Celie and Offred - Jessica Ruby

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Color Purple by Alice Walker, although in completely a different time and setting, show strong similarities in character motivation and meaning. With the common theme of oppressed women in hard times fighting for liberation and equality with their male counterparts, these characters take on a strong resemblance to each other. Both Celie and Offred show signs of hesitant rebellion, believability, and strength.

In every corrupt system there are fighters and there are followers. Followers go with the flow and make no effort to shift the status quo no matter their beliefs in its morality. The fighters on the other hand will do whatever it takes to stand up for what they believe in and won’t stop until a change is made. Both Celie and Offred display qualities of both of these parties and it seems that they almost can’t decide which they should be a part of. They are both influenced by a third party character that comes into their lives. For Celie, Shug Avery and Sofia enter the picture and put new ideas in Celie’s head that lead her to rethink her meager way of life. For Offred, first the doctor puts a deceitful idea in her head, she begins to have what seems to be an affair with the commander, and falls into Serena’s own deceitful plan with Nick. After Offred begins having regular talks and non ceremonial sex with the commander she confides in him how truly unhappy she is with her life, his only response is “you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs” ( page 120).

In addition, this uncertainty as to what role they wish to play in society and in their lives makes their overall existence more believable and relatable. Both Celie and Offred are faced with several instances that give them the opportunity to rebel or to follow the strict instructions of their oppressive lifestyles. This mental struggle in itself clearly demonstrates their humanity and innocence making them more appealing and thought provoking protagonists. For myself, the fact that they don’t always have it figured out what they want and what the right thing to do is makes them more appealing, because the alternative is unrelatable.  

Finally, the strongest resemblance between Celie and Offred is their almost unwavering strength. Despite the unfortunate lifestyles and time periods they are confronted with, they are able to make the most of what they are given. The genuine happiness that a simple picture of Celie’s sister or Offred’s daughter brings them is a perfect example of truly appreciating the little things in life and that you can push through the worst even when you have the least.

In conclusion, despite the polar opposite times and situations displayed in the lives of the protagonists in The Color Purple and The Handmaid’s Tale, they show similarities in several different aspects of their character. The strength, motivation, and relatability of both Celie and Offred can be attributed to their struggle for equality, their being used and undermined by men, and wish for something more to their lives.