Eden’s arc in The Handmaid’s Tale is arguably one of the collection’ most tragic. She’s one of Gilead’s most pious younger girls, even after being married off to Nick at solely 15 years previous. She needs to be what Gilead needs her to be – an excellent spouse, mom, and baby of God. However when she realizes that she gained’t get the love she needs from Nick, she runs away with a younger Guardian named Isaac.
The two are sadly caught after Eden’s father turns them in. Gilead sentences them to loss of life for infidelity, however even in their last moments, they refuse to repent for his or her so-called “sins.” Eden as an alternative recites a Bible verse about love earlier than the 2 are pushed right into a pool and drowned. It seems that Eden had had a secret Bible that she had learn and annotated in depth, regardless of Gilead’s guidelines towards girls and women studying and writing. She needed to know God by means of His phrase, needed to discover a husband that cherished her in a Godly manner, and but Gilead killed her for it.
Eden was not a rebellious woman, however that doesn’t imply this isn’t an act of rise up. She needed the life that Gilead instructed her she ought to need, and but as a result of she didn’t go about it strictly by their guidelines, they killed her.
Serena Studying the Bible
Season 2 Episode 13 “The Phrase”
After Eden and Isaac’s execution, Serena worries about Nichole’s future in Gilead as a younger woman. With the assist of the opposite wives, she asks for an viewers with the Commanders, to the shock of her personal husband. She asks for them to contemplate an modification that will permit women to learn the Bible, in order that they may higher perceive His phrase. However when it turns into clear that the Commanders are merely humoring her, she opens Eden’s Bible and reads a verse from it in entrance of them. At this level, she even has some of the wives depart her aspect in disgust.
For this “transgression,” Serena loses a pinky finger and realizes that Fred cares about his energy greater than her. With all of Serena’s cruelty towards June and her function in the rise of Gilead, it’s onerous to provide her credit score for such a small factor. However it’s additionally essential to acknowledge that this act was a catalyst in getting Serena to see the error in her methods and ultimately leads her to letting June take Nichole out of Gilead. We don’t get the Serena we see in the ultimate season, the Serena who offers up the Commanders’ flight to Mayday, with out this small act of rise up.