Outline for Analysis Paper

Topic: OFFRED

Thesis: The handmaids’ name express region society treat women like a tool of fertility.

Example 1: OFFRED can be understood like OF FRED

Textual evidence:

1.       “My name isn’t Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it’s forbidden.”

2.      “‘I didn’t know Ofglen very well,’ I say. ‘I mean the former one’.”

3.      “‘Offred’ gives no clue, since, like ‘Ofglen’ and ‘Ofwarron,’ it was a patronymic, composed of the possessive preposition and the first name of the gentleman in question. Such names were taken by these women upon their entry into a connection with the household of a specific Commander, and relinquished by them upon leaving it.”

Analysis:

By these textual evidence, we can inform that the Offred is just a normal name of Gilead, just like “Ofglen” and “Ofwarron”. It means the woman is belonging to the Command whose name is Fred as the text has been mentioned.  Every handmaid does not have a name. The name of them is just like telephone number that every home just need to have.

Thesis:

The disrespect to the woman especially the handmaid, they don’t even have the name. The symbol to call them is just a designation that belong to the commander.

Example 2: OFFRED can be understood like OFF RED

Textual evidence:

1.      “my red robe” “red-patterned tie” “red-gloved hands” “red cloth” “red woolen cape” “red arm bands” “red shoes”

2.      “Red is so visible.”

Analysis:

Every handmaid wears red dress, not only the thing their wear but also the thing their use like Offred’s red robe. The red is the color of bleed. It is very visible so that people all can see the handmaid and remind themselves not to violate them. Also, it used in case of the handmaid escaping.  

Thesis:

Handmaid has been controlled everywhere. They are not treat like a single person. They are not allowed to have their own characteristics. They are all the same. The women were constrained by the region society.

Example 3: OFFRED can be understood like OFF RED like OFF READ.

Textual evidence:

1.      “I’ve read your file.”----Wife

2.      “We used to read them in bed.”

3.      “I can spend minutes, tens of minutes, running my eyes over the print: FAITH. It is the only thing they’ve given me to read.”

4.      “This hasn’t been blacked out, even though we aren’t supposed to be reading.”

5.      “The aunts are allowed to read and write.”

6.      “‘What would you like to read tonight?’”

7.      “I’ve read a Raymond Chandler, and right now I’m halfway through Hard Times, by Charles Dickens.”

8.      “‘Our big mistake was teaching them to read.’”

Analysis:

Handmaids are not allowed to read though they read before. Because reading book can gain knowledge and thinking, the dominator can read instead, not only the commander but also the wife and aunt. So that they can control the handmaids well.

Thesis:

Handmaid has been controlled by the dominator. They only need them to a tool of fertility. So that it is no use to let them know the word to let them read.

Conclusion: Gilead control handmaids a lot. They try to make a real people to behave like machine: just know to listen to the instruction and never revolt. The constraint of women harms the society a lot.