

'sanity Is A Valuable Possession' Sanity In The Handmaid's Tale

1087 words - 5 pages

Briggitte Torres - CastellanosMr. StewartENG 4U Summer SchoolDue Date: Tuesday July 23rd, 2013Sanity is a Valuable PossessionSanity is defined by Merriam - Webster Dictionary as, 'the quality or state of being sane; especially: soundness or health of mind'. Without sanity, one can lose total control over their mind. In Gilead, one who does not have their sanity are ones who have been manipulated by the system. Offred carries a few strategies to help preserve her sanity; such as finding ways to occupy her time, not making any personal connections to the house she stays at and lastly, thoughts of stealing or rebelling. Offred uses her inner thoughts to persist through the brutalized society ...view middle of the document...

Offred believes that the previous woman, left this message for whoever came next, which is her. This message pleases her to think that she is communicating with an unknown woman. She gives herself these tasks to distract her from the harsh reality. Offred also tries not to consider the room she is staying in as her own."The door of the room - not my room, I refuse to say my - is not locked" (Atwood 9), this shows how Offred is concerned about disregarding her old ways if she begins to describe things as her own. The more she takes possession of the room and the objects inside, then the situation becomes more real for her. Although, she realizes that the things she is given don't close or work properly, which displays the fact that she still does not carry any power over what she does even though she no longer stays with the Aunts. Offred's effort to not make any personal connections towards the place she stays in, lets her to distinct the differences between her past lives to the life she lives now. Although she realizes, "[her] room then. There has to be some space, finally, that [she] claims as [hers], even in this time" (Atwood 55). In order endure in this house, Offred must admit that this her life and learn to come to realization with it. In order to control oneself, one needs to have the ability to have to control over their own mind. If a Handmaid did not have possession of her sanity, she would not have thoughts of stealing or rebelling, as Offred does. The desire to disturb the system is evident within most chapters. Most Handmaids would never even dare to have a thought about betraying their household or Gilead, those are the Handmaids that have...

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