Blei, Lit Log 1, Help Vs. Exploitation

In the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the Doctor that offers Offred “help” is closely akin to people who profit or otherwise benefit from the pain/suffering of others, even if they technically are still helping them. For example, smugglers that charge exorbitant prices and corporations/vendors that sell needed goods like food and water are extremely inflated prices. The doctor’s offer may have been with good intentions, but the doctor holds the power, greatly benefits, and is at little risk of getting in trouble. He wields this power to coerce Offred.

While the doctor isn’t portrayed as a villainous type or evil by Atwood, he certainly isn’t a hero. He obviously benefits from his ‘help’ . With Atwood describing the moment where he offers to ‘help’ Offred, and the look he gives her, as “It’s genuine, genuine sympathy; and yet he’s enjoying this, sympathy and all. His eyes are moist with compassion, his hand is moving on me, nervously and with impatience.”. His sympathy and desire to help may be genuine, but it’s not a real offer to help. It’s to disguise his lust. His clear impatience for her response and his hand on her is a tell that he actually cares more about getting what he wants from her then actually helping her.

Furthermore, the clear power imbalance between the doctor and Offred is certainly weighing on Offred’s decision. With Atwood writing “this is not the last word as far as he’s concerned. He could fake the tests, report me for cancer, or infertility, have me shipped off to the Colonies, with the Unwomen.. None of this has been said, but the knowledge of his power hangs nevertheless in the air as he pats my thigh”. This unspoken threat makes it so no matter what Offred does, she’s at great risk. In this environment consent is impossible because Offred’s answer will be clearly coerced from her via threat or societal pressure. She doesn’t want this but she fears she will have to in coming months to not be declared an unwoman.

While this exact dynamic is more rare in the real world, there’s of course coercion like this (See Andrew Cuomo’s allegations), and someone will always benefit from someone else’s need. The best example of this is smugglers. Specifically those that are helping fleeing refugees. To cross the American Mexico border, smugglers charge refugees $2,000 USD, and if you need to cross multiple borders, it’s upwards of $10,000. These smugglers are certainly helping desperate families and people fleeing danger. They no doubt are taking a risk, and feel bad for the people they’re helping. They are still charging almost two months’ pay for an upper middle class Mexican. For a Venezuelan family it’d be five times the cost while they make a tenth of the money. While the doctor isn’t charging a monetary cost Offred still would need to give away the little autonomy she has in Gilead. Not to mention the risk involved with either option. When help comes from exploitation it can’t be called help, whether a doctor or a smuggler.

Even in wealthier countries like America there are widespread examples of ‘helping’ for personal gain. This is mainly done by corporations/stores via price gouging. This was seen a lot over COVID, and before/after hurricanes. With hotel costs, right before hurricane Helene, increasing costs per night by 300%. No doubt that the owners of the hotel felt as though their providing of shelter and safety to fleeing people was a good thing. Justifying the price raise as meeting the demand raise, just as the doctor justified his behavior by saying it’s to help her.

This exploiting of the needy for personal gain is no doubt timeless, and will most likely continue through human history. Atwood's depiction of this is so powerful because it doesn’t make the reader dislike the doctor, it humanizes him. Of course he is coercing Offred and making it impossible for actual consent, he still is suffering under this system, even if not nearly as much as the women, so his actions are a bi-product of the removal of freedom and bodily autonomy from everyone in Gilead. 

Sources: https://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/migrant-smuggling.html (Smugglers cost) https://everhour.com/blog/average-salary-in-mexico/ (Average wage in Mexico) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1416427/average-salary-venezuela/?srsltid=AfmBOop9edCMhg2fGd_vx4yleuFLVJtQgF8non1PDQTpZYO1ocJfOiEt (Average wage) https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/10/ftc-doj-cfpb-warn-consumers-about-potential-scams-price-gouging-wake-hurricanes-other-natural (Price gouging) https://www.thefamuanonline.com/2024/10/03/local-hotels-raise-prices-amid-hurricane-helene-evacuation/ (Hotel price raises)