Should We Feel Bad for the Commander? (#8)

Something that I have been conflicting with throughout the novel has been my feelings toward the Commander. My initial, feminist response is to despise him with every fiber of my being, but I also think it is helpful to rationalize his actions due to his position. The Commander has the most power out of any men we have read about thus far and therefore has the ability to make patronizing acts towards women.

But should we feel bad for him? We have not received much information about the real relationship between him and Serena Joy, so we cannot make the case for or against that being a factor to the Commander's personality. From my inference, what the Commander really aspires is companionship. He longs to have that relationship with Offred but because of the desocialization between men and women, the way that he goes about achieving that is quite harsh, perverse, and simply gross. He is not all bad, but it is the situation that causes him to come off as creepy to Offred. At first, the Commander does simple gestures like playing Scrabble and having conversations with Offred in secret. What follows those acts of innocence is grotesque. The Commander gets Offred out of the house, which she had been longing for, but with a very specific condition: she had to wear an exposing outfit and be shown around like a pony to everyone at the club. This is portrayed as another way that the Commander shows his power over women. Moira describes this by saying, "It's like screwing on the altar or something: [Handmaids] are supposed to be such chaste vessels. They like to see you all painted up. Just another crummy power trip" (38.33). 

I do not think that we should think of the Commander as all bad, but should consider the role he is put into. While I do not agree with his actions, I think that we can have some... sympathy (using that word lightly) for him. I think that he was attempting to make the situation better initially, but then the societal roles kicked in and he took things down a sexual, dark path.

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 9, 2017 at 12:52 PM

    I found your analysis of the Commander to be an interesting read, considering that I held onto my disdain for him and thereby failed to see any need to look beyond the surface of his actions. I saw his initially innocent generosity toward Offred to be mere conditioning. Day by day, he would lead her further down this path of danger for his own gain with no real concern for what may happen to her if they were to be caught. Through this light you used in your analysis I can see how maybe he was not purely evil, and maybe he did, initially, intend to give Offred some of the freedoms she was denied.

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