up with a short and sad death. Offred is hungry for love when she holds Nick's gaze when he was out in the dark. Realizing that she cannot replace Luke for Nick, Offred remembers when Moira had once said “You can't help what you feel, but you can help how you act” (Atwood 192). Offred uses Moira's logical advice at the time to ensure that she doesn't act on her feelings for Nick due to this act being illegal and Offred still doesn't trust Nick, wondering if he has an eye for the government. Moira tries to protect her friends and the women she is close to by thinking rationally about how you should act in this totalitarian society. Moira is a role model for the Handmaids, particularly Offred. Her rebellion instills determination and hope in the women around her. Moira's apparent escape from Gilead gives the other Handmaids the ambition to want to rebel too. “However, Moira was our fantasy. We hugged her to us, she was with us secretly, a giggle; it was lava beneath the crust of everyday life. In Moira's light, the aunts were less fearsome and more absurd. Their power had flaws.” This lava metaphor suggests that a rebel movement in Gilead is just beneath the surface, this makes Gilead's society seem fragile. Unlike the other Handmaids, Moira does not give in to brainwashing, she is never willing to give up her freedom. “Moira was like an elevator with open sides. It makes our heads spin. We were already losing the taste for freedom, we were already finding the walls safe. In the higher reaches of the atmosphere you would disperse, you would vaporize, there would be no pressure to hold you together” (Atwood 133). The narrator means that Moira has a dangerous/rebellious side. Elevators give us freedom of movement, so it can be argued that Moira is the initiator of freedom in the novel. He is a free spirit because, regardless of the consequences, he will do whatever it takes to make himself happy. When she reunites with Moira at Jezebels, she is no longer rebellious and determined to escape, now compliant with the rules that were instilled in her after her second failed attempt so close to the border. “Now he's scaring me, because what I hear in his voice is indifference, a lack of will. So they really did this to her, took something away from her... what? -was it that important to you? And how can I expect her to move forward with my idea of ​​her courage, to live it, to act on it, when I myself don't do it? (Atwood 249). As long as Moira had these rebellious qualities, it was okay that Offred didn't have them, because at least she knew they still existed in the world. If Moira lost them, Gilead truly won. In.