What Did They Do To Emily In The Handmaid's Tale

Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the turbulent life of Emily/Ofglen/Ofjoseph from The Handmaid's Tale! Get ready for a rollercoaster of terrible, no-good, very bad days… times a thousand.

Emily's Early Rebellion

Before Gilead, Emily was a microbiology professor. Smart and sassy, she wasn't about to quietly accept the new regime's twisted rules.

Remember that time you subtly changed the radio station in your friend's car because you couldn't stand their music? Imagine that, but instead of the radio, it's the entire patriarchal structure of society! That's Emily.

The Gilead Gauntlet

So, what EXACTLY did they do to our girl? Oh honey, where do we even start?

Gender Treachery

First off, Emily was outed as a lesbian. In Gilead, being anything other than straight is a big, big no-no. Think of it as showing up to a black-tie gala in your pajamas – only the stakes are astronomically higher.

She's forced into the handmaid system, her identity stripped away. She is renamed Ofglen (later Ofjoseph). Gilead wanted to erase any trace of the strong, independent woman she once was.

The Commander's Secrets

As Ofglen, Emily finds herself in a household where the Commander is not following the rules.

She realizes that he is also doing something that is forbidden, and that makes her angry.

A Forbidden Love

Then comes the relationship with Martha, another form of forbidden love. They begin a relationship, but that doesn't last because the other Martha gets caught.

The Car Incident

Then, Emily hits an Eye with her car. It's a moment of pure, unadulterated rebellion. "Oops, did I do that?" – but with a lethal dose of righteous anger!

The Clitoridectomy

For her "sins," Emily undergoes genital mutilation. I won't sugarcoat it; it’s barbaric and brutal. It's like trying to fix a broken lamp by smashing it with a hammer – utterly senseless and cruel.

This is a particularly horrifying punishment, designed to control and punish her sexuality. They wanted to remove her joy.

The Colonies

After this, Emily is sent to the Colonies. Think of it as the world's worst unpaid internship, where the "work" is toxic waste cleanup and the "benefits" are guaranteed death. It’s a slow, agonizing demise in a wasteland of despair.

She meets other women there and makes a friend with Janine.

Hanging of the Unwomen

Emily witnesses people being killed by being hung on the wall. All the Unwomen have to stand there and watch.

Serena Joy Bites the Dust

Finally, there's the matter of Serena Joy. Let's just say Emily finds a… creative… way to express her feelings about Serena's role in Gilead. I won’t spoil it, but it involves a certain anatomical area and a lot of pent-up rage.

She and the rest of the women corner Serena and attack her. This is after she speaks badly of Emily's handmaid friend.

Finding Hope

Despite all the trauma, Emily never truly breaks. She clings to her memories, her anger, and her will to survive. She finds small acts of resistance and kindness wherever she can. She is resilient.

Emily shows us that even in the darkest of times, the human spirit can endure. She is an inspiring character who finds her way back to freedom.

So, yeah, Gilead put Emily through the wringer. But in the end, they couldn't crush her spirit. She's a symbol of hope and resistance in a world gone mad. Go Emily!