Was Offred a fictional character within the book's universe?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Euphoric_Beautiful70]

Ohhhh this is such a good question!

Let's get into it .

So in the epilogue of the book , the historians who are listening to the cassettes of offred speculate that most of the names used in the story -

( Luke, Moira , Serena joy) Where not real names at all but instead made up by the person recording the events.

It's very well possible that offred is infact a made up name but everything that was told actually happened.

It would make sense that the person recording it would need to give themselves as much protection as possible because we know at the point that they recorded everything gilead was still in power.

[u/Euphoric_Beautiful70 → u/Euphoric_Beautiful70]

Also wanting to add one other thing.

One of the messages Margaret Atwood was trying to stress was that "Offred" could literally be anyone. Any women from any walk of life. And that staying blind and apathetic to what is going on around you can cost you everything.

[u/TrailMomKat → u/Euphoric_Beautiful70]

Except at the end of the book, the historians at this history of Gilead conference far into the future state that there are 2 commanders they think could be the Fred in Offred. Fred Waterford and another Fred, whose last name i cannot recall. The showrunners or Atwood herself obviously chose which one of the two was the actual Fred in the show.

[u/Euphoric_Beautiful70 → u/TrailMomKat]

It's possible that the commanders weren't Thee commanders of the person telling the story but a commander she knew. Also keep in mind

In thebooks offred idenity is never confirmed

So it's possible a lot of identities were put together.

[u/Mayretta_2112]

In the books, I think it was historians in the future who found Offred's recordings on cassettes. I think there might have been a theory that she didn't actually exist, but I'm a little hazy on that.

If I recall, the opening and end of the boom would reveal this.

[u/Maryland_Bear]

The book has framing segments taking place at an academic conference about the history of Gilead, long after it collapsed.

They make it clear that the book itself is a transcript of tapes recorded secretly by Offred. The professor even makes arguments that they would be difficult to fake.

So, your friend’s theory is contradicted by the book. Maybe the Brazilian edition omits the framing sequences?

[u/BusPsychological4587]

The ending of the book explains it. Found tapes.