Characters in a chorus

Moira

                     Katy Perry - Roar 

I chose this song as a choice to describe Moira because it shows her process through the different aspects of empowerment, defiance, and resilience. As quoted, “I don’t want her to be like me. Give in, go along, save her skin. That is what it comes down to. I want gallantry from her, swashbuckling, heroism, single-handed combat, something I lack.” (chapter 38, pg. 249). This shows that June sees resilience in her own friend. I feel like that in the latest chapter, we got to learn that Moira is a constant fighter who will find ways to let her voice be heard, no matter what she goes through. In some moments, she might be able to be silenced, though that doesn’t last for long. This is relatable to Katy Perry as she said in the song, “ You held me down, but I got up…” Representing that no matter what one person could do to her, she will still fight.

Serena Joy (The commander’s wife)

K. Michelle - A Mother’s Prayer

I chose this song for Serena Joy because she shows that she has a mother mentality. You can see that she really wants a child to be able to protect, love, and cherish. As quoted in the song, “ ​​the first time I saw you I knew my life had changed, I would have been dead and gone, but I found purpose when I brought you home, and even though I’m not there to tuck you in every day.” This just resembles how I imagine Serena Joy as a mother. She has shown in several ways that she would do anything to have a child. Even if that meant she would have to get pregnant by Nick. “As she quoted that he was the “safest possibility,” showing that she really just wants to get the process over with so she can be able to just live a simple life with her child.

The commander

Power and control - Marina and the Diamonds

I think it’s obvious why I chose this song. It just seems to me like it mostly just talks about the commander and his true thoughts about everything. As quoted in the song, “We give and take a little more/ Eternal game of tug and war…” This alone just expresses his relationship with Offred; it shows that he constantly tries to make it seem like he is giving to her just to take away more. He just has all these different power schemes and is only doing these things for the feeling of having power over others. As quoted, “better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some.” ( chapter 32, pg.211) This just shows that he only cares for himself and bettering his life for himself because being able to be a man in his position is a sense of control for him. It’s a better way of life for him to be able to feel good about himself.

Nick (the driver)

The Man - Taylor Swift

Even though Nick is just the driver throughout the chapters so far, we get a few hints about who he is. In the song, Taylor Swift said, “ I’d be a fearless leader/ I’d be an alpha type.” This shows the smartness and how secretive Nick actually is. Through June’s eyes, we get to see how Nick and silently showing how he feels and what he might be truly capable of. As quoted, “ His posture disapproves of me, or am I imagining it? And if so, does this make him angry, lustful, or envious or anything at all?” (chapter 36, pg.232) I think this is just a subtle way of showing it. It just gives a little view of what power Nick might actually have because he is not only a man, a is a worker for a commander and sees the ins and outs of his life. So, if he really wanted to outsmart the commander, there is a chance he probably could and get away with it, because who knows, Nick could be more than just a driver.

June (Offred)

Bury a friend - Billie Eilish

This song by Billie Eilish, to me, describes the truth behind June’s thoughts. I think it helps understand how her mind gradually changed throughout the book, up to what we recently read. As quoted in the song “ I wanna end me…” It’s a sense of how Offred feels since she started to feel like there is no way out of where she is at in the moment. June once said, “ That’s one of the things they do, they force you to kill, within yourself.” (chapter 30, pg.193) This saying that the world that was made around her at his point was made to force women to break themselves down on the inside and not be who they usually are. Their normal is no longer normal for them, and they are forced in this life of dissociating themselves from who they truly are. At some point, they are just birthing machines made to only produce one thing, which is babies, after tha,t they have fulfilled that, they no longer matter.