Offred, from The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and Holden Caulfield, from Catcher in
the Rye by J.D. Salinger, are both leading a conformist's life and would rather live in the past than deal with
the present. Offred's conformity was forced upon her while Holden's is his own choice. Offred and Holden
remember the past as a form of freedom and cannot move on. The authors' protagonists are very different
and yet are still dealing with similar issues. Both Atwood and Salinger have a strong personal connection
with the subject matter of their books.
Offred is forced into conformity by her society. She is forced to wear clothing which defines class
and rank and she is conditioned by the Aunts just like all the other "handmaids". Even when Offred thinks
she is rebelling and breaking the rules when she goes to the Commander's room at night she soon finds out
that the previous handmaid had done the same. Religion controls Offred's society, and religion is another
type of conformity. Many of the harsh realities of Gilead are taken straight from the Bible, "Behold my maid
Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her." (Atwood,
7/Genesis, 30:1-3). I find this frightening because Christianity is a very strong force in our own society and
that this futuristic society is not so impossible.
Holden chooses his own conformity by acting like his peers and yet still judging them. He
complains about Hollywood but often goes to the movies, he doesn't wear his new hunting cap in public,
and like every other teenage boy he longs to lose his virginity. He's afraid of being judged but he
contradicts himself and judges everyone around him. He comments on Ackley, who lives in the adjoining
dorm "I never once saw him brush his teeth...He damn well made you sick..." (Salinger, 19)
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