Songs Of Silence in Gilead

Billie Eilish - “What Was I Made For?” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcQszUj4Nhc )

Billie Eilish’s song “What Was I Made For?” powerfully shows Offred’s identity loss in The Handmaid’s Tale. In the song, Eilish says, “I used to float, now I just fall down,” which reflects Offred’s “fall” or big change from freedom to oppression under the rule of Gilead. As someone who was once independent, she is now only valued for her ability to bear children. An example of this is a quote from Chapter 23 where Offred says, “We are for breeding purposes.” Like Eilish’s lyric, “Looked so alive, turns out I’m not real,” Offred feels stripped of her humanity and belittled to a symbol of fertility. Both the song and the book explore how women are shaped into controlled versions of themselves, forced to hide emotions and individuality. The lyric “Something you made to look so perfect” almost mirrors Gilead’s illusion of perfection, which hides cruelty behind its harsh system. All the while, Offred reflects, “Better never means better for everyone.. It always means worse for some” (Chapter 32). Despite her numb feelings, Offred still longs for connection and freedom, which leaves her to quietly question her purpose. Like Eilish song, she yearns to remember who she once was, asking the same haunting question, “If I can’t be myself, what was I made for?”

Beyonce ft. Kendrick Lamar - “Freedom” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FWF9375hUA )

Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” powerfully reflects on the women’s desire for liberation in The Handmaid’s Tale. She sings, “Imma keep running, cause a winner don’t quit on themselves,” which, in a way, mirrors Offred’s quiet perseverance despite the constant control in Gilead. Like Beyonce’s message of resistance, Offred finds small ways to regain her power, such as remembering her past, making secret connections, and whispering forbidden words. When she reads “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” (from chapter 9), she feels a sense of strength, empowerment, and purpose, refusing to be defeated. The lyric “Freedom, Freedom, I can’t move!” relates to Offred’s inner struggle. Her spirit wants to break free even though her body is trapped. Both Beyonce’s song and The Handmaid’s Tale book show how women continue to fight for hope and self worth, even in the time of oppression. Essentially, freedom becomes not just a goal, but an act of courage and survival.

Micheal Jackson - “They Don’t Care About Us” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFUvTE7TK6s )

Micheal Jackson’s song “They Don’t Care About Us” connects strongly to the themes of power and oppression in The Handmaid’s Tale. Jackson’s lyric “All I wanna say is that they don’t really care about us,” reflects how Gilead’s leaders claim to protect women, while actually dehumanizing them. The Handmaids are treated like property, valued only for their ability to reproduce. When Offred says, “We are for breeding purposes” (Chapter 23), she exposes how little the system values Handmaids as people. Michael Jackson’s anger towards injustice almost mirrors Offred’s quiet awareness that those in power use religion and control to excuse cruelty. The lyric “Beat me, hate me, you can never break me” mirrors Offred’s hidden courage, as she resists through memory and thoughts. Both the song and the book reveal how corrupt systems strip people of humanity and how courage begins with refusing to accept just any old circumstances.

Alicia Keys - “Caged Bird” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9_9XbUvfrA )

Alicia Keys’s “Caged Bird” captures the trapped but hopeful spirit of Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale. Keys sings “Right now, the world is such a crazy place,” which reflects Gilead’s sick society built on fear and control. Like the “bird” in the song, Offred is kept locked up and silenced, yet she dreams of freedom. Offred says “The door of the room– not my room, I refuse to say my – is not locked” (Chapter 17), showing her small mental rebellion against captivity. The caged bird song symbolizes Offred’s storytelling. It’s her way of keeping her spirit alive. Both Alicia Keys’s song and the book highlight that even in oppressive times, hope and memory can’t be fully taken away. Offred’s quiet resistance and desire to be heard and seen, mirrors the caged bird’s song for freedom.

Tink - “Treat Me Like Somebody” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HuiYBtoIhE )

Tink’s song “Treat Me Like Somebody” reflects Offred’s longing to be seen and valued as a human being rather than an object in The Handmaid’s Tale. Tink sings, “I just wanna be somebody to someone,” which connects to Offred’s deep desire for genuine love and recognition in a world that only values her for reproduction and treats her like property. When she reflects and says, “I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued in ways that I am not” (Chapter 17), she reveals this craving for emotional connection and self-worth. Like Tink explains through her song, Offred wants more than a role; she wants to feel loved and seen. Her secret moments with Nick offer her tiny glimpses of humanity. Both the song and the book explore how women struggle to find identity and affection in systems and a world that reduces them to objects, longing to be treated like someone real, simply.