In this way, our protagonist try a female stuck ranging from these individuals enterprises. That it throws Offred at the an impasse throughout the most of the story, too scared to going by herself totally in order to rebellion, too horrified from the Gilead’s barbarism add to help you complacency. Swept up, put differently. Offred’s mental state contrasts sharply towards the “rallying cry” carved inside Offred’s cupboard by the Waterford’s earlier in the day Handmaid: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, which is a kind-out of Latin terminology definition, “Do not let this new bastards work your down.” This might be construed because the an ironic content to your lady to go out of, once the she at some point hanged herself-put differently, the woman edgy heart are grounded away, and you can she no more encountered the will to thrive, to combat, leftover within her. But the woman committing suicide may also be see due to the fact facts she never ever threw in the towel toward a good battle, given Ofglen plus hangs herself to the the termination of new unique, shortly after the girl involvement with the latest opposition was established, therefore the Attention are coming on her behalf. Did Offred’s pree cause? Therefore, they demonstrates that she, such as Ofglen, fought towards the extremely avoid and you may finished the lady lifestyle on her behalf own terms and conditions.

If the earlier Handmaid heeded her very own information or perhaps not, Offred does not, and this refers to essential to Atwood’s overarching responses for the character out of patriarchal oppression of females, exactly how men during the fuel grind female down. Because it is not just Offred you to comes after a low trajectory out of hopeless, defacto acceptance of your own system. Moira, this lady dated buddy that fled the fresh Purple Heart, reappears due to the fact a sex employee during the Jezebels, a resorts turned into brothel arranged of the Commanders off Gilead one lawfully lets these to become in the event that there had been perhaps not an enthusiastic evangelical theocracy working outside the “gentleman’s bar” (a location Offred’s Frontrunner takes the lady to help expand his mistress habits for the allegedly sacred Handmaid). Whenever Moira fulfills Offred in about what occurred following this lady avoid (she is recaptured and you may pressed to your prostitution from the program), she insists on the several circumstances so it “isn’t so incredibly bad,” since the she reaches drink, smoking, rating highest, and you may have fun with one other lady in the Jezebels as frequently once the she wishes. So it entry of complacency of Moira directs Offred toward a great spiral out-of hopelessness, because she searched around the girl dated buddy since the a type off group champion, the one that had away, just who defied the system. Rather than this individual to seem doing, Offred seems nothing but despair, and also in so it emotional county, she as well actually starts to succumb, to feel as if fighting was pointless-so much in fact that when she understands the latest black colored van was future for her, she takes into account committing suicide, but is therefore depressed she can not extremely decide what cure for of herself.

Because she’s escorted out of the house, Nick says to the lady to think your and you will do long lasting boys say

The fresh van waits about garage, their twice gates stay discover. The two of them, you to into the both sides now, need me personally by the elbows to simply help me personally when you look at the. Whether or not this might be my personal avoid otherwise yet another birth I have absolutely no way away from understanding: I have provided me personally over to your give out-of visitors, whilst can’t be assisted. [stress mine]

He might getting demonstrating this new black-clad troops was friends here to save her; or, they could in fact be there to escort the woman to help you their demise

We sooner or later know, inside an enthusiastic epilogue created since a beneficial transcript off good lecture offered years down the road, the guys performed actually save yourself Offred, and this the woman tale is actually culled from a number of cassette recording recordings made while on this new lam. However the facts she endured-no less than, up until she attained Maine, as there is no way of knowing what took place so you can the woman up coming-try inconsequential, since the girl resignation so you’re able to sometimes death otherwise salvation is the vital thing aspect of Atwood’s conclude. Once more, take into account the terms “it cannot feel aided,” highlighted more than. Within this instant, Offred knows this lady has zero electricity contained in this area, you to definitely whether she existence or becomes deceased-beyond suicide, definitely-is wholly regarding her hand. The woman future is set because of the anybody else (boys, especially). Offred renders it resignation even more blatant in the a passage a good couple users ahead of the girl narrative’s conclusion: