To what extent is the Commander presented as both a villain and a sympathetic figure? The commander can be seen as a man torn between two worlds, he was one of the founders of Gilead however he still enjoys and desires the pleasures of the old society that he managed to break. The commander is cool and composed on the surface, but underneath he is bitter and corrupt about the world he has managed to create. The Commander secretly wishes for the world to be the way it once was and that's why he enjoys his time with Offred because she might remind him of life before Gilead. It's also ironic how both characters feel Gilead's anger and repression beneath the surface and both want to break free. However on the surface, when playing Scrabble with each other, they are calm and somewhat sophisticated, which demonstrates a certain sexual potency. Our first description of the Commander is on page 99. Here Atwood begins to dig deeper into the complex and emotional themes that permeate the story. Here, Atwood tells us about the Commanders character and it is almost revealed to the reader and Offred. The quote “he looks just like a museum guard” shows us that he is simply playing a role in the system. It is the main part of the work that cannot go on without him. He's simply doing his job. Here we almost feel sympathy for him, as he is portrayed with a sense of insecurity and loss of power. He has no choice. However Atwood uses the word "semi-retired", which suggests he is just killing time before his death. We feel like we shouldn't underestimate this man, there's more to him than meets the eye. This can be demonstrated because Atwood waited 100 pages to show us the character of the command… middle of the paper… relationship. Women were becoming more powerful and men felt challenged and forced to keep their place. in the world. This shows the Commander's control, he wanted them to procreate further and give the men back the power. The quote “Better never means better for everyone,” says. It always means worse, for some. While it seems clear that the regime truly believes that drastic measures are needed to ensure the survival of this population, it seems unclear whether the new rules are actually better for anyone. The only possible answer is that they are better for the Commanders, who, as Offred's Commander tells her, lost all interest in sex because it was so easy to get. Even so, the Commander himself appears no happier, nor more satisfied or free in his sexual relationships, than any other man before the establishment of the new regime. This suggests that the commander is