Present or Future; When did Offred Record the Tapes

“Obviously, it could not have been recorded during the period of time it recounts,since, if the author is telling the truth, no machine or tapes would have been available to her, nor would she have had a place of concealment for them.” (Historical Notes p 303)

This section stood out to me because it makes sense that Offred wouldn’t have been able to record the tapes during her stay with the Commander and Serena Joy, but it confuses me because at different points throughout the book, she talks as if the events are happening to her in the present, and not in the past. “I almost run down the hall, the stairs are like skiing, the front door is wide, today I can go through it, and the Guardian stands there, saluting.” (Sec. VIII, p.111). If this was recorded after the events of the book had transpired, why would Offred say ‘today’ and not something like ‘that day’?

But if the tapes were recorded during the time the events of the book transpired, where would she have had the time and the opportunity to record the tapes without being punished for it? Like the quote from the book says, “nor would she have had a place of concealment for them.” There wouldn’t be a safe place for her to keep these tapes without someone finding them and potentially turning her in.

Handmaids weren’t allowed to read, so there’s no way they would be allowed to record a story of their life, especially one condemning the Gilead regime. If anyone were to find out that Offred had made these recordings, not only would she be punished, everyone involved would be punished, and that would ruin her chances of ever finding Luke or her daughter again. If the tapes were recorded after the events took place, why would she speak as if she is experiencing the events as they happen?

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