There is more than one kind of freedom said Aunt Lydia Freedom to and freedom from
... Offred starts in Chapter One by using the past tense to refer to her situation and for what the gymnasium represented in the past. ... ’’ By removing lawyers, doctors and teachers from the previous society, whoever is in charge of Gilead has removed all education and justice. ... Offred misses the freedom of being allowed to go and do whatever she pleased. Under the new regime, Offred is forbidden from going on the subway because there is no reason for her to get on a train and go into the main city. ... ’’ In the past women were independent, now this is being taken away from them. ... Offred also wears white wings surrounding her face to keep her from seeing and also to stop her being seen. ... Offred also misses the freedom she once had to communicate with men. ... No one whistles.’’ This can be looked at in both a good and a bad way, it is good that women are no longer harassed by men, but nobody in the society can behave in the way they want to, everybody seems to have their freedom taken away from them. Before Offred was introduced to this dystopia she had "freedom to", but now she has progressed to "freedom from". The justification for dispossessing women is that it is for their own good – to rescue them from the objectification of their bodies and the potential for unhappiness in life. ... It was thought by the oppressors that they were helping these girls, by giving them freedom from; rape, sexual harassment, work, and the troubles of bringing up children. However by doing so they were taking their freedom to; work and feed and clothe themselves and make their own decisions. They have also been denied the right to choose who they sleep with, this is apparently to protect women from rape, infertility and disease, but it is really only in place to prevent rebellion and independence.