I am currently on page 218 in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Offred doesn’t like the Republic but she is very passive. She is victimized by the Republic because she is forced to be a Handmaid. She had a choice to either become a Handmaid, become a prostitute or be sent to the colonies where people die from the conditions. Offred, being the passive person that she is, chose to stay a Handmaid. She lives in a house with a Commander and his wife. Her job is to make babies for the couple. She resists the rules by breaking little ones. For instance she uses butter as lotion every night. The Handmaids aren’t aloud to have lotion because the only thing they need to take care of is their uterus. She also steals small things from the living room and hides them in her bedroom. This makes her feel like she has power over her life. This resistance is only successful on a internal level. By breaking the little rules she isn’t changing the society, but she is making it easier on herself. Offred also resists by having sex with the Commander’s chauffeur to better her chances of getting pregnant. This is a very big deal because if she doesn’t get pregnant then she will be considered useless and forced to become a prostitute or be sent to a colony. Also, if she gets caught with this man she will be in big trouble. The worst punishment would be hanging her on the Wall. If she is successful and she becomes pregnant, she will be able to stay a Handmaid. 
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