The first novel we read in my Introduction to Literature class was The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I had had this book on my self for years, but never got around to reading it. I have seen the show and after reading the book with all of its little insights that we miss in the show, I have a new appreciation for Atwood’s work. For my first reflection on this novel, I chose to write about the complacency of the women, namely Serena Joy and Aunt Lydia.
Women’s Complacency in The Handmaid’s Tale
By Kacie Fowler, October 2024
Of all the character dynamics found within The Handmaid’s Tale, the most compelling is that of the ‘high ranking’ women, like Serena Joy and the Aunts, and their treatment of the Handmaids. Serena Joy, Commander Waterford’s wife, in particular plays an interesting role in not only the creation of the Republic of Gilead, but also within the dynamic of her own household. Where the Aunts, namely Aunt Lydia, seem more to be on a power trip, using their unique status to take what little control they are aloud in this ‘new world’ as women.
Complacency, as defined by the Oxford dictionary, is “a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements” and is primarily seen with Aunt Lydia’s sense of pride that she takes in ‘her girls’ (Oxford). Through the first half of the novel, we learn through bits and pieces of the conditioning the Handmaid’s undergo before getting their stations. Aunt Lydia, while not directly stated, seems to act as the head of the Red Center, overseeing the Handmaid’s ‘training’. She reminds them that “where [you are] is not a prison, but a privilege” and that they are ‘worthy vessels’ with an important job, but she speaks in a way that does not acknowledge the lack of choice that most of the Handmaid’s faced before winding up in the Red Center (8). In fact, Aunt Lydia’s attitude about the current situation of the country is one filled with condescending pious, and Offred describes being one of her ‘students’ as “we are hers to define, we must suffer her adjectives” implying that Aunt Lydia can do or say anything she wishes to the Handmaid’s, and she does (114). While Aunt Lydia takes what little power she is given for granted, Serena Joy’s role plays out a bit different.
Serena Joy and her husband, Commander Fred Waterford, were instrumental in the government overthrow and creation of the Republic of Gilead, but while the Commander remained high in power, Serena Joy did not end up where she thought she would. Early in the novel, Offred tells us how she used to watch Serena Joy sing, then give speeches on the television, that her real name is Pam and that now she is none of the things she used to be. Offred states, “her speeches were about the sanctity of the home, about how women should stay home. Serena Joy didn’t do this herself” which bring up the point that now she does (45). The ‘better world’ she and her husband set out to create became her own downfall, exemplified when Offred observes, “how furious she must be, now that she’s been taken at her word” (46). Maybe she thought that she would be exempt from the laws over women or thought that she could handle the sacrifice just fine, but either way, her regret is heavy on everyone’s shoulders.
As a commander’s wife, Serena Joy is given some control, though they are simple fallacies to keep her content in her station. She has her garden and say over the Marthas, but she is helpless when it comes events such as the Ceremony. When Offred describes the Ceremony for the first time, she details how she is between Serena Joy’s legs holding Offred’s arms. Offred tells us that it is to “signify that we are one flesh” but “what it really means is that she is in control” even “the knock is prescribed” for when Commander Waterford is permitted to enter the bedroom on Serena Joy’s terms (94, 86). We do see this sliver of power crumble though as the Commander begins to break the rules in order to find an emotional connection with Offred and dissolves the Ceremony’s rules just as easily as they were created, proving that everything Serena Joy thinks she has is false. Even prior to this though, Serena Joy would look away from her husband raping Offred in the name of ‘procreation’ and silently sob. Offred makes the comment that “the tension between [Serena Joy’s] lack of control and her attempt to suppress [the crying] is horrible” even as she is the one being assaulted (90).
Complacency is not only a harmful attitude to cast upon others, but the consequences will haunt you. In the first half of The Handmaid’s Tale we have seen how this level of arrogance has led to Aunt Lydia becoming a target and how Serena Joy’s own excitement has landed her alongside the women she sought to control. The role of womanhood in this novel, whether it be women supporting women in times of war and captivity, or how they can oppress and persecute one another when they are all oppressed and persecuted themselves is fascinating. One may think that all the women would rally together, but as we have seen, there are many sides to the reactions of war, governmental control, and patriarchal extremes.
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. 1998. The Handmaid’s Tale. Anchor Books, 2017.
Oxford Dictionary. Complacency. Oxford Learning Dictionaries. 2024.
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