Imagine growing up in a society where all women are useful for reproduction. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is an excellent novel about what the fate of the future might one day be. The main character, Offred, moves to a new house where she is there to perform "rituals" with the Commander, head of the house, so that she can hopefully reproduce. Basically, she's a sex slave and giving birth to a healthy baby is all she longs for. Also, if she had a child, she will be treated better, so it can be stressful for these women. The Commander and his wife are at the top of society and have all the power over Offred. The Commander is a key character, because he can get rid of Offred if he doesn't like her and he has all the power. The two end up having a secret relationship in which Offred begins to trust him. In the book the Commander is portrayed as a fairly trustworthy character for Offred, however the film adaptation was the exact opposite. In the novel the Commander wanted someone he could talk to other than his wife and confided in Offred. The movie, however, makes him just want to have fun and only use Offred for a short time. There are three notable scenes that portray the Commander differently in the film than in the book, serving to create a different atmosphere. The first scene that created a different atmosphere in the film adaptation compared to the original atmosphere was when Offred first meets the Commander in his office. In this scene there is tension between the two characters in both the film and the novel. The film had differences that made the Commander appear to have alternative motivations. As the scene continues in the book, however, the atmosphere started to become more relaxed and... middle of paper... in trouble, there was no hatred towards him and it didn't lead to him being killed. like in the film version. The film adaptation created a completely different atmosphere when it involved scenes involving the Commander. He describes this character as something completely different from how he is portrayed through the books. Having the Commander portrayed differently and therefore creating a big difference in the relationship Offred had with him. Also, because that character was creating a different atmosphere during those scenes, the movie played out differently than originally intended in the novel. It shows how a film adaptation can completely change the context of the novel and create a whole new mood based on how they decide to portray each character. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Ballantine Books, 1985. Print.