Gilead, a totalitarian regime that completely controls women's lives, particularly their

reproductive capabilities. Offred lives under constant surveillance and threat of punishment.
Open rebellion is extremely dangerous. A patriarchal society in Dhofar, where the government
neglects remote villages and exploits women for labor and reproduction. While oppressive, this
society allows for more open forms of community resistance.

Both Alia and Offred involve in acts of resistance that are extremely entwined with their roles as
women in their corresponding societies. Challenging rules that seek to describe their existence
through reproductive and domestic functions, both Offred and Alia resist the commodification of
their bodies. Offred’s by using butter as a moisturizer tries to reclaim a sense of bodily autonomy
in a society that decreases women to their reproductive capacities. Her reflection, “As long as we
do this, butter our skin to keep it soft, we can believe that we will someday get out,” tells that
even these small acts of self-care can become a symbol of resistance. Similarly, Alia’s act of
hiding her daughters as boys unswervingly challenges Green City’s Perpetuation Bureau, which
exploits young girls for forced reproduction. Her bold statement, “Yes, it’s true. Noor is a girl.
All my children are girls,” is a rebellious declaration of her rejection to let the system dictate
their futures.

Moreover, Memory plays a perilous role in both Offred’s and Alia’s resistance, helping as a
lifeline to their identities which the oppressive regimes badly want to erase. Preserving her sense
of self and humanity, Offred’s recollections of her daughter and husband act as a tether to her
former life. Offred’s thoughts disclose her refusal to let Gilead undo her identity as a mother.
Offred’ s memories are not passive; they are an act of disobedience, a cautious effort to keep
alive the person she was before being condensed to her role as a Handmaid. As Steal (2008)
states, “Offred connects the concrete and the abstract; remembered objects, impressions and
sensations of the past (censored events) and events in the present; the visible (the 'true' and 'real')
and the invisible (declared 'unreal' and 'irrational'); conscious and unconscious events” (p.461).
This attachment to her past allows her to resist Gilead’s attempts to erase her individuality,
representing that her humanity perseveres beyond the constraints of the regime.

Similarly, Alia’s maintains her connection with her cultural heritage through her culinary
traditions, showing defiance against regime who want to obliterate her self- identity. Alia, by
making torshi—a traditional pickle whose recipes she inherited from her grandmother, shows
resistance against Green City’s attempts to impose homogeneity and strip the women of their
identity. The sharp smell of the torshi filling her home becomes a sensory reminder of her
individuality and her connection to a lineage that predates the regime’s influence. Preserving her
heritage and identity amidst a system that seeks to obliterate such distinctions, Alia’s cooking
converts into a quiet rebellion. Each jar of torshi becomes a symbol of resilience and a refusal to
conform.

The act of connecting and remembering the past memories serve as a powerful weapon against
systems of control in both narratives. Memory, though a passive act of recollection plays an
important role as it becomes the tool of resistance for both Offred and Alia. They preserve their
identities against systems intended to obliterate individuality, by holding onto their pasts. They
proclaim their humanity, reclaim their agency, and find the strength to imagine futures that resist
the oppressive structures attempting to define them, through memory.

Offred and Alia's resistance take transition; from personal acts of defiance to participation in
larger resistance movements. From quiet individual survival strategies to active contributions
toward dismantling systemic injustice, their journeys highlight the evolution of resistance.

Offred’s connection with the underground Mayday resistance group starts with fear, as her
suspicion about Gilead’s ruthless enforcement mechanisms makes her cautious. Her initial
reluctance reflects the intensely entrenched fear inculcated by the regime, which disciplines
dissent with public executions and severe punishments. This hesitancy is apparent in her
connections with Ofglen who subtly inquires Offred’s willingness to resist by revealing her own
adherence to Mayday. Offred doesn't turn Ofglen in as feels a sense of hope and rebellion from
Ofglen's connection to the resistance. However, Offred hesitates and fear the risks associated
with open rebellion in Gilead.

Alia’s decision to become an follows a similar trajectory but is manifest by a more direct and
audacious approach. As an Ababeel, a secret spy for the Hamiyat, Alia takes on momentous risks
to support the movement. Operating under the continuous threat of discovery by the authorities,
her role involves her to navigate secrecy and deception. Alia’s bravery reaches its peak during
the battle for Sheba City, where she helps Katy Azadeh in deactivating the Zaalim, a powerful
weapon used by Green City to target Himyat’s women. In spite of the enormous danger, Alia
scales the wind tower to assist Katy, shouting, “Come on, Katy! I’ll help you! Tell me what to
do!” This moment is a powerful testament to her transformation from a woman focused on
survival to a fearless participant in the fight for justice. While both women show acts of
rebellion, Alia’s resistance ultimately increases to encompass her community and concludes in
active participation in the fight against the oppressive regime, while Offred’s resistance remains
chiefly private.

It true that Offred resistance is limited but it’s meaningful. As Stillman and Johnson (1994)
points out that Offred, with a sense of self and with constructive social interactions, faces
Gilead's terrible valor as she tries to survive. Her personal survival contributes in maintaining her
spirit of defiance. They also serve as a testimony to the strong human spirit that persists even in
the face of life-threatening oppression. Similarly, Alia’s resistance against Green City oppressive
rules is direct and her actions have palpable consequences for her community and the wider
resistance movement. Her courage and willpower motivate others to resist and contribute to the
dismantling of the patriarchal system.

Additionally, Offred motivation to resist comes from preserving her sense of self and reclaiming agency.
STILLMAN and JOHNSON (1994) even point out that, “Offred has no modes of resistance against Gilead,
at least none that threaten Gilead in any way” (p. 7). So, Offred’s activities are often driven by a wish to
sustain her individuality and self-possession in a society that seeks to strip her of both. And Alia
motivation for resistance comes from a sense of shielding her family and community, fighting for liberty
and equality for all women, and challenging the tyrannical structures of government.
Offred personality and experiences also contribute to her inclination to engage in active
resistance. she is introspective and cautious. She has been distressed by the events that led to the
formation of Gilead and is haunted by the loss of her previous life. Her primary focus is on
survival, and she is tentative to take risks that could endanger her safety or the safety of others.
Alia's, on the other hand, is a strong-willed and resourceful woman who is ferociously protective
of her family and community. She has also experienced the viciousness of the Green City regime
firsthand, which has fueled her longing for change.

Ultimately, Alia's resistance is more fruitful than Offred's. Alia has played a key role in
overthrowing the Green City regime and is self-confident to take on a leadership role in her
community, by the end of The Monsoon War. However, Offred's internal and rebellious actions
highlight the resilience of the human spirit in the face of extreme control and shows that even
trivial acts of defiance can have a deep impact.
 Stillman, P. G., & Johnson, S. A. (1994). Identity, complicity, and resistance in The Handmaid's
Tale. Utopian Studies, 5(2), 70-86.

Staels, H. (1995). Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale: resistance through narrating.