The End

I love novels with ambiguous endings, and this one definitely hits the mark. And it’s especially poignant in this case, given all of the turmoil involved with Offred’s marginalized position in society. If anything, ambiguity is one thing that makes sense, especially considering all that Offred has been through in a short amount of time. 

Offred always has to hide her true feelings. She was conflicted between her love for Luke and Nick, and that’s not even adding the Commander’s forced advances into the equation. Initially, she doesn’t know whether or not Ofglen can be trusted. Serena Joy and the Commander are pulled her in different directions through the entirety of the novel. The ending characterizes the novel as a whole. The novel as a whole characterizes Offred’s experiences facing extreme discrimination. 

The false dichotomy of “freedom to” and “freedom from” goes hand-in-hand with this idea of ambiguity. I argued previously that Offred doesn’t experience either of these freedoms. And in other blog posts, I argued that some of Offred’s relationships are fake and completely influenced by power dynamics. This parallels the consequences of Offred’s choice: survival, death, both, or neither. These are the same consequences of being a handmaid in a repressive society. Offred’s entire experience has been predicated based on her ability to avoid being noticed, avoid disagreement, and ultimately avoid death.

Comments

  1. L. MoffittMay 20, 2021 at 10:14 AM

    I am a fan of the ambiguous ending as well, and this one is just about perfect in that regard. We don't know what happens to her at all; we only know that her testament to what happened survived. The ending strongly suggests that her actions were necessary to get out of this society one way or another. Good job with these blog posts overall -- I have enjoyed working with you!

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