Does the Commander deserve sympathy? (post 8)


Throughout The Handmaid's Tale, the Commander behaves in a way that may be confusing for readers to understand.  Initially, he simply presents as the immediate source of Offred's oppression as well as the other women in Gilead.  However, later in the book, it appears that the commander himself may also be a sort of prisoner in this totalitarian society.  It could be difficult to determine whether the Commander should be viewed with sympathy or disgust.  I have some thoughts regarding this issue.  

Some people may view the Commander's nightly sessions with Offred as endearing.  He invites her in to play scrabble, and, during her first visit, he asks her for a kiss.  When she does kiss him, he says that he wishes she did it like she meant it.  Initially, this made me feel sad for the Commander.  He is also a member of Gilead longing for human contact and companionship.  However, I soon came to realize that the Commander deserves no such thing.  As a founder of Gilead, it is he who created such a horrible, oppressive society in which women are forbidden basic human rights.  I think that if he is unhappy in this society, it is his own fault.  I also do not find his nightly sessions with Offred to be selfless.  In fact, I think his request for her company is entirely selfish.  He enjoys spending time with Offred because he does not want to continue feeling lonely.  However, he completely disregards the danger he puts Offred in.  By continuing to see her, he increases her risk of being discovered.  As we learned about the last handmaid, she hung herself once the commander’s wife discovered their visits.  If Offred were caught and did not commit suicide, she would most likely be sent to the colonies. 

I think that the Commander is not only selfish for creating a society in which women are oppressed and denied basic rights, but he is also selfish for the disregard of Offred’s life in general.  He does not deserve any sympathy for feeling trapped and lonely.  At the end of the day, his problems are not comparable by any means to the problems of women in Gilead.

Comments

  1. Cassie MckenzieNovember 3, 2017 at 11:45 AM

    Since he is a man that contributed to the making of this Republic, why does he have to sneak around with Offred, or with anyone for that matter? If he longs for human touch in his own house and essentially "owns" or is in charge of every women in the house, why can't he do what he wants? It seems that he is making the wrong decisions and also is very indecisive of the role that he plays in his own household as well.

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  2. UnknownNovember 3, 2017 at 8:24 PM

    I think the Commander is in a difficult position. The focus of this book is on the women and how they feel. As a reader, particularly a female reader, it's easy to be appalled at how women are qualified down to how viable their uterus is and nothing more. It's easy to feel as if women should be the source of all pity and I think by focusing so much on the women, the men get easily overlooked. I think the men are equally unhappy with this new society. They don't get to have relationships with women that are real; they're manufactured and in no way promote love. Men get to be the ones with power in society but power doesn't always construe happiness. I think the Commander asking Offred to play a Scrabble with him is him trying to keep a grasp on what happiness used to look like. I think him and Offred share in their sorrows. Men are painted as villains because they reinforce and establish the rules, but I think the society they've created has mad them just as unhappy as the women.

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