Independence is what teenagers strive for while going through adolescence. Once achieved, this right of passage is one of the most difficult to surrender. Such strong defiance and independence is shown in Margaret Atwood's, "The Handmaid's Tale", through the minor character of Moira. This character is referred to throughout the novel as strong-willed and independent until Offred finds her near the end, different and broken. Through Moira, Atwood is able to develop Offred as a …showed first 75 words of 778 total…

…showed last 75 words of 778 total…or strong-willed, but another product of the Totalitarian machine. Moira's character parallel's that of Julia in 1984 by George Orwell. Both characters were rebellious to the governments in which they were controlled by, and both were turned out to the ideologies of the latter by the end. Moira was a symbol of hope to Offred in this novel. The metamorphosis of this character is another symbol that there is little or no hope in Totalitarian regimes.